It's All Saints' Day: Whom Do You Want to Commemorate?

[Lydia Leftcoast]

In many churches, it's the custom on All Saints' Day to commemorate members who have died during the previous year. This year, I have two people to commemorate:

Mary, who lived in an apartment complex for the elderly and hosted my previous parish's book discussion group. The widow of a biology professor, she regaled us with anecdotes about going on wildlife observation studies with her husband and also about the summers the two of them spent running a forest fire lookout during the 1940s. An avid mystery reader, she had a huge library of out-of-print books that she gladly lent out.

Michael, also from my previous parish, drove a cab as he struggled with AIDS for many years. But what he was best known for was planning celebrations and parties at church. If you had some sort of celebration coming up, you definitely wanted Michael to be in on the planning. I last saw him at a fundraiser for Peter DeFazio, after he which he gave me a free cab ride home.

Requiescant in pace. Lux perpetua luceat eis.

[Beware the Beast Man]

1. While no one I know has passed in the previous year,

I had a dream about my father-in-law last night, who passed on 10 years ago and whom I never met. He was checking in with me to see if my wife was safe; and I told him I was concerned for her since her mom and grandmother are both in not-so-good health (in real life). I told my wife about the dream, and she said he shows up in people's dreams a lot. For a guy who never believed in that sort of thing, he apparently does a lot of haunting.
To digress, I'm thinking of him, because even though I never met him, we are reportedly very much alike.

[redqueen]

2. My uncle Bobby.

He died this summer, alone in his apartment. It broke my heart because I thought he'd be around a while longer. He was very cool and although crude, a very nice man. I miss him a lot. I still carry the prayer card from his funeral with me.

[Hand]

3. My stepmom Kay

She passed on at age 90 this March. She was an extraordinary person--a pioneering woman anthropologist, teacher, social worker, etc. She spent years in the southwest and Alaska working with native people and was loved and honored by them.

She saved my father from depression and deep, deep grief after my mother died at age 53. He was the love of her life (she'd never married before), and they had quite an inspiring life together. I only realized much later that joining our family was as much a rebirth for her as it was for us.

Kay was the kind of person who was much more interested in you than she was in herself--a very rare thing indeed. Up to and through the last days so of her life, she remained intellectually strong and clear. She worked her mind the way Olympic athletes work their bodies, and it showed. Her body wore out from age, finally, and I guess could just no longer contain her. She died peacefully with family and friends all around. It doesn't get much better than that.

:hug: :cry:

[Lydia Leftcoast]

4. Oh, Hand, what a sweet story

:-)

[UrbScotty]

5. My Grandpa and my Great-Uncle Eddie

Uncle Eddie and 'Poppa' (as I called him) were Army buddies during the war. Uncle Eddie met a lady named Margaret, and then introduced Poppa to her sister, Christine. Both couples got married.

Regretfully, I know little else about Uncle Eddie, except that he died last November at the age of 78.

Poppa was a tool-and-die worker at the Dearborn plant of Ford Motor Company for 45 years. He was an avid gardener; I would often look forward to his cucumbers when I stopped by to visit his former home in suburban Detroit.

Poppa died April 29 at the age of 81.

Rest and Peace Grant Unto Them, O Lord, and May Perpetual Light Shine Upon Them.