___________________________________________________________________________________ This is a page for memorials to our friends who lost their battle and leave behind a legacy of their positive spirit for all to learn from. They leave behind family and friends. Please remember them and be grateful that we can still learn from their positiveness. ___________________________________________________________________________________
In Memory of May Simonsen __________________________________________________________________________________ In Memory of Claire Mcdermott
In Memory of Veronica Anderson __________________________________________________________________________________
SPRINGFIELD
- Marlene Delores Smith, born May 5, 1933, in Springfield, the daughter
of Ruthie L. Ryder and Lawrence Draper, passed away at Helia Healthcare
on Tuesday, Sept. 26, 2007. She was 74.
Marlene graduated from Feitshans High School in 1950 and attended
Lincoln Land Community College. She married Wendell Smith (former
husband, deceased) in 1954. She had been employed with the U.S. Postal
Service, Sangamo Electric Co., Department of the Navy, INB, J.C.
Penney, Famous Barr and SIU. She retired from the Illinois Department
of Public Aid after 30 years of employment in 1998.
Marlene was devoted to her family, loved shopping, traveling and keeping her home and yard looking extravagant and immaculate.
Marlene is survived by seven children, Danica Smith (J.D. Daniels)
of Stone Mountain, Ga., Brian (wife, Jan Townsend-Smith) Smith of
Arlington, Texas, Sondra (husband, Dr. Howard) Baker of Acton, Calif.,
Allison Smith of Springfield, DeAnne (husband, Anthony) Hubbard of
Springfield, Liesl Smith (husband, Marco) Mulder of Springfield and
Jeffrey Smith of Stone Mountain; six grandchildren, Natalie (husband,
Derron) Parker of Pleasant Grove, Ala., Jasmine, Marlie, Reginald, Eva
and Marco; a great-grandchild, Layla; and longtime friend, Delores
Williams.
Burial services will be held at 11 a.m. Monday, Oct. 1, 2007, in Oak Hill Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be sent to the American Stroke
Foundation, 5960 Dearborn St., Suite 100, Mission, KS 66202; or the
Hope for Stroke Foundation, 250 Duckpond Drive, Wantagh, NY 11793.
I met JoAnn when she was 16. She
captured my heart the next day. She married me when she was 18. She
gave me a son at 20 and a daughter at 23. She lived her life to the
fullest – always smiling, never complaining, always a kind word, a
soft touch and a helping hand.
In the summer of 1974 JoAnn had her
first brain aneurysm that burst and had to be surgically repaired. I
will never forget how brave she was even at such a young age. She was
so proud of her long beautiful hair and I thought she would be so
upset when they told her they would have to shave her bald for
surgery. Instead she showed them how to do it and told them it would
be OK; she was actually comforting the aides! She quickly bounced
back from surgery happy to continue building our family. In 1976
while pregnant with our daughter another aneurysm was discovered.
Carrie was born, again brain surgery, again no hair, and this time
she lost vision in her left eye. She was told that it would be too
dangerous for her to have more children and although she was upset,
she pulled through with a smile on her face and a new outlook on
life.
JoAnn got a break for the next 17
years, as she enjoyed her children more than anything else – they
were her life. Then in December of 1993 JoAnn had another aneurysm
and rupture, this time putting her in a coma for 3 weeks. Doctors
discovered not just one but two aneurysms and found that her carotid
arteries were nearly completely closed. Needless to say, her
situation was complicated, difficult, and serious. She was
transferred to Columbia Presbyterian hospital where surgery was
performed to repair the burst aneurysm. It was then that we learned
that it was the aneurysm from 1976, which had reruptured, as it was
not clipped properly. The newly discovered second aneurysm was
untreatable at the time. JoAnn underwent numerous procedures for this
aneurysm and subjected herself to annual tests to monitor its
progress. Through all of this she kept smiling and never complained
about what she had to endure. It was if she was always trying to find
a bright spot in a dim world. I remember when she was asked if she
wanted to file a malpractice suit for the aneurysm that ruptured a
second time, she asked: Why? She said it wouldn’t change anything,
she was still alive and was grateful for that!
In 2001 JoAnn had risky major brain
surgery in an attempt to repair her untreated aneurysm. Although the
surgery was unsuccessful she recuperated in record time. She even
surprised me this time. I brought her in for surgery at 6am and she
was asking to go home by 4pm. She was discharged at 7pm the following
night. In for brain surgery on Thursday, home on Friday. Piece of
cake! The doctors were amazed!
Two years later, days before her 50th
birthday, JoAnn experienced her first seizure. Once again she
recovered quickly with medication and was home in 3 days. Her only
complaint was that she didn’t get to celebrate her birthday in St.
Martin as planned. We went anyway in April.
JoAnn was hospitalized in January of
2007 with pneumonia. It was so severe that she was on a respirator
for a week. It was advised that she go to a rehab facility for a few
weeks to regain her strength but she refused, choosing instead to do
it at home. She had physical and occupational therapy and worked real
hard, and once again her doctors were astounded. She recovered 100%,
proving to us once again that she is a fighter and would not give up.
JoAnn knew here time here was limited,
so she was determined to make a difference. After her aneurysm in
1994 we realized the reason she was still alive was because there was
something more for her to accomplish. There was something she still
had to do. We always were on the lookout for that thing – secretly
hoping she would not accomplish it - so that she would not complete
her task. But she never shirked her responsibility, and always
brought sunshine and happiness into everyone’s life that she
touched.
And now that she’s gone, I realize
what that something was. It was simply for us to recognize and
acknowledge the way JoAnn lived her life. To see the things she did
so effortlessly, without any thought, and without taking any credit
for herself. This is what made her so unique and loved by everyone.
She taught me some
valuable lessons. I always thought the rule was to listen twice as
much as you talk. JoAnn’s rule was to talk as much as you listened.
Because of this she made friends everywhere she went. We recently
went to France and when we came home people would comment as to how
cold the French people were. JoAnn said “No way!” – she thought
they were wonderful. Even though she couldn’t speak a word of
French, she communicated with an open heart that was felt by everyone
she met. It was one of our more memorable vacations.
JoAnn taught me how
to laugh, and more importantly how to laugh at yourself. She has
shown me the power of a smile, how it changes a person’s attitude
immediately. She has shown me how a simple compliment like “What a
pretty necklace” opens a door to a whole conversation. And she
always would amaze me with the power she had with children. She would
get down to their level and speak to them like people – they all
loved her. Put JoAnn in a room with kids for 5 minutes and they would
remember her forever. She taught me how to cry, that it’s not such
an unmanly thing to do, and recently I’ve learned to always say, “I
love you”; she always knew the power of that. Most recently she has
shown me the tremendous strength and determination she had to get
better. She refused to settle for anything less than what she was. In
her condition she instinctively had the courage to fight back to
become the old JoAnn again. She has succeeded - she’s just in
another place.
JoAnn made me the man I am. People
look upon me as being the strong one in our relationship. The truth
is JoAnn was the strong one, she just would never take credit for it;
she was the strongest woman I’ve ever known. She gave me the
strength to help her fight her fight. I’ll always love her; never
forget her, my wife, my love, and my best friend.
For
those of you who knew Tammy and those who didn't: More than prayers to
offer up to Tammy, Nick and Megans loss. May her positive spirit, be
spread amongst everyone, and thanks Tammy... your love and your warmth,
will be around forever. May Nick and Megan be healed from their loss. Sometimes,
people pass your life that can affect your entire soul. Tammy was just
that person, always the positive, very lovable and caring individual.
Her vibrancy and intuitive perspective, touched many that loved
her.Tammy fought not only stroke, but cancer that finally took her.
Tammy, a member of our Board of Directors, passed away yesterday
05/07/07. Personally, I am devastated by not only, a vacant position on
our Board, but the loss of a very dear friend. There are a lot of us
out there that will be forever patching this hole in our hearts. She left a
legacy of hope for others and a positive attitude to pattern. Her
positive attitude took her so much farther than anyone ever thought.
Until her passing, she was a soldier of Hope. Tammy leaves behind, Nick
her husband and Megan, her daughter. TAMMY YOU'LL BE MISSED....
SPRINGFIELD
- Marlene Delores Smith, born May 5, 1933, in Springfield, the daughter
of Ruthie L. Ryder and Lawrence Draper, passed away at Helia Healthcare
on Tuesday, Sept. 26, 2007. She was 74.
Marlene graduated from Feitshans High School in 1950 and attended
Lincoln Land Community College. She married Wendell Smith (former
husband, deceased) in 1954. She had been employed with the U.S. Postal
Service, Sangamo Electric Co., Department of the Navy, INB, J.C.
Penney, Famous Barr and SIU. She retired from the Illinois Department
of Public Aid after 30 years of employment in 1998.
Marlene was devoted to her family, loved shopping, traveling and keeping her home and yard looking extravagant and immaculate.
Marlene is survived by seven children, Danica Smith (J.D. Daniels)
of Stone Mountain, Ga., Brian (wife, Jan Townsend-Smith) Smith of
Arlington, Texas, Sondra (husband, Dr. Howard) Baker of Acton, Calif.,
Allison Smith of Springfield, DeAnne (husband, Anthony) Hubbard of
Springfield, Liesl Smith (husband, Marco) Mulder of Springfield and
Jeffrey Smith of Stone Mountain; six grandchildren, Natalie (husband,
Derron) Parker of Pleasant Grove, Ala., Jasmine, Marlie, Reginald, Eva
and Marco; a great-grandchild, Layla; and longtime friend, Delores
Williams.
Burial services will be held at 11 a.m. Monday, Oct. 1, 2007, in Oak Hill Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be sent to the American Stroke
Foundation, 5960 Dearborn St., Suite 100, Mission, KS 66202; or the
Hope for Stroke Foundation, 250 Duckpond Drive, Wantagh, NY 11793.
I met JoAnn when she was 16. She
captured my heart the next day. She married me when she was 18. She
gave me a son at 20 and a daughter at 23. She lived her life to the
fullest – always smiling, never complaining, always a kind word, a
soft touch and a helping hand.
Tammy McDermott