Notebook

Today we had a memorial for Dadu at his house. It was scheduled for 10 o’clock, but got started a little late. JoAnn and John, Dadu’s neighbors, were there, as well as Sitome who played in his string ensemble. Tony Langley came for the service (Tassy and Deedee arrived later), and Andrew Thompson, a friend of Ruth’s from Lagniappe church in Mississippi, stopped on his way to Pennsylvania.

Pop opened with a prayer and a short reading. Wavy followed with her remembrances and read a passage from Ecclesiastes and some other thoughts from a famous author (who’s name I can’t recall). Niddie had a few words about Dadu’s love of music and played a recording made by a student who had purchased Dadu’s cello. Then the service was opened to anyone who wanted to say something. Jo-Ann talked about how she had enjoyed living beside Dadu, and all the conversations they had together. Finally after everyone had said something, I closed with a few thoughts of my own, read Psalm 23, and ended with a prayer.

This was the second year we went to Airlie Gardens in Wilmington when it was decorated for Christmas. We went later this year, from 7 to 9 PM on Friday. It was sold out and rather crowded.

The tour starts in the new administration building where the Cape Fear Railroad Club sets up an O-scale layout of Lionel trains. After that the path heads around the Airlie Oak.

Enchanted Airlie

Some are the trees are illuminated with lights from below and others are draped with long chains of colored lights. This year they introduced “trees” made from bottles and lights.

The girls ran around in the lawn at the Airlie Oak to let out some of the energy before we went on. Then we walked over to the board walk that looks over the bay — across from Airlie Lake where the swans live.

Resting at the Airlie Oak

Near the end of the tour, the path goes under a “tree” of lights. I thought it would be neat to get a picture while standing under it.

Looking up In a Light Display

After that the Railroad Club had a display of outdoor trains (garden trains?) set up along the path. The girls enjoyed watching the trains go by. On the passenger train, each car was almost two feet long.

We took some more pictures this weekend.

In Front of the Christmas Tree

The girls do really well when we take these pictures, even though they get very antsy by the end.

Published in the Jacksonville Daily News from 12/14/2007 – 12/17/2007.

Maurice C. Shepard, 91, of Jacksonville, died Dec. 12, 2007, at Pitt Memorial Hospital.

He was a retired civil service microbiologist for the U.S. Navy.

He was preceded in death by his wife, Ruth Erika Shepard.

Survivors include his three daughters, Julia Shepard Friant of Jacksonville, and Jean Shepard and Evelyn Shepard, both of New York City, N.Y.; one sister, Miriam Shepard Peterson of St. Paul, Minn.; 11 grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren.

Memorials may be made to the American Cancer Society, 930-B Wellness Drive, Greenville, NC 27834.

Arrangements are by Jones Funeral Home in Jacksonville.

Yesterday, December 12, at 3:30 PM, Dadu passed away. He was surrounded by his loving family to the very end.

He was at Pitt Memorial Hospital where he had been admitted for trouble with his swallowing reflex. The doctors were not able to successfully treat the problem and he grew weak from only being nourished by an IV. He developed congestive heart failure and while they were treating that, he got a pneumonia infection. The doctor realized his chances for survival were falling rapidly and called the family up to the hospital on Tues., December 11.

CDF and I went up Tuesday afternoon and I got to speak to him while he was still able to open his eyes. We were all able to express our love before he became unconscious, and I’m grateful for that. Niddie and Wavy flew down from New York and arrived that evening. Ruth drove up from Mississippi and she and Heidi stayed by Dadu’s side all night.

Dadu’s body will be cremated and we will be having a memorial service at the end of this week or the beginning of the next.

This past weekend was a busy one. I took off Friday to go with CDF and the girls to Havelock where CDF had an appointment to get her eyes checked. Then we found out that Stephanie and Vasco were planning on moving the bulk of their furniture that morning, so I volunteered to help. It ended up that I only needed to help bring it in the house since Vasco had help from work. But I was able to help set up the beds and dressers after the everything was brought in.

Then Saturday Galina had a piano recital for all her students at Covenant Presbyterian in Jacksonville. So we managed to switch tickets for the Christmas play at Scotts HIll Baptist Church from that evening to Sunday afternoon. Galina had about twenty to twenty-five students of all ages and skill levels. They all did a good job and at the very end, Anna Vick sang a solo with Galina accompanying her.

Sunday we went to the 4 o’clock performance of the Christmas play. Galina was going to watch CEF while we took MDF, but when MDF heard who was coming she decided to stay home and play. So just CDF and I went to the play. We enjoyed it, though it was long. It was a mixture of singing, a little acting/storytelling, and some dancing (swing and modern/ballet). I think MDF would have enjoyed the dancers, but it would have been hard for her to sit through the whole thing.