Gleaning Facebook: Goodbyes

This has been a year of goodbyes already. Today especially.

I visited with the family of Ed Dollar briefly today. Ed was a good man who served as custodian at Pepperell Elementary while I was there and with maintenance for the county schools for many years. I always enjoyed talking with Mr. Dollar. He was a kind and thoughtful man.

Later I got a chance to talk with and hug Mitchell and Carleigh who lost their young mom, Angie Lynch Worsham. I taught both kids. Their mom was devoted to those kids. She was only slightly older than my Brannon. So young. I can only imagine the pain that her sweet mother and father must be experiencing.

Then I heard that our kindred spirit, Gwen Perkins, died this morning at 95. Dr. Gwen was an accomplished botanist whom we met when Richard, Deborah, and I were singing PP&M songs in the loft of a barn in Booger Hollow and this ninety-something climbed the rickety captain's ladder to sit on a bale of hay and listen to every song. Later she invited Sheila and me to join her and some other friends for dinner and conversation in her Cave Spring apartment. And to a book signing for her book about native southern vines interspersed with her observations about life. What a vital person she was into her mid-nineties.

And tonight I learn that another kindred spirit, the kind and talented Bill Supon, has been taken off life support and is thought to be in his last hours with us. I sang with Bill in a Shorter production of "Die Fledermaus", and in the musical "The Civil War", and an RLT "Broadway Spectacular" production. He was always a gentleman and a genuine talent.

My life is richer for having known each of these. I will miss them. 

Joyce Mink
I had not heard about Ms. Gwen. I'll miss her sweet spirit!

Terrell Shaw
She was an unforgettable character. I wish I had known her sooner.

Deborah Lake Dawson
Sorry for your loss. They all sound like wonderful people.

Linda Bell
Oh, Mr. Dollar, he was such a sweet man.

Kendra L Harris
I remember Mr. Dollar! He was always so sweet! And I wish I could have come to the Worsham service. .. so sad!

And I met Ms. Gwen on several occasions and admired her spunk! Will pray for these families. I'm sorry for all your losses.

Lynn Ray
Sorry for the loss of your friends, Terrell

Mary Nisbet Asbury
Dang! Did not know about Bill 

Dekie Hicks
I will certainly miss Gwen! I published her books for her; we worked together closely for 5 or so years.

Sunny Shropshire Knauss
So sorry for the loss!

John Paul Schulz
Gwen was some kind of special.

Sandy Doughty
So many losses...it just gets harder and harder, doesn't it, as we lose more and more family and friends? So sorry for the loss of these good people.

Ann Gore
So sorry, Terrell to hear about all the losses just recently.

Terrell Shaw
We never get used to the earth being peopled differently as we grow older, do we Sandy. So many folks I'd like to confer with again.

Ann Perkins Niemeier
Thank you for remembering my mother, Gwen Perkins.

Ruth Pinson
I didn't know about Mr. Dollar's passing. I always loved him. Life is so short, and it's so tough to lose those that meant a lot to us.