[ 09-08-2011, 10:28 AM: Message edited by: Tincup ]
Posted by Tincup (Member # 5829) on :
Posted by Melanie Reber (Member # 3707) on 28 June, 2006 09:00 PM :
I am pretty sure that my older post on this subject got deleted during the last house cleaning...
But here is some information that I kept in a word doc.
This list is not comprehensive...
[ 09-08-2011, 10:29 AM: Message edited by: Tincup ]
Posted by Tincup (Member # 5829) on :
Posted by Melanie Reber (Member # 3707) on 28 June, 2006 09:00 PM
_________________________________________________
(1) Lyme-associated parkinsonism: a neuropathologic case study and review of the literature. Cassarino DS; Quezado MM; Ghatak NR; Duray PH. Arch Pathol Lab Med, 127(9):1204-6. 2003.
(2) Borrelia burgdorferi detected by culture and PCR in clinical relapse of disseminated Lyme borreliosis. Oksi J; Marjamaki M; Nikoskelainen J; Viljanen MK. Annals of Medicine, 31(3):225-32. 1999.
(3) Central nervous system infection caused by Borrelia burgdorferi. Clinico-pathological correlation of three post-mortem cases. Bertrand E; Szpak GM; Pilkowska E; Habib N; Lipczynska-Lojkowska W; et al. Folia Neuropathol; 37(1):43-51. 1999.
(4) Borrelia burgdoferi-seropositive chronic encephalomyelopathy: Lyme neuroborreliosis? An autopsied report. Kobayashi K; Mizukoshi C; Aoki T; Muramori F; Hayashi M; et al. Dement Geriatr Cogn Disord, 8(6):384-90. 1997.
(5) Inflammatory brain changes in Lyme borreliosis. A report on three patients and review of literature. Oksi J; Kalimo H; Marttila RJ; et al. Brain, 199(Pt 6):2143-54. 1996.
(6) Ceftriaxone in the treatment of Lyme neuroborreliosis. Rohacova H; Hancil J; Hulinska D; Mailer H; Havlik J. Infection, 24(1):88-90. 1996.
(7) Rapidly progressive frontal-type dementia associated with Lyme disease. Waniek C; Prohovnik I; Kaufman MA; Dwork AJ. Journal of Neuropsychiatry Clin Neurosci, 7(3):345-7. 1995.
(8) Borrelia burgdorferi myositis: report of eight patients. Reimers CD; de Koning J; Neubert U; Preac-Mursic V; Koster JG; M�ller-Felber W; Pongratz DE; Duray PH. J Neuro, 240(5):278-83. 1993.
(9) Lyme disease acquired in Europe and presenting in CONUS. Welker RD; Narby GM; Legare EJ; Sweeney DM. Military Medicine, 158(10):684-5. 1993.
(10) Fatal encephalitis caused by concomitant infection with tick-borne encephalitis virus and Borrelia burgdorferi. Oksi J; Viljanen MK; Kalimo H; Peltonen R; Marttia R; et al. Clinical Infectious Diseases, 16(3):392-6. 1993.
(11) Fatal Lyme carditis and endodermal heterotopia of the atrioventricular node. Cary NR; Fox B; Wright DJ; Cutler SJ; Shapiro LM; Grace AA. Postgrad Med J, 66(773):258. 1990.
(12) Fatal adult respiratory distress syndrome in a patient with Lyme disease. Kirsch M; Ruben FL; Steere AC; Duray PH; Norden CW; Winkelstein A. JAMA, 259(18):2737-9. 1988.
(13) Borrelia in the brains of patients dying with dementia. MacDonald A. JAMA, 256(16):2195-6. 1986.
(14) Fatal meningoradiculoneuritis in Lyme disease. Melet M; Gerard A; Voiriot P; Gayet S; May T; et al. Presse Med, 15(41):2075. 1986.
(15) Fatal pancarditis in a patient with co-existent Lyme disease and babesiosis: Demonstration of spirochetes in the heart. Marcus LC; Steere AC; Duray PH. Annals of Internal Medicine, 103:374-6. 1985.
Fetal demise:
(16) Gestational Lyme borreliosis. Implications for the fetus. MacDonald AB. Rheum Dis Clin North Am, 15(4):657-77. 1989.
(17) Borrelia burgdorferi in a newborn despite oral penicillin for Lyme borreliosis during pregnancy. Weber K; Bratzke HJ; Neubert U; Wilske B; Duray PH. Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal, 7:286-9. 1988.
(18) Human fetal borreliosis, toxemia of pregnancy, and fetal death. MacDonald A. Zbl. Bakt. Hyg. A, 263:189-200. 1986.
Posted by trails (Member # 1620) on 29 June, 2006 02:32 AM :
Ted Hoggard (mitch's son) should be added to the list. I do not know his age. His death was published in Lymetimes last year but he passed away 2 years ago this August. I spoke with his father today who shared tears and more info about his death than he has before with me. It was Lyme related.
I can not believe the strength of some families. And the depths of compassion that this illness can create in some people.
[ 09-08-2011, 10:33 AM: Message edited by: Tincup ]
Posted by Tincup (Member # 5829) on :
Posted by snowflake (Member # 8950) on 29 June, 2006 06:08 AM :
I had to stop there because this is too depressing. I hope that the LDA or "someone" has a database to track those they become aware of. We will never know the full scope of this continuing tragedy.
[ 09-08-2011, 10:37 AM: Message edited by: Tincup ]
Posted by Tincup (Member # 5829) on :
Posted by SuZ-Q (Member # 5903) on 29 June, 2006 07:54 AM :
This is so heartbreaking. After a thorough list has been compiled, it should be sent to the Infectious Disease Association and all the ducks who do not believe in chronic Lyme. This is all I can write at the moment for the tears.
[ 09-08-2011, 10:39 AM: Message edited by: Tincup ]
Posted by Tincup (Member # 5829) on :
Posted by snowflake (Member # 8950) on 30 June, 2006 03:00 AM :
Please add another Lyme victim to the list:
Christopher Peter Thomas, Annapolis, MD died May 2006 from complications of Lyme
Abundance of ticks increases Lyme disease fears
By PAMELA WOOD, Staff Writer
Perched on blades of grass, or burrowed into the fur of mice and deer, they're waiting to latch on to a human for their next meal.
Barely bigger than a freckle, ticks are out in force in summer months, and they're carrying nasty diseases they can pass on to humans.
Experts say both the abundance of ticks and the prevalence of Lyme disease are increasing in this area.
"I'm seeing more ticks than I have in years," said Dr. Michael Raupp, an entomology professor at the University of Maryland, College Park. "Ticks are going to be on the way up."
And prime tick season - May through September - coincides with the prime time for humans to be picnicking, hiking, bird-watching and engaging in other outdoor activities where ticks thrive.
That intersection of tick and human activity can lead to the transmission of illnesses such as Lyme disease, Borrelia burgdorferi.
When caught early, Lyme disease is often easily treated with a course of antibiotics. But it often can be a tricky illness that can be difficult to diagnose let alone treated.
If it goes undetected, Lyme disease can spread, causing an array of troublesome symptoms, such as severe headaches, neck stiffness, shooting pains, dizziness and memory problems, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
In rare cases, Lyme disease can even be fatal.
Last month, an Annapolis man, Christopher Peter Thomas, died from complications of Lyme disease. Mr. Thomas recorded sound for films and documentaries, and believed he contracted the illness while working on a set in Virginia.
"Maryland is definitely one of those states that always has Lyme," said Dr. Kelly Russo, a public health physician with the Anne Arundel County Department of Health. "In this area, physicians are aware of it."
In 2005, there were 117 reported cases of Lyme Disease in Anne Arundel County, up from 74 in 2004 and 77 in 2003.
Doctors must report Lyme disease cases, but Dr. Russo said the number of cases should be taken "with a grain of salt" because the disease doesn't always show up on tests and not all suspected cases are reported.
Lyme disease usually is transmitted from animal to human through ticks, said Dr. Raupp, the entomologist. He said it's a common misconception that only deer carry Lyme disease and pass it on to ticks. Mice and small rodents are more likely reservoirs, he said.
The tick that usually transmits Lyme disease is the black-legged tick, Ixodes scapularis. It is smaller than other ticks, sometimes as tiny as a little freckle.
Ticks are often found in fields or the transition area between a field or lawn and the woods.
When in those areas, people should use a repellent including DEET and wear long sleeves and tuck their pants into their socks to prevent ticks from climbing aboard. Light clothing can help in spotting ticks.
And after spending time in tick habitat, it's a good idea to give a good once-over to search for ticks. Enlisting a friend, partner or parent can help in finding hard-to-spot ticks.
Dr. Raupp said he had a case of Lyme disease in the late 1980s, though he was lucky to spot it and get treated quickly. The telltale sign of Lyme disease is the bull's-eye rash around the bite site, sometimes accompanied by flu-like symptoms.
Any ticks should be removed gently with tweeze, Dr. Russo said. After a bite, it's a good idea to keep a lookout for symptoms, which can show up days or weeks later, she said.
The good news is that if a tick bites, it usually takes 24 hours or more for the tick to transmit Lyme disease, Dr. Russo said.
Sometimes symptoms show up, even when a person has no idea they were even bitten by a tick.
That's what happened to Tony Caligiuri's then-8-year-old daughter, who didn't have any symptoms until she woke up one day in 2003 unable to walk.
What he thought was a sprained ankle turned out to be Lyme disease and prompted Mr. Caligiuri into becoming an advocate for Lyme disease patients.
Mr. Caligiuri, who grew up in Annapolis and now lives in Centreville, is the chief of staff for U.S. Rep. Wayne T. Gilchrest.
After his family's ordeal - his daughter has been symptom-free for about four months now - Mr. Caligiuri got Mr. Gilchrest to sponsor a federal bill to improve Lyme disease research.
The bill calls for more federal money for research, the creation of an advisory panel and a national education campaign.
Mr. Caligiuri said he hopes more research will help end tests with false results, as well as address disagreements over how to treat Lyme disease.
The federal government recommends a short course of antibiotics, though some patients and doctors believe longer courses of antibiotics are necessary to treat chronic cases.
Though the measure has more than 40 cosponsors, Mr. Caligiuri acknowledged Lyme disease can be a tough sell. There also have been attempts at the state level, including a failed measure to require insurance companies pay for longer courses of antibiotics.
Mr. Caligiuri said he hopes momentum will build toward getting government action on the disease.
"We're getting so many calls from people in the same position," he said.
Published June 19, 2006, The Capital, Annapolis, Md. Copyright � 2006 The Capital, Annapolis, Md.
[ 09-08-2011, 11:16 AM: Message edited by: Tincup ]
Posted by Tincup (Member # 5829) on :
Posted by snowflake (Member # 8950) on 30 June, 2006 03:48 AM :
Another Lyme victim:
William "Billy" Boesche, 41, died June 10, 2006.
Obituary
William Henry "Billy" Boesch�, 41, owner of a landscaping and hauling business, died June 10 at his home in Highland. He had chronic Lyme disease and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or Lou Gehrig's disease.
Mr. Boesch� owned CleanUps Unlimited in Highland for 14 years, working until about two years ago, when his condition worsened. He had previously worked in pool maintenance and the pool supplies business.
He was born in Bear Creek, Pa. He moved with his family in 1977 to Ocean City, where he enjoyed spending time at the beach. He liked to work around the house and was considered the family historian.
Survivors include his wife of 17 years, Michele Boudrye of Highland; his mother, Betty Boesch� of White Marsh, Md.; three brothers, Steven Boesch� of Sykesville, Md., Jon Boesch� of White Marsh and David Boesch� of Wilkes-Barre, Pa.; and a sister, Michelle Gilder of Bethesda.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Article:
Lyme disease patient diagnosed self By Laura D'Alessandro ----------------------------------- (photo)
Dr. James Burns, owner of the Main Street Med center in Salisbury uses a scaple to remove a tick from a patients back.
(First in a two-part series)
OCEAN CITY -- Local attorney Jay Phillips spent four-and-a-half months with constant flu conditions, a migraine headache and a fever of 103 degrees before he finally realized he might have Lyme disease.
"I estimate I had it for about 10 years before it broke out," he said. Phillips' initial diagnosis didn't even come from a doctor. He discovered it himself.
"Here I am sick as a dog and tired all the time, aching all over, stiff neck ... the whole nine yards," he said. "I had come in contact with the Pennsylvania Lyme Disease Association and had a pamphlet with a test in the back."
Phillips went down the list of symptoms in the pamphlet. He said he scored around 75 percent positive, but when he approached his doctor he wasn't given any help.
"I subsequently have learned that a lot of doctors have an aversion to being known as a Lyme doctor. It's just politically unpopular," he said.
Unable to find treatment, he sought the help of the International Lyme and Associated Diseases Society and was directed to specialist Dr. Gregory Bach who, like any Lyme specialist, is located three to four hours away.
During one of his many visits to Bach's Pennsylvania office for hefty antibiotic treatments, Phillips met people in the waiting room with astonishing cases.
A girl in her mid-20s had been misdiagnosed with multiple sclerosis and was prescribed steroids. "She had been treated at the University of Pennsylvania and John Hopkins; she's suing them for malpractice," Phillips said. The steroids made her Lyme disease worse, Phillips said. He described her as just now able to stand on her own, and with impaired speech.
Phillips also ran into a familiar face in Bach's office. Billy Boesche, a fellow Ocean City resident who had relocated to Columbia, Md., had been infected with Lyme disease three times. His first two infections came from tick bites on Assateague Island.
"A neurologist at John Hopkins told him there was no such thing as chronic Lyme disease," Phillips said. Boesche died June 10 in his home. His obituary said he suffered from chronic Lyme disease and subsequently developed amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.
Boesche, Phillips and the young girl he met in the waiting room are just a few among the many people who have had trouble finding proper treatment for Lyme Disease.
In 2005, 1,235 cases were reported in Maryland and 891 cases were reported the year before, according to Robert Beyer of the Maryland Vector-born Disease Interagency Work Group.
Despite word of its prevalence on the Eastern Shore, the Worcester County Health Department has only confirmed eight cases in 2005 and seven in 2004. However, Debra Stevens of the department said this data may not include cases that do not fit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's criteria.
"For a confirmed case to get reported to the CDC and meet the criteria, the bull's-eye rash has to be at least 5 centimeters," Stevens said. "Or they must have the lab test and symptoms."
But not every infected tick bite leaves the signature rash. Phillips said the standard blood test, the ELISA test, used by doctors is only about 65 percent accurate.
Phillips said the western blot test and more advanced DNA testing is accurate but is not accepted by mainstream doctors who are also unwilling to treat or recognize chronic Lyme disease.
"Insurance won't pay for that. They don't like you to have it unless the Lyme shows up on the standard blood test," he said. "But it moves in and sets up home in the cells."
Now, Phillips takes a high dosage of medication and must cleanse his kidneys and liver every day so the antibiotics don't damage them.
"I have to go to Pennsylvania every month and every month they draw blood to see the status of my various bodily functions," he said.
If he had only been diagnosed sooner, the treatment would not be so severe.
"When it becomes imbedded in the cellular structure it takes long-term and high antibiotic therapy," he said.
The Lyme Disease Association of the Lower Shore and other organizations, such as ILADS, are working to make Lyme Disease treatment widely accepted and available.
Reach Laura D'Alessandro at 410-213-9442, Ext. 19 or e-mail [email protected].
Originally published Thursday, June 22, 2006 Worcester County Times
[ 09-08-2011, 11:05 AM: Message edited by: Tincup ]
Posted by Tincup (Member # 5829) on :
Posted by pmerv (Member # 1504) on 30 June, 2006 03:55 AM :
Here's what I know:
I am keeping a log of obits I see. We are not doing obits in the Lyme Times any more because people found them depressing and some parents didn't want their kids to see them. A big proportion were suicides.
Sarah Weiss Olson had a webpage with a list but she stopped doing it. She used to contact the people and verify everything. I don't know if she still has the info.
Tom Grier and some other people were working on an autopsy project, but weren't able to complete it.
I have investigated the idea of an autopsy project. The other day I called NDRI which is a middleman for getting tissues to researchers. They suggested I contact tissue banks and see if they could help us. It would mean asking for a corner of a freezer to save bits until a researcher wanted them. Or seeing if the banks had another idea.
We would need to design a form and figure out what bits should be harvested for maximum yield. People would have to fill out the forms and probably pay up front. Someone would have to keep track of everything.
Alan MacDonald thinks it is not worthwhile since the evidence he has published, no one is interested in. Paul Duray said he would help with forms. Nick Harris probably would also know what bits were best.
Autopsies are expensive.
That's where it is now, folks, as far as I know. Does anyone want to be a project manager because that's what it's going to take.
pm
[ 09-08-2011, 11:08 AM: Message edited by: Tincup ]
Posted by Tincup (Member # 5829) on :
Posted by snowflake (Member # 8950) on 30 June, 2006 04:26 AM :
Published: June 20, 2006 11:49 pm Henry Daily Herald, McDonough, GA
06-21-06 Obituaries
Brian Hirsch
Brian Hirsch, age 43, of McDonough, Ga., died Monday, June 19, 2006. He was born in Tampa, Fla., to Vern and Marian Herron Hirsch. Brian fought a long and courageous faith led battle with ALS (Lou Gehrig's)/Lyme disease for seven years.
His faith in Christ never diminished and his smile never faded. His motto was ``I can choose to laugh or I can choose to cry. I choose to laugh.''
His life verse was Proverbs 3:5-6. `Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not to your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your path straight.'
Brian was a member of Salem Baptist Church and the Encourager's Sunday school class. He was a Nascar fan and an avid sportsman who enjoyed playing and coaching. He was the owner of Eagle Electric and was known in the community as a colleague not a competitor.
Most important to him was his family. He was a loving husband, father, brother and son.
Mr. Hirsch is survived by his wife, Kay Hirsch of McDonough, Ga.; children, Justin Hirsch of McDonough, Ga., Kalina Hirsch of McDonough, Ga.; parents, Vern and Marian Hirsch of Stockbridge, Ga.; siblings, Michael Lyle of McDonough, Ga., Richard Lyle of Forsyth, Ga., Kathy Holt of Stockbridge, Ga., Deann Oliver of Jackson, Ga., Thomas Hirsch of Stockbridge, Ga., Rhonda LaTourette of Jackson, Ga.; wife's parents, Clark and Gwen James of McDonough, Ga.; sisters-in-laws, Regina Hammock of Canton, Ga., and Heather Graham of Acworth, Ga.
Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. on Thursday, June 22, 2006 at Salem Baptist Church with the Rev. Rick Statham and the Rev. Dan McKay officiating.
Interment will follow at Fairview Memorial Park. The family will receive friends Wednesday, June 21, 2006 from 2 to 4 and 6 to 8 p.m. at the funeral home.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Salem Baptist Church, Phase I-Recreation Department, 1724 Georgia Highway 155 N, McDonough, Ga., 30252. Those who wish may sign the on-line registry at
[ 09-08-2011, 11:12 AM: Message edited by: Tincup ]
Posted by Tincup (Member # 5829) on :
Posted by snowflake (Member # 8950) on 30 June, 2006 04:42 AM :
Kym Cooper, 1968-2006
Published Wednesday, January 18, 2006
Kimberly Ann "Kym" Nagle Cooper, 37, of Columbia passed away Monday, Jan. 16, 2006, at her home after a long battle with Lyme disease.
Cooper
Memorial services will be held at 2 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 21, at Memorial Funeral Home with Adam Boster officiating.
Kym was born Aug. 2, 1968, to Steve and Susan Telin Nagle at Fort Leonard Wood.
Survivors include her mother, Susan Cooper, and stepfather, Gary, of Columbia; her father, Steve Nagle, and stepmother, Robyn, of St. Louis; three sisters, Steffany Boster and her husband, Adam, of Columbia, Margaret Nagle of St. Louis and Alecia Nagle of Redlands, Calif.; one brother, Robert Nagle of St. Louis; and four nieces and nephews, Jace, McKayley, Faith and Lukas Lee Boster.
Kym is remembered for her love of family, music, dancing and the great Missouri outdoors.
In her childhood she studied gymnastics, which grew into a lifelong love of modern dance. She was an accomplished swimmer and especially enjoyed her many visits to Finger Lake State Park and Rock Bridge State Park.
Last summer, Kym rescued a small boy from drowning in a backyard pool. Before contracting Lyme disease, she served as a licensed practical nurse and is remembered for her kind heart and special skills as activities director working with senior citizens at Fayette Nursing Home.
Family is recommending donations be made to the National Lyme Disease Association Inc., a not-for-profit corporation, through the association's Web site,
or directly to the Lyme Disease Association Inc., P.O. Box 1438, Jackson, N.J., 08527.
[ 09-08-2011, 11:15 AM: Message edited by: Tincup ]
Posted by Tincup (Member # 5829) on :
Posted by Melanie Reber (Member # 3707) on 30 June, 2006 09:40 PM :
One hundred now...
there just aren't any words...
Posted by Tincup (Member # 5829) on :
Posted by trueblue (Member # 7348) on 30 June, 2006 10:23 PM :
Can I add one without an obit?
Eileen Secor was my local support group leader when I was first diagnosed. She died of a massive heart attack in her sleep at 43 years old.
She lived in New York state.
[ 09-08-2011, 11:18 AM: Message edited by: Tincup ]
Posted by Tincup (Member # 5829) on :
Posted by cordor (Member # 9449) on 30 June, 2006 11:15 PM :
I am so happy to see this subject being talked about. I have felt that way for quite some time now. I have told my Husband "Make sure my obt says Chronic Lyme". People need to be made aware of the seriousness of this disease.
The doctors that say "there is no such thing as chronic lyme" will never know what they are talking about, unless it hapens to them or their family. Sad state of affairs.
These are the ones that have promised to do no harm. I have run into quite a few of them.
Not my lyme doc, but others that I have been referred to for other medical conditions. They can be so cruel. And it's a shame.
Thank you for bringing up this important subject and I will start writing mine also.
[ 09-08-2011, 11:19 AM: Message edited by: Tincup ]
Posted by Tincup (Member # 5829) on :
Posted by Tincup (Member # 5829) on 01 July, 2006 01:58 AM :
Oh my God... this is insane.
I came here tonight and I just saw the obituary for another one of our Lymenet members... ALS/Lyme. He was one of the most dear people I've ever met.
[ 09-08-2011, 11:20 AM: Message edited by: Tincup ]
Posted by Tincup (Member # 5829) on :
Posted by lifeline (Member # 3445) on 01 July, 2006 09:13 PM :
This is, indeed, very humbling...very sad to read...all too young...
There is not enough research...not enough in the medical profession who care...we seem to be all we have, here at Lymenet, and, with a few, too few, doctors who dare take their chances...who care enough to treat us.
lifeline
[ 09-08-2011, 11:21 AM: Message edited by: Tincup ]
Posted by Tincup (Member # 5829) on :
Posted by Melanie Reber (Member # 3707) on 05 July, 2006 03:09 AM :
Dear friends,
As I add to this growing list, I would like to make it as accurate as possible. If any of you knew the deceased, will you please help by providing whatever information that you can?
I am needing:
name age state of residence family contact info, if posible obits, if possible
We are already in motion with the Memorial Park project. I'm pleased that some of you are open to this idea in conjunction with the center.
Again, if anyone would like to help with the Memorial project, please feel free to contact me personally, or reply to the Memorial post:
[ 09-08-2011, 11:22 AM: Message edited by: Tincup ]
Posted by Tincup (Member # 5829) on :
Posted by trueblue (Member # 7348) on 05 July, 2006 02:32 PM :
Melanie,
I'll edit my post above to reflect the state (New York) I have no further info. It was a long time ago, maybe 12 years?
I only know she had a teen-aged daughter that was or just had started college.
[ 09-08-2011, 11:23 AM: Message edited by: Tincup ]
Posted by Tincup (Member # 5829) on :
Posted by jazzygal (Member # 9145) on 06 July, 2006 01:07 AM :
This is something I have been pondering lately...if this disease takes me out, I am talking to my family about donating my organs to a reputable research group who is studying lyme and chronic lyme.
It seems the least I can do. I wont be needing those organs after I am gone and they are not donate-able for human transplant--so why not help the Lyme community out??
I am making sure my family knows my wishes in advance so no one will pressure my husband into not doing it.
It seems the most easy way to get the research to reflect accurately what is going on is to provide them with study materials that we KNOW meet the criteria!
Just a thought...
JazzyGal
[ 09-08-2011, 11:24 AM: Message edited by: Tincup ]
Posted by Tincup (Member # 5829) on :
Posted by seibertneurolyme (Member # 6416) on 06 July, 2006 01:34 AM :
JazzyGal,
For your info.
What you have suggested may be easier said than done. My husband's mother had always planned to donate her body to science. She even had it in her will.
However, the institution she chose (a medical college) would only accept bodies that were physically located within 40 miles I think it was of their institution. Lawyers also indicated that the request was not binding on family -- they could overturn it if they wished.
If you are serious about this, then you probably should do some additional research now.
Some specific diseases and/or institutions do have active procurement programs and established procedures for doing this.
Bea Seibert
[ 09-08-2011, 11:25 AM: Message edited by: Tincup ]
Posted by Tincup (Member # 5829) on :
Posted by lymemomtooo (Member # 5396) on 14 July, 2006 10:04 AM :
I have a weird question..I run a dusty old museum and do a lot of genealogy research for people. We have even had requests from Europe to find long lost relatives..
HOw do you find research on a deceased person if they have donated their body to science?
Normally, I go thru cemeteries and the local church burial records and nothing like this would be included.
While it is not a big deal to any of us living..trust me, I would not tell the familes that have come from Wales in the last few years to hug a grave that I do not know where they were taken.
Just a stupid question I suppose..But I currently need some diversions..lymemomtooo
[ 09-08-2011, 11:26 AM: Message edited by: Tincup ]
Posted by Tincup (Member # 5829) on :
Posted by snowflake (Member # 8950) on 14 July, 2006 04:47 PM :
[Obituary]
Kathleen E. Schuyler, 52, of Avondale, PA passed away in Fair Hill,MD on June 21, 2006. She was the wife of Roy L. Schuyler III with whom she shared 30 years of marriage.
Born in Springfield, OH, she was the daughter of the late Clifford R Schumacher and Dorothy E. Schumacher of State College, PA. She was a member of Red Clay Presbyterian Church in Wilmington, DE.
Kathleen's passion was education. She received a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from Penn State University with Distinction in 1973, a Master of Arts in Remedial Reading from Lehigh University in 1975, and a degree of Juris Doctor Cum Laude from Widener University in 1996.
She is survived by:
Husband: Roy L. Schuyler III
2 daughters: Lynn S. Harris and her husband Dr. Matthew R. Harris of Payson, AZ Karen Schuyler of Palo Alto, CA
One Son: Stephen F. Schuyler of Avondale, PA
One Brother: Clifford A. Schumacher of Milford, MI
In accordance with the wishes of the decedent, services and burial are private.
Contributions in her memory can be made to the Lyme Disease Association of Southeastern, PA, PO Box 944, Chadds Ford, PA 19317.
Arrangements are being handled by the Kuzo & Grieco Funeral Home, Inc. Online condolences may be made by visiting
[ 09-08-2011, 11:28 AM: Message edited by: Tincup ]
Posted by Tincup (Member # 5829) on :
Posted by snowflake (Member # 8950) on 17 July, 2006 02:51 AM :
Obituary Lori Lynn (Daman) Widlund of Minnesota
Widlund, Lori Lynn (Daman) Age 42, went to be with the Lord on April 20th after a difficult battle with Lyme Disease. Preceded in death by Grandpa Art Daman, Grandpa and Grandma Simonson.
She will be deeply missed by her children, Par Widlund and Vanessa (Rai) Manrique; loving parents Harlen and Sandie Daman; sisters, Julie Korus and Michelle (Brian) Gunderson; nieces and nephews, Brittney (Chris) Lingasin and Aaron Korus, Jacob and Ellie Gunderson, Daman and Aidan Lingasin; and her special pet Samantha.
Memorial service 3 PM Saturday, April 29 at Roberts-Eckert Funeral Home, 555 SW Centennial Drive, Forest Lake, MN. Visitation from 1:30 until 3:00 PM Saturday at the funeral home.
Memorials preferred to Lyme Disease Assoc. Inc., PO BOX 1438, Jackson, NJ 08527.
Lori suffered for so long and is finally free of pain. May she know the peace and unconditional love she always gave to us. "We didn't know how lucky we were to have her... We know now."
A special thanks to Dr. Betty Maloney, who befriended and helped her on this journey.
[ 09-08-2011, 11:30 AM: Message edited by: Tincup ]
Posted by Tincup (Member # 5829) on :
Posted by lymemomtooo (Member # 5396) on 17 July, 2006 10:55 AM :
Were it not for God's intervention and good timing, I am afraid I would have had to add a name for last night. Parents please be very vigilent with cutters..Sometimes they find too sharp an object. lmt
[ 09-08-2011, 11:31 AM: Message edited by: Tincup ]
Posted by Tincup (Member # 5829) on :
Posted by treepatrol (Member # 4117) on 18 July, 2006 08:35 AM :
Harry Hartner of Manhattan, Kansas, died on Jan. 26, at the age of 62, after suffering from Lyme disease and terrible headaches for almost 4 years. He had been on an IV antibiotic for 4 weeks.
He had a bad Herxheimer reaction from the drug, which was causing a severe headache that wasn't relieved by medication, severe insomnia which was continuing for several days in a row, severe depression, and severe thinking problems.
He took his own life.
Harry had several tick bites in May of 2000 after working in his pasture and became ill shortly after that. He continued to suffer from chronic fatigue and headaches, and he kept getting fevers.
His wife Karen suspected it was Lyme disease, but they were told by doctors that people can't get Lyme disease in Kansas.
The following year, in May, 2001, he was in his pasture again and was bitten by several more ticks. He became ill just 16 hours later, with a high fever.
This time he was treated with 3 weeks of doxycycline. He continued to suffer from a severe headache and depression and went from doctor to doctor for two more years, undergoing numerous tests which didn't help.
He finally saw a Lyme disease doctor in July of 2003 and began antibiotic treatment on August 1. He and his wife joined the Kansas City Lyme Association in September.
Harry took oral medications: clindamycin, quinine, amoxicillin, and flagyl, before starting Claforan by IV.
Nothing made the headache go away. He became discouraged. Harry leaves his wife Karen; a son, Keith Hartner; 2 daughters, Hilary Wahlen and Kayleen Classen; one sister; and 2 grand-daughters.
Harry's family wants to prevent this tragedy from happening to other people. They are trying to get the word out that Lyme disease is in Kansas.
[ 09-08-2011, 11:36 AM: Message edited by: Tincup ]
Posted by Tincup (Member # 5829) on :
Posted by Tincup (Member # 5829) on 18 July, 2006 08:05 PM :
I know Melanie has been feeling rather icky lately... and no rush at all or pressure... but I was wondering if there has been any updates on the proposed Lyme Disease Memorial project?
Thanks!
[ 09-08-2011, 11:37 AM: Message edited by: Tincup ]
Posted by Tincup (Member # 5829) on :
Posted by Melanie Reber (Member # 3707) on 18 July, 2006 08:40 PM :
YES!
You must have been reading my mind again...scary thought.
I am about to post an update any minute now. (and sadly...also add updates to the growing fatalities list)
Posted by Tincup (Member # 5829) on :
Posted by Melanie Reber (Member # 3707) on 18 July, 2006 08:48 PM :
Dear Friends,
The LD memorial park project is well underway!
Here are few updates...
* We are at this time going through the process of establishing non-profit status and developing a Board of Directors (all LD patients)
* We are developing a website as an informational hub (friendly to LD patients)
* We are verifying the growing list of TBD fatalities, contacting families, and researching obituaries
* We have begun contacting state support group leaders to ask for additional names and state specific information
* We are researching appropriate site locations
* We are researching existing memorial proposals, site development issues, and design criteria
* We are developing our Mission Statement and Bylaws
* We are gathering ideas and brainstorming Facilities concepts
* And, we are developing the preliminary conceptual design
I am very excited about this project...and very pleased that Billy's family has embraced it. The design concept is slowly making its way from my head onto paper, and I hope to share that with you all very soon!
This will be an ongoing project; a living Memorial. My greatest wish would be for each of us to obtain a sense of ownership by participating in its developmental stages and in its continual growth.
If any of you are in the position to offer help with the researching, brainstorming, or any other suggestions...we are all ears!
Also, I would like to take this opportunity to thank each of you who have already offered your help...it is appreciated beyond words.
Sincerely, Melanie Reber
``I too tend to plant trees in honor of those I love that pass away! Something symbolic to me about trees I guess, whether it be the trees branches reaching toward heaven, or just the growth year after year - signifying strength throughout all kinds of weather!'' - Billy Boesch�
"The roads are different, but the goal is one. When people reach the goal, all those who yelled at each other along the road, 'You are wrong!' or 'You are a blasphemer!' forget all possible differences. There, all hearts sing in unison." Rumi
[ 09-08-2011, 11:39 AM: Message edited by: Tincup ]
Posted by Tincup (Member # 5829) on :
Posted by PinchotGail (Member # 5066) on 26 July, 2006 01:41 AM
Dr. Michael G. Linebaugh MANCHESTER TWP.
Dr. Michael G. Linebaugh, 60, a well known York orthodontist, died Thursday, April 27, 2006, at his home, Walnut Run Farm, after a lengthy battle with chronic Lyme Disease and resulting ALS.
His wife of 39 years, Wanda M. (Caufman) Linebaugh, and family were at his side. Born October 17, 1945, in York, he was a son of the late Dale W. Linebaugh and Ruth V. Linebaugh of York.
He is also survived by two sons, Michael C. Linebaugh and his wife, Nicole of York, and Stephen T. Linebaugh and his wife, Ashley of Lancaster; a grandson, Preston W. Linebaugh of York; a brother, Judge Stephen P. Linebaugh and his wife, Jane of Dover; a sister, Cecilia A. Dove and her husband, Dr. Scott Dove of Flint Hill, Va.; nieces, Emily and Megan Linebaugh; and nephews, Jenkins, Reed, Brian, and Justin Dove.
A 1963 graduate of William Penn Senior High School, he held degrees from Juniata College, University of Pittsburgh School of Dental Medicine, and Georgetown University School of Dentistry.
While in dental school, he was awarded a U.S. Navy Dental Corps scholarship and was selected for a dental residency at The Bethesda Naval Hospital. An assignment with the Navy took him to the remote duty station in Argentia, Newfoundland.
After completing an Orthodontia Residency at Georgetown in 1979, he established a private practice in York. He was a past president of the York County Dental Society.
Additional professional memberships include
The Pennsylvania Dental Society, The American Dental Association, American Association of Orthodontists, and Diplomat American Board of Orthodontists.
He was the first Chief of Orthodontics at the inception of York Hospital's George Bentzel Dental Center. For fifteen years he served as Orthodontist for the York County Cleft Palate Clinic. In addition to developing several orthodontic appliances, he was published and contributed to a textbook in Clinical Orthodontics.
Dr. Linebaugh had also been a member of Equadent, completing three mission trips to Ecuador to treat dental and facial deformities of orphaned and indigent children.
Dr. Linebaugh was an avid outdoorsman enjoying hunting, fishing, sailing, tennis, and jogging. He ran in the Pittsburgh and Marine Corps marathons. He was a hobby farmer.
Dr. Linebaugh was a lifelong member of the York YMCA. He was a patron of The Farm Lands Trust, The York Symphony Orchestra, and the Strand Capitol Performing Arts Center.
He was a lifetime member of St. John's Episcopal Church, where he had served as acolyte, lector, and chalicer. A member of the Vestry at various times, he served as both Junior and Senior Warden.
A visitation will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. Friday, May 5, 2006, at Kuhner Associates Funeral Directors, Inc., 863 S. George St. (the former Hahn Home), York.
A memorial service is scheduled for 11 a.m. Saturday, May 6, 2006, at The Episcopal Church of Saint John the Baptist, 140 N. Beaver St., York, with his pastor, the Rev. David W. Lovelace, officiating.
Burial will be in the Lloyd Memorial Garden of the Church with reception to follow in the Parish Hall. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to St. John's Episcopal Church, 140 N. Beaver St., York, PA 17403; or to a favorite charity.
Published in the York Daily Record & York Dispatch on 4/28/2006.
Gail
[ 09-08-2011, 11:43 AM: Message edited by: Tincup ]
Posted by Tincup (Member # 5829) on :
Posted by shadow13 (Member # 1467) on 26 July, 2006 04:31 AM :
I am just amazed after reading this post ... amazed that we still have to fight to have Lyme disease be recognized by those who pull the purse strings.
I don't have any obits to add, but a few years ago I was staying in Cape Cod with a friend for a week. In that span of ONE WEEK, there were THREE obituaries with cause of death related to Lyme Disease.
The memorial is a wonderful idea. If I can do anything, please do not hesitate to let me know. Right now I am going to write my own obituary.
Thanks, Deb
[ 09-08-2011, 11:44 AM: Message edited by: Tincup ]
Posted by Tincup (Member # 5829) on :
Posted by Melanie Reber (Member # 3707) on 26 July, 2006 10:12 AM :
My dear friends,
Thank you so very much for continuing to contribute information to this list.
It IS very difficult work, but so necessary for all of us to make our voices heard...and the voices of the departed counted for.
If you would like to contribute other information, please do. If you can locate nanes, ages, state of residence, or obits, etc.
PLease post those here so I can add them in.
Also, I would like to ask that you make sure to add the STATE with your information...some obits are difficult for me to decipher state information from because they were posted locally with only citiy information included.
I know this is sad and sobering...but it is our reality. And until we can show that TBD associated deaths do indeed occur everywhere, we will contiue to be dismissed and uncounted as having a serious diseases.
My sincerest thanks, Melanie
[ 09-08-2011, 11:46 AM: Message edited by: Tincup ]
Posted by Tincup (Member # 5829) on :
Posted by Melanie Reber (Member # 3707) on 18 September, 2006 12:42 PM :
Professor commits suicide after catching dementia from tick bite
One of the country's top experts on modern life may have killed himself after catching a rare brain disease from a tiny insect bite.
University professor Alasdair Crockett was found dead in woods near his home on Saturday 48 hours after he was reported missing.
His distraught widow has told police the the leading academic was suffering from anxiety after he was bitten by a wood tick that carries the potentially-deadly Lyne Disease.
The illness can usually be treated and cleared up with anti-biotics but in extremely rare cases if it is not caught and treated early it attacks the nervous system leading to dementia.
The land, air and sea search for Dr Crockett, 38, was called off when police officers combing countryside around the family's home in Brightlingsea, Essex found a body in creekside woods a mile away.
A former research fellow at Nuffield College Dr Crockett took up a senior part-time post last year with a prestigious think tank that monitors life in modern Britain.
As one of the chief officers with the Institute for Social and Economic Research Dr Crockett and his colleagues based at Essex University collect data on people's changing lives.
Their findings are considered so important they are often used in determining government policy.
Cambridge-educated Dr Crockett, who held a Masters Philosophy degree, specialised in the sociology of religion and 19th century economic history.
But his life changed as he was forced to come to terms with the more serious long-term effects of Lyme Disease, an illness initially caused by an insect bite and often picked up by walkers and ramblers.
If treatment is not given early enough the disease can lead to severe mental illness such as schizophrenia.
A spokesman for Essex police said that Dr Crockett had been exhibiting symptoms of extreme anxiety which is among the effects of the disease in its advanced stages.
On Saturday after a widespread search involving a police helicopter, divers and searchers on the ground, Dr Crockett's body matching his description was found in Thicks Wood a 15-minute walk from near the family's home in the popular yachting village.
The hunt for the missing professor had involved a sweep of countryside around the town and divers were preparing to explore rivers and sandpits in the area.
A description of Dr Crockett - 6ft tall, slim with collar-length dark hair and wearing rectangular glasses - was also circulated to ports and airports.
But police said when he vanished he had taken nothing with him, such as his wallet, and was wearing only a T-shirt, trousers and shoes.
Mrs Crockett and the couple's two young children are currently being comforted by family and friends.
A family liaison officer said: "Understandably Mrs Crockett is devastated by the news and totally distraught, as are his family and close friends.
"She has asked that people respect her privacy as she comes to terms with the death of her husband."
An inquest will be held but a police spokesman said yesterday that foul play was not suspected and they were not looking for anyone else in connection with Dr Crockett's death.
Lyme Disease is caused by a single bite of a spider-like wood tick found in forests and on moorland all over the country, often where there are deer.
The initial symptoms of a rash, drowsiness and muscle pains can normally be treated successfully with anti-biotics.
But in extremely rare cases it can develop and become a chronic illness which slowly destroys the nervous system.
It leads to loss of hearing, numbness and can eventually cause serious mental health problems such as schizophrenia
Posted by heiwalove (Member # 6467) on 18 September, 2006 04:31 PM
it can develop into a chronic illness which destroys the nervous system "in extremely rare cases" - extremely rare? i don't ****** think so. grrrr.
thank you to everyone who contributed to this post. it all makes me unbelievably sad & infuriated.
[ 09-08-2011, 11:50 AM: Message edited by: Tincup ]
Posted by Tincup (Member # 5829) on :
Posted by Melanie Reber (Member # 3707) on 20 September, 2006 05:01 PM :
Vickie Crawford of Athens was a career teacher, and her passion for getting students excited about reading was so strong that she returned to school in her late 40s so she could become a librarian.
"Vickie realized how important it is for children to learn how to read and to develop a love for reading," said Joe Jackson, the principal at Athens Middle School, where Crawford was a librarian. "Lives have been enriched because of their experience with her."
Crawford even spent two summers driving back and forth to Livingston to take courses toward earning a master's degree in library media - her third master's degree - from the University of West Alabama. She was the librarian at Athens Middle School for about four years until taking medical leave, then she retired last year when she was unable to keep working because of the effects of Lyme disease.
Crawford died Sept. 10 at age 55. She is survived by her husband, Gary Crawford; two sons, Aaron Crawford and Tyler Crawford; a stepson, Michael Sean Crawford; her father, Charles Griffin, and mother, Irene Griffin; seven grandchildren; two brothers, Derald Griffin and Harrison Griffin; and two sisters, Glenda Collier and Charlene McClendon.
"She thought that children should be raised in a wholesome environment and be encouraged to read at an early age," said Gary Crawford. "She loved getting children interested in reading."
Vickie was dedicated to making Athens Middle School's library "a center of learning," Jackson said. "She worked extremely hard at that.
"She was a special person because of her commitment to education and her desire to make a difference with children."
After earning a master's degree in physical education from Jacksonville State University, Vickie Crawford taught P.E. at Brownwood Elementary School in Scottsboro. She also taught kindergarten at First Baptist Church preschool in Athens for a few years.
While teaching at Athens Elementary, she earned a second master's degree, this one in early childhood development. She also taught at Elkmont Elementary.
Even the years when the Crawfords' sons were young and she took time off from teaching, Vickie was a volunteer at their schools.
"She always had the best interest of the students in mind," said Jane Lynn, a part-time library aide at Athens Middle School. "She was very dedicated to her job. She always wanted to make sure everything was taken care of."
Lynn recalled that Vickie was always smiling despite her illness. "Even when she wasn't feeling well, she gave it her all."
Vickie was a caring person, always sending out get-well cards and birthday cards, her husband said. To keep track of the birthdays of family members and friends, she recorded them at the first of every year in a new calendar.
Even when the couple traveled, Vickie would take along a small pocket calendar so she wouldn't miss anyone's birthday. "She thought that everyone should get a birthday card," Gary Crawford said.
� 2006 The Huntsville Times � 2006 al.com All Rights Reserved.
[ 09-08-2011, 11:53 AM: Message edited by: Tincup ]
Posted by Tincup (Member # 5829) on :
Posted by Melanie Reber (Member # 3707) on 23 September, 2006 10:19 AM :
St. Petersburg Times - St. Petersburg, Fla. Author: RYAN DAVIS Date: Jul 6, 2002 Start Page: 1 Section: PASCO TIMES Text Word Count: 372
Copyright Times Publishing Co. Jul 6, 2002
Vincent Sota fought big fires, but it was a tiny tick that rendered him a quadriplegic. Sota, a former Pasco County Fire Rescue driver engineer and emergency medical technician, died Thursday. He was 47.
He started at the county in 1991 and worked in the Hudson, Seven Springs and Crystal Springs stations.
His wife, Mary, has been fighting to draw attention to his affliction for more than two years. Vincent Sota was diagnosed in 1999 with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, a fatal nerve disease that renders its victims unable to walk or even talk. It is commonly known as Lou Gehrig's disease.
Mary Sota, 40, refused to believe the diagnosis. Her research led her to believe he had Lyme disease, which is caused by bacteria contracted from ticks and mimics many symptoms of ALS. Mary Sota said he caught it from a deer tick in Florida.
Detected early, Lyme disease is treatable, but it took 15 doctors before Vincent Sota was diagnosed with Lyme disease.
Every time his story got out, Mary Sota said she received e- mails and calls from people across the United States who suffered similar fates.
They gave her hope, she said. Last year was the couple's 11th anniversary.
"He owes me 39 more," she told the St. Petersburg Times in December. "I'm not letting him go until I get 39 more years."
At that point, Vincent Sota was looking better. His 220-pound frame, which had withered at one point to 131 pounds, was starting to get bigger again.
He was home from the hospital. He was confined to a bed and couldn't speak, but he communicated with his wife by blinking. His children - David is 7 and Emiko two years older - climbed into his bed to kiss him.
His wife slept by his side on an air mattress - but never for more than four hours at a time. She needed to monitor the machinery that helped him breathe and eat.
"I would love," she said, "to hear his voice again."
- Ryan Davis is the police reporter in Pasco County. He can be reached in west Pasco at 869-6245, or toll-free at 800-333-7505, ext. 6245. His e-mail address is [email protected].
[ 09-08-2011, 11:56 AM: Message edited by: Tincup ]
Posted by Tincup (Member # 5829) on :
Posted by Melanie Reber (Member # 3707) on 23 September, 2006 02:20 PM :
The Orphan Patient A Plea to Fellow Health Care Providers
Posted by TNhayley (Member # 8249) on 16 October, 2006 03:26 PM :
Lyme suicide. Long and sad.... Hayley
Coen plays on without No. 1 fan (MA)
The Boston Globe, Boston MA October 14, 2006
Coen plays on without No. 1 fan
By Marty Dobrow, Globe Correspondent | October 14, 2006
AMHERST -- Liam Coen stood on the sideline, a portrait of serenity. His blond hair matted with sweat, his helmet to his hip, Coen soaked in the scene last Saturday: a sparkling autumn afternoon, a hint of crispness in the air, maples firing, almost 16,000 people in the stands, his father and grandfather among them.
His University of Massachusetts team was already up on William & Mary, 45-7, and Coen's work was done. It had been another day at the office, efficient and lethal. He had thrown the ball 17 times, completing 12, for 275 yards and a touchdown.
Coen had proved himself yet again a master of moving forward. Composed and quietly confident, he had dissected the Tribe defense. There was nothing he liked better than figuring out the geometry of the game -- looking at this stunt, that blitz, this package, and figuring out what to do. It was all about adaptation.
Always, the question was: Given this, now what?
The analysis complete, Coen watched the fourth quarter play out, savoring every breath. The Tribe had the ball deep in their territory, third and 15. UMass linebacker Cesar Rosario, one of Coen's closest friends, stepped in front of a pass with nothing but green ahead of him, the sweetest defensive candy.
His eyes were too big for his stomach, though, as he dropped the ball, then crumpled for a moment of anguish, lamenting what could have been. Coen couldn't resist, taking a few steps onto the field and swatting Rosario on the backside. He busted on him a little bit, but also told him, "It's no big deal."
A field goal and a few minutes later, UMass had its second straight 48-7 victory. The Minutemen were 4-1 (suffering only a 1-point loss on the road to Division 1-A Navy).
Coen was now No. 1 in the nation in Division 1-AA in passing efficiency. For a few moments afterward, he basked in the glow, sharing fists and fives with teammates, signing some autographs, squatting down to whisper something sweet to his 9-year-old cousin, Emily.
Then, of course, there was the phone call from his best friend, Tim Day.
"Twelve of 17?" Day said, incredulously. "That's not so good. What happened with those other five?"
Coen laughed long and loud. Life was good.
But not perfect. Day was right. He, more than anyone, understood: Things could never be complete. That had been made abundantly clear nine months ago to the day when the darkness had become too much for Coen's mother, Beth.
For so long, they had been inseparable, doting mother and only child. If all was well, she would be there, of course. She had always been there, until that Saturday in January -- the day the star quarterback could not forget in a thousand lifetimes.
In his blood
In Rhode Island, the Coens are an institution. They stand for the things they believe in: family, education, football. In the smallest state, they have the biggest dreams.
They began with Liam's grandfather, Philip Coen, now 77, solid as a statue. In the underbelly of Newport during the Depression and World War II, Philip grew up amid the grit, not the glitz.
Far from the Gatsby-like mansions, he lived down an alley in a small apartment, working a couple of jobs even as a kid, shoveling coal before school. Sometimes on summer days he would escape for a swim at Second Beach, pounding the water in front of the colorful sailboats and yachts, the sweep of the Atlantic, the sense of possibility.
Even now, on summer days, you can see him out for a mile swim, dodging the jet skis, keeping his body taut, his mind alive.
Philip loved football, the way the game took your measure. He played before the days of facemasks, breaking his nose time after time, coming back for more. When Boston College offered him a full scholarship in the late '40s, he leaped at the chance. By his senior year, the lineman was the team's captain and MVP. Then it was back to Rhode Island for a lifetime of coaching and teaching, becoming a head of guidance, then a principal, then a superintendent of schools.
The football didn't fall very far from the tree with Philip's son, Tim, Liam's father. At Barrington High School, Tim was an all-state fullback and linebacker, a cannonball in pads. He turned down football scholarship offers to play baseball at Eckerd College -- a move he says he regretted right away.
After graduation, he returned to Rhode Island to the game he loved. For 31 years now he has been teaching special education and coaching football, currently at Portsmouth High.
In summers for years, he worked as the head lifeguard at Second Beach. That's what he was doing half a lifetime ago when he met the vibrant Beth Bowley, a college student with light brown hair and a smile he couldn't resist.
Her playful spirit was palpable, the musical laughter, the love of art and photography. Beneath the vivaciousness was a sensitivity he admired, an ability to feel the pain of others.
In years to come, she would become a much-loved history teacher at South Kingstown High, a confidante to generations of students, a leader of the school's gay-straight alliance, an Irish Catholic board member for the Rhode Island Holocaust Museum.
They were married in 1982. Three years later, they had their only child. Blond-haired, blue-eyed Liam burst on the scene in November, making his dad happy by not arriving on a Saturday.
Special bond
Always, Liam respected the game. His grandfather would take him to Second Beach to skip stones, to walk along the cliffs, but mostly to throw a football. ``We always had a ball, all the time playing catch," Liam said. Philip took Liam to many games at BC, a scene the youngster found mesmerizing.
At home with his father, he would watch game tape after game tape. ``I'd have to sit on the couch and throw the ball back and forth as he ran by all night long," Tim said.
In 1992, Tim took the head coaching job at Salve Regina, a Division 3 college in Newport. Liam was ever present. During games, he was the ball boy. At practices, he would pester players to run routes.
``I didn't have much of my dad's time because he was always working," Liam said. ``When I did get to see him, I would take full advantage of it, play catch with all the coaches, talk to all the players. I really thought I was part of the team."
From a young age, he sought the discipline. He saw what it took. ``It was," said Tim, ``all he ever wanted to do."
On the home front, it was clear that Liam's mom was calling the signals. Both father and son say she did the lion's share of the parenting, pouring herself into Liam's life. She left work for years, not wanting to miss a thing, day care out of the question.
She soothed every wound, taught him to ride a bike, went for many a walk. In time, she got him out running 5-kilometer races with her. She pushed him hard in school, insisting on the extra mile. When there were problems with friends, or later with girls, Beth was the ear and the shoulder he would turn to again and again. ``She was awesome," Liam said, a smile blooming beneath his tightly drawn eyes. ``Me and my mom had a great bond."
``He was her world," said Tim. ``He was everything to her. She never missed anything he ever did."
When Liam went to school, Beth took the teaching job at South Kingstown High. In 1993, she took a day trip with colleagues for a workshop on Nantucket.
In a bog, she was bitten by a tick, and almost immediately got the bull's-eye swelling in her neck.
She was ill for much of the summer, but the Lyme disease was undiagnosed , and when she returned to school, her energy returned.
Tim recalls she often stayed up until 1 a.m. working on lesson plans, and sometimes awakened at 4 to run before school. Before long she was competing in marathons, pouring herself into her students and her son. She seemed to be the vision of vitality.
When Liam was ready for high school, the family moved from Warwick to North Providence. He enrolled at La Salle Academy. Tim left Salve Regina to coach his son. Football increasingly dominated their world.
Liam was a gangly youngster with big hands and big feet. He wasn't overly fast or strong. There were guys with better arms. But he had a presence, a composure, a push toward perfection.
He began to draw the attention of college coaches. The Coens sat with Joe Paterno at Penn State. They were invited to tryouts at Syracuse and Maryland and Virginia. BC seemed very interested, and that for Liam represented the dream.
Then there was UMass, a 1-AA program, decidedly a second choice. The Coens loved then-coach Mark Whipple, an innovative offensive mind, who offered Liam a full ride and told him not to feel any pressure about it -- ``See what happens with the 1-As, and understand that we'll be here for you."
In the end, he was the next guy at all of the 1-A programs, losing out at BC when the Eagles offered the scholarship to Chris Crane. Tim Coen was angry, but Liam took it in stride, and signed with UMass, comfortable with the program and excited about Whipple.
And then, just like that, Whipple left, accepting an offer to become quarterbacks coach with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
The Minutemen quickly hired Don Brown away from Northeastern. Right after the press conference, Brown's first phone call was to Liam Coen. ``We want to have you here," Brown said from his car. ``We want you to make this your home."
After a day of deliberation, Liam agreed.
Those high school years were tough on Beth. She was exhausted and experiencing an alarming amount of joint pain, and migraines that just wouldn't go away.
She now had to drive 45 minutes each way to school, and her once buoyant spirit began to lag. She didn't seem to be thinking that clearly at times. Doctors thought perhaps it was chronic fatigue syndrome, and began to prescribe pain medications .
The empty nest that followed when Liam went to UMass in the fall of 2004 hit her with seismic force. ``She just wasn't herself," Liam recalled. ``That just kept going and going. She was just in so much pain. "
Incomprehensible loss
The Coens struggled through Liam's freshman year, during which he redshirted, learning the system. He had a decent spring, then came back last fall as the backup to Tim Day, the senior starter.
Right from the start, the two had a bond. Day, too, was a competitive New England kid, having been raised in Manchester, N.H. Like Coen, he had a voracious appetite for the minutiae of the game.
And like Coen, he also was a leader, full of positive energy. He had known pain in his life, having had a father who killed himself when Tim was 4, but he never carried it as a chip -- most people on the team didn't even know about it.
Day was coming off an excellent junior season, but he struggled in an opening win over Richmond. In Week 2, he had a disastrous time at Colgate, as the Minutemen committed seven turnovers just past halftime, and fell behind, 17-0. Nicked up, Day limped to the bench, and Brown decided to give Coen a chance.
The redshirt freshman almost rallied UMass all the way back, throwing a pair of touchdown passes and leading a final drive into Colgate territory. Though it stalled in the 17-14 loss, a star had been born.
The friendship that deepened between the two was out of some coach's dream. Day told Coen straight up, ``I think I can do a better job than you -- but I accept the coach's decision." Rather than be bitter, Day worked hard with Coen to get him ready for the speed and brutality of the college game.
Then Day morphed into a receiver, and became one of Coen's favorite targets. When Coen suffered a concussion against James Madison, Day came off the bench to rally the Minutemen to victory -- then stepped back again the following week as Coen reclaimed his starting job. Off the field, the players talked and talked.
Coen had a stellar freshman campaign. He completed 63.9 percent of his passes. His 137.48 passing efficiency was 22d in the nation, and third in UMass history. His father was beaming, his grandfather all aglow.
But off the field, the Coens were facing a devastating battle. Beth, finally diagnosed, was told the Lyme disease had progressed so far that she was not apt to get any real relief for 3-5 years. She was on OxyContin and Vicodin, which sometimes dimmed the pain but left her listless and disoriented.
She was unable to work, to run, to do any art or photography. ``Everything she loved," said Tim Coen, ``she couldn't do."
After the season, Beth's depression deepened. When the semester ended, Liam went home to a world that was spiraling away. There was tension between his parents, and Liam found himself avoiding his mom.
``She was severely, severely depressed," he recalled, his voice quieting. ``I couldn't talk to her sometimes. I felt so bad. I couldn't even deal with it."
Liam's dad, who had gained some weight, was struggling with diabetes. Shortly after the new year, his heart began to race, and he was admitted to Miriam Hospital with suspected congestive heart failure. Liam tried to hold things together the best he could.
On Friday night, Jan. 6, he was at a buddy's house when his mother called. For an hour and a half he sat in his car in the driveway talking to her, and he felt much better about things.
``It was the first time [in so long] we had had a calm conversation," Liam said. He told her that they could get through this, and suggested they go to family counseling. ``She said she felt terrible, and I kept trying to build her up. She kept asking me if I loved her. I said, `Of course, I do. What are you talking about?' "
Liam returned home that night around 1 a.m., and went to sleep. In the morning, he left a note for his mother saying he was going to the hospital to see his dad, and that she could meet him there when she got up. Liam had bought his father a tiny television to watch the US Army All-American Game that day, a high school all-star contest.
They waited for Beth, and waited some more. Liam called several times, then asked a neighbor to go check. The neighbor found her next to a bottle of Vicodin. She was 46.
Numb, stunned, Liam worked to get his father discharged, and started calling relatives. He drove his dad home, and they didn't say a word the whole way. They arrived to a chaotic scene -- ``cop cars, all these people outside, just a total mess. That . . . that will go down as the most difficult day of my life."
Given this, now what? His first non-family call went to Day, who was driving on a highway in New Hampshire.
``What?" Day shouted, pulling over to the shoulder. ``I'm coming down right now."
Coen was stunned at the support from people at UMass. Right in the middle of winter break, squadrons of players descended to Rhode Island, as well as the entire coaching staff, and athletic director John McCutcheon. Coen leaned hard on the team.
``The support system here was the strongest," he said, ``the one I look to the most. It was really special. It was something I'll never forget."
At the funeral, overflowing with relatives and football players and students and teachers from South Kingstown High School, Tim Coen spoke his heart: ``I just want to thank Beth for bringing up such a wonderful son. I know that I was busy with a lot of things. I couldn't ask for a better son."
Back at school in the spring, Liam put together his best semester yet, earning a 3.4 grade-point average -- something he wishes his mother could see. In the spring game, he went 9 for 9, completing everything.
This fall, he hasn't been much off that mark. Going into today's game at Towson, he is completing 66.3 percent of his throws, and his gaudy 178.52 passing efficiency is unmatched at the 1-AA level.
After every touchdown, Liam has been pointing up to Beth, and given the prolific offense, she is getting plenty of contact from her son.
Tim Day, now living in Florida, has been in contact with Liam regularly, checking in about his mental health, busting his chops about football. ``I've never seen anyone handle something as maturely as he did," Day said. ``It's amazing for me to see how strong he's been."
Brown, meanwhile, has been amazed at what he's seeing from his quarterback. ``I'm really proud of him," said Brown. ``Forget football -- I'm really proud of him as a man."
[ 09-08-2011, 12:10 PM: Message edited by: Tincup ]
Posted by Tincup (Member # 5829) on :
Posted by Melanie Reber (Member # 3707) on 16 October, 2006 05:21 PM :
Thanks for posting Haley,
I had Elizabeth Coen listed as a resident of RI at time of death, and this appears to be MA.
I can't really tell from this article... can someone clear that up for us? Thanks.
(I think it is nap time for me)
M [Smile]
Posted by Tincup (Member # 5829) on :
Posted by TNhayley (Member # 8249) on 16 October, 2006 06:20 PM :
Sorry Melanie,
I just looked right over her name. My only excuse is .... it's raining? Here's the obit and you were correct:
Elizabeth Coen
NORTH PROVIDENCE - Elizabeth A. (Bowley) Coen, 46, of Sherwood Avenue, died Sunday, January 8, 2006, at her home after a 2-year illness. She was the wife of Timothy R. Coen. Mother of Liam P. Coen.
Born in Newport, RI, she was the daughter of Margaret (Maynard) Shea of Middletown and Rodney Bowley of Newport. She leaves two brothers, David P. Bowley of Exeter, NH and John P. Bowley of Groton, CT, a sister, Stacey A. Yarrow of Middletown; her stepfather, Daniel Shea and her stepmother, Paula Bowley.
Mrs. Coen was a history teacher at South Kingstown High School for 12 years until she became ill in 2004. She received an Associates Degree from Salve Regina University in Newport and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts, summa Cum Laude from Rhode Island College.
Beth was a loving, devoted and caring wife and mother, a beloved teacher, she was a confidant to many of her students. She was a member of the Board of Directors of the Holocaust Museum in Providence.
Visiting hours will be held on Wednesday, January 11, 2006, from 4-8 p.m. in the Russell J. Boyle & Son Funeral Home, 331 Smith Street, Providence. Funeral services and burial will be private.
In lieu of flowers, donations to American Lyme Disease Foundation, P.O. Box 684 Somers, NY 10589, in her memory would be appreciated.
Posted by sometimesdilly (Member # 9982) on 16 October, 2006 06:24 PM :
source for E. Coen's obit- is the Newport Daily News (online) Oct. 16, 2006.
[ 09-08-2011, 12:13 PM: Message edited by: Tincup ]
Posted by Tincup (Member # 5829) on :
Posted by Melanie Reber (Member # 3707) on 02 November, 2006 12:55 AM :
Gregory Lee Bankert
Gregory Lee Bankert, 56 entered into eternal peace at his home on Sunday, October 29, 2006. He was the beloved husband of Tanya L. Bankert, with whom he celebrated 28 years of marriage and the loving father of Melissa L. Albaugh, Alicia L. Runkle, and Stephanie L. Bankert.
Born September 11, 1950, Greg was the son of Harold J. Bankert of Vero Beach, Fla., and the late Betty L. (Rohrbaugh) Bankert McLane.
Greg formerly was a self-employed remodeling contractor. Being an outdoorsman, Greg enjoyed hunting with his daughter Alicia, grandson Nathan, and his family and friends.
He also enjoyed NASCAR, fly-fishing and going camping at Poe Paddy State Park where he was most recently a campground host.
Greg liked his ice cream and going on shopping trips with his daughter Steph. He enjoyed using his hands and God-given talent to create furniture and crafts for his family and friends. Greg was a member of St. Joseph's Catholic Church in Dallastown, where he enjoyed singing in the choir.
In addition to his wife and daughters, Greg will be greatly missed by his sister, Viveca L. Miller and husband Larry of Lancaster; his grandchildren, Nathan, Ashley and Cortney Albaugh of Littlestown; son-in-law Todd Runkle of Red Lion, father and mother-in-law, Robert and Catherine Hamberger; brothers and sisters-in-law, Zane Hamberger, Judy and James Whitecomb, Paula Zambito, John and Amy Hamberger, and Christine and Mark Pentz;
a host of nieces, nephews; and dear friends, including Rich and Mary Blymire.
Greg was preceded in death by his son, Michael L. Bankert; and stepfather, Ronald D. (Bud) McLane.
The viewing will be from 7 to 9 p.m. Friday, November 3, 2006, at the John W. Keffer Funeral Home and Crematory, Inc., 902 Mt. Rose Ave.
A Mass of Christian Burial will begin at 10 a.m. Saturday at St. Joseph Catholic Church, 251 E. Main St. Dallastown, with the Rev. Charles Persing as the celebrant. Burial will be in Susquehanna Memorial Gardens.
Memorial contributions may be made to the York Lyme Disease Association, c/o 3600 Tower Drive, Dover, PA 17315.
By Sheila Ahern Daily Herald Staff Writer Wed Nov 23, 7:24 AM ET
Carole Reese answered her phone late Saturday night. A stranger on the line said her daughter Amanda was in a Florida hospital and that she and her husband, Jim, should come.
Right away.
"At that exact moment I knew," Carole said. "A chill went through my entire body."
By the time Carole and Jim arrived in Florida early Sunday, Amanda, 25, was unable to talk and was hooked up to more machines than the couple could count. Later that day, Amanda died.
"She knew I was there," said Carole, tearing up. "I could tell she wanted me to fix her hair, so I did. She knew I was there. She looked right at me."
The week before she died, Amanda was near Orlando, starting a second volunteering stint with AmeriCorps. She was leading a team of 10 other AmeriCorps volunteers cleaning the Nature Conservancy in Kissimmee, Fla.
Neither her parents nor AmeriCorps officials know yet why Amanda died. An autopsy was performed Tuesday, but getting results could take weeks.
"She was such a healthy person," Jim said. "Then she just shut down."
Reese graduated from Rolling Meadows High School and Illinois State University. She was the only child of the Arlington Heights family.
Amanda and her team arrived in Florida last week. On Saturday, the group wrapped up a day of shopping and grabbed a bite to eat at a fast-food restaurant, Carole said.
A short time later, Amanda broke out in hives and experienced hot flashes. Her team members immediately took her to the hospital.
By the time Carole and Jim arrived early Sunday, Amanda's throat closed up and an X-ray showed she had an enlarged heart, Carole said.
"She declined too quickly," she said. "Everything shut down. Even the doctors don't know what could cause a young person's body to shut down so quickly."
Jim slowly shook his head from side to side Tuesday as he talked about his daughter's death.
"We don't know if it was a virus or something she was allergic to or what," he said.
Amanda had no serious health problems but caught Lyme disease as a child, Carole said.
"I'm thinking it might have been a compilation of things," Carole said.
Before coming to Florida, Amanda volunteered near Biloxi, Miss., helping hurricane victims who still were in temporary shelters but needed to be relocated to trailers supplied by the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
Her work in Mississippi was nothing new for Amanda. Helping people was something she just always believed in, Jim said.
"She was a great girl," he said. "She lived her life for other people."
"Everyone who got to know her loved her," Carole added.
Dave Ponce is another Arlington Heights native who volunteers with AmeriCorps. The two became close friends while living in shelters and working 16-hour days in Mississippi, Ponce said.
"We were buddies," Ponce said. "It was an intense situation and hard sometimes because so many people needed so much help. But Amanda kept things light-hearted. She kept things in perspective."
AmeriCorps members must be between 18 and 24 years old and complete at least 1,700 hours of service during the 10-month commitment. In exchange, they receive about $4,700 to help pay for college.
Amanda was going to use that money to attend graduate school and eventually work with children, Carole said.
"Who knows what she would've been," she said.
Colleen Sullivan was Reese's roommate and sorority sister at Illinois State University.
"Amanda was just so much fun. Everyone loved her," she said. "I remember we went kayaking in Chicago. It was so much fun."
Sullivan took a train from Chicago to visit Amanda's parents Tuesday and is planning a wedding that won't be the same without Amanda, she said.
"She was going to be one of my bridesmaids," Sullivan said.
Services for Amanda Reese will be Saturday at Glueckert Funeral Home, 1520 N. Arlington Heights Road. Exact times are pending.
Serving: Cause of death likely won't be known for weeks
Posted by Melanie Reber (Member # 3707) on :
Amanda Schmidt, 11, New Jersy
Amanda Schmidt Mandy Schmidt, 11, of Sayreville, NJ, died of Lyme disease on Sept. 24, 1990, after a long illness.- From The Lyme Times, LT 3.1, summer 1992. Wednesday, September 26, 1990 LA Times P.M. Final Page: P-2 HEALTH; First Lyme Disease Death Told By: From Times Wire Services NEW BRUNSWICK, N.J. -- An 11-year-old girl has died of Lyme disease, marking what could be the nation's first reported case of a fatality caused by the tick-borne illness, health officials said today. The listing of Lyme disease as the cause of death for Mandy Schmidt of Sayreville was confirmed Tuesday, said Bernard Mihalko, the director of the Middlesex County Health Department. Tom Skinner, a spokesman for the federal Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta, said today the agency had never received a report of a death from Lyme disease. Lyme disease is spread to humans by deer ticks infected with the bacteria. Type of Material: News Brief; Wire Service Story 1990 Los Angeles Times.
Posted by Melanie Reber (Member # 3707) on :
Arlene DeLaurier, 79
DeLaurier, Arlene (Nee Jacob) On Sept. 19, 2006, Arlene would have been 80 years of age. She took a one way trip to Heaven on July 7, 2006. She was very sick for a long time, suffering from complications of Emphasema and Lyme Disease .
Preceded in death by her parents Arthur and Marie Jacob. Survived by her beloved daughter, Renee and her beloved son-in-law Steve Gehl, and her beloved son, Jim. She is also survived by her grandson, Steven Rehberg; her great-grandsons, Nicolas and Tyler Rehberg; her former spouse Ray; her brother Marvin "Bud" and his spouse Carol; her sister Carolyn Taylor and spouse Ed, along with many cousins, nieces, nephews, and Arlene's closest companion, Jeannie Karlik.
Arlene was employed by HOH Chemical and was a faithful Secretary to President Tom Boland. Arlene will be sadly missed by everyone!! So when you hear the song, "Always", know that she will be listening, too, knowing how loved she was by everyone!
Published in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel on 9/17/2006.
Posted by Melanie Reber (Member # 3707) on :
Balsorah Lamar Miller, ``Marnie,'' age 64, passed away on Sept 22, 2003 in her daughter's home in Richmond, Virginia from complications of ALS and Lyme disease.
She led an active and creative life, enjoying her job as historical interpreter at the Yorktown Victory Center for the 18 years prior to her illness.
She was ``in the battlefield'' (literally) and constantly exposed to ticks in her work. Some of her co-workers also developed Lyme.
The family wishes to acknowledge the loving, attentive care given to her by Dr. S. B., an ILADS board member. She will be particularly missed by her sister G. S., a nurse practitioner treating Lyme patients in Austin, Texas.
Posted by Melanie Reber (Member # 3707) on :
Dr. Basil Roebuck, 75, Arizona
Former associate professor in psychiatry and neurology, Virginia (b Darlington 1923; q Durham 1945; MRCPsych), d 22 February 1998.
ROEBUCK, Dr. Basil, of Blacksburg, passed away Sunday, February 22, 1998, at St. Joseph's Hospital in Phoenix, Ariz.
He leaves to cherish his memory a loving family; his wife, Barbara; and his three daughters and a son, and their families; Belinda and Robert Profitko and their daughter, Kimberly, of Waldwyck, N.J., Christine and Richard Blake and her daughters, Sarah and Erin Burke of Mt. Pleasant, S.C., Sheila Roebuck and John Catts of San Rafael, Calif., and Patrick Roebuck of Walnut Creek, Calif......
A memorial service will be held at Bruton Parish Church, Colonial Williamsburg, at 11 a.m. on February 28, 1998. Funeral services will follow at Princess Anne Memorial Park, Virginia Beach. Arrangements are being taken care of by H.D. Oliver Funeral Apartments, Virginia Beach.
Those wishing to make memorial contributions, please consider the Lyme Disease Foundation, 1 Financial Plaza, Hartford, Conn. 06103.
Posted by Melanie Reber (Member # 3707) on :
Evansville Courier & Press Evansville IN August 20, 2006
Family blames member's death on tickborne illness
By LIBBY KEELING Courier & Press staff writer 464-7450 or [email protected] Originally published 12:00 a.m., August 20, 2006 Updated 11:30 p.m., August 19, 2006
Robert "Bob" Schneider collapsed in his Spencer County home July 5. Two days later, neighbors found him lying on the floor where he had fallen.
The former Evansville resident was hospitalized for more than 25 days before his death Aug. 2 at St. Mary's Medical Center.
He was admitted to the intensive care unit with multiple organ and respiratory failure, low blood platelet levels, altered mental status and septic shock, a condition occurring when massive infection results in low blood pressure and flow.
Members of his family are convinced omplications of Rocky Mountain spotted fever caused his death. Although an initial positive laboratory test for the tickborne bacterial illness was not confirmed prior to his death, Schneider's son said medical staff found an embedded deceased tick and a live tick crawling on his 63-year-old father's body.
"The signs and symptoms all point to it," said Trent Schneider, 40. "I found out, that like colds or flu, children and elderly people are its prey, per se - the people most likely to develop severe complications."
When identified in early stages, Rocky Mountain spotted fever typically is a highly treatable disease. Its initial symptoms, however, are vague and flu-like, which complicates diagnosis.
Many people who develop the disease after receiving a tick bite are hospitalized. Without timely and appropriate antibiotic treatment, Rocky Mountain spotted fever can be fatal.
Sudden fever, intense headache, nausea, vomiting, muscle pain and confusion are among the first signs of infection. Many - but not all - people develop a rash after the initial onset of symptoms. Abdominal pain, achy joints and diarrhea may occur.
If the disease progresses without treatment, the bacteria can attack and damage cells in the blood vessels. That damage allows blood to leach into nearby tissues. Leaking blood can be responsible for the rash. It also can damage tissues and organs.
"The tests came back and he did test positive for Rocky Mountain spotted fever," said Judy Schneider Kron, his younger sister. "The medical staff at St. Mary's was absolutely wonderful. They worked so hard to save his life."
Schneider's family has been working to reconstruct the chain of events leading to his hospitalization.
Trent Schneider said he spoke with his father on the telephone shortly before July 4. During that conversation, his dad said he had been feverish and not feeling well for a few weeks.
The elder Schneider, a decorated Vietnam veteran, made several unsuccessful attempts to obtain treatment at the Veteran's Administration Outpatient Clinic in Evansville, according to his son.
On July 5, he was diagnosed with sinusitis at a Deaconess Urgent Care Center before collapsing at his home later that evening, Trent Schneider said. Two days later, neighbors found his father, still on the floor.
An ambulance took him to Perry County Memorial Hospital in Tell City, Ind. The next morning he was taken by helicopter to St. Mary's Medical Center. The family did not learn of his hospitalization until after his admission to the Evansville hospital, Schneider said.
His dad was having difficulty breathing and could not speak when Schneider first saw him at St. Mary's. The news was grim: Bob Schneider had a 40 percent chance of survival.
"I saw my dad with a mask on and he was sitting there upright and he was huffing and puffing and his eyes were about as big as half dollars," Schneider said. "You could see the fear in his eyes."
Before the end of the day, Schneider said his father was placed on a ventilator, the ticks were discovered and antibiotic treatment for tickborne infection was initiated. "If anything, Bob was healthy. He was a procrastinator and he procrastinated too long on this one," Kron said through tears. "... People need to check for ticks. That's the important part." She believes the ticks on her brother's body likely came from his small farm in Evanston, Ind.
After retiring from his position as a social worker at Evansville State Hospital about 12 years ago, he moved to the property on the Spencer-Perry county line.
With the exception of a few good days when he squeezed her hand or responded to conversations with eye movements, Kron said her brother remained unresponsive as doctors worked to improve his deteriorating condition and ascertain its cause. "A tick. A little tick," Kron said. "I think my brother and my nephew really were the ones that said this is serious. We need to get the word out."
Although Trent Schneider authorized St. Mary's physicians involved in his father's care to speak about the case, requests for comment received no response.
According to Bob Schneider's medical records - provided to the Evansville Courier & Press by his son - doctors were still considering tickborne illness as a potential underlying cause of his systemic infection three days before he died. Schneider's records indicate he tested positive for both Rocky Mountain spotted fever and erlichiosis, another related tickborne disease. A second test for Rocky Mountain spotted fever was ordered July 24. The results of that test are not included in his medical records.
Physician's notes, however, indicate Rocky Mountain spotted fever was considered more of a possibility than erlichiosis, but neither appears to have been considered a conclusive diagnosis.
Schneider said a doctor told him a positive test for Rocky Mountain spotted fever could indicate previous rather than current disease, but no other potential underlying cause for his father's illness was offered. A physician also said an autopsy would be inconclusive, according to Schneider.
No evidence of prior Rocky Mountain spotted fever infection exists in Bob Schneider's records at the VA Medical Center in Marion, Ill., according to information requested by his son. Irreversible brain damage, hypertension (more likely hypotension, based on his medical records), sepsis with multi-organ dysfunction and a severe lung problem were reported as his cause of death, according to the Vanderburgh County Health Department. His death certificate does not mention Rocky Mountain spotted fever.
"I can't say if he did or didn't have it," said Dr. Lloyd McGinnis, health officer for the Spencer County Health Department.
A state epidemiologist characterized the three potential cases of Rocky Mountain spotted fever reported this year in Spencer County as previous, not current, infections, McGinnis said. Other tests or clinical observations could change that impression, he added.
In the days before his death, Bob Schneider reached near complete organ failure. His blood pressure became dangerously low, and his white blood cell level plummeted. The prognosis was dismal.
"I went in and talked to him. I said, 'You know, it's not looking very good,'" Trent Schneider recalled. "I told him I loved him very much. I wasn't ready for him to go, but you know, I told him that I felt that he was suffering and we needed to let him go."
Kron said her brother watched what he ate, exercised and was aware of the risks of tick exposure.
"He was very careful, very careful, about checking himself for ticks," she said. "If you have any of the symptoms of fever, rash, tiredness, whatever, they may be any of the tickborne illnesses. Immediately get to your doctor."
Posted by Melanie Reber (Member # 3707) on :
Carole A. Tegnander, 60, New York
Carole Ann Tegnander (nee Ramsey) died at her "home on the Lake" on Friday, February 17,2006 following a long and courageous battle against ovarian cancer. She was 60 years old.
The daughter of the late Frank "Jack" and Marguerite Ramsey, she was born January 29, 1946 and raised in Valley Stream. There she met and married her husband, Richard J. Tegnander. They continued to live and work on Long Island until 2002 when, after retiring, they moved to Rock Hill to be closer to their son and his family.
A family statement said, ``People who knew Carole saw she had an easy smile, was always up beat regardless of the pain she endured from two crushing illnesses. She lived her life by the motto, `NEVER QUIT.'
In 1990, after 10 years of undiagnosed suffering, she was found to have late stage Lyme Disease. She found the strength to co-found the Long Island Lyme Association (LILA). She helped run support groups meetings, gave educational seminars, and even testified before the U.S. Senate Health Commission in Washington D.C. and various NYS committees to help raise awareness of Lyme Disease. She was compassionate toward those with Lyme and a staunch advocate for reform of our health insurance system, which was often at odds with those needing treatment.
"When Carole was first diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 2001 she met it head on, seeking aggressive treatment. As with Lyme Disease, she became outspoken in her attempt to raise public awareness and funding for research into this `silent killer,' which takes the lives of thousands of women each year.
In spite of her health issues she managed to enjoy life. She and her husband often traveled with a small group of friends she called the Cruise Crew. An avid animal lover, she was known to stop traffic on busy roads to rescue a stray dog or cat giving them shelter and a chance for a better life. At one point she had as many as three dogs and five cats in their small cape-style home on Long Island.
However, in the 60 years of her life she will be remembered as a loyal and loving wife, a joyful and caring friend, and devoted mother and grandmother. While dealing with the pain of countless surgeries and chemotherapies she found great joy and satisfaction in having seen her son successful in his career, married to a beautiful and loving wife, whom Carole loved as if she were her own daughter, and most especially being a doting grandmother.''
She is survived by her husband of 38 years, Richard J. Tegnander; a son, Brian Joseph and his wife, Lynn Tegnander, of Jeffersonville; grandchildren Allison, Sean and Morgan; and several cousins.
Her Mass of Christian burial was celebrated on Monday, February 20, at St. George's Church in Jeffersonville. Fr. Ignatius Vu officiated. Internment followed at Calvary Cemetery, Youngsville.
In lieu of flowers, donations in her memory may be made to Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, 1275 York Avenue, New York, NY 10021. Arrangements were under the direction of the VanInwegen-Kenny, Inc. Funeral Home of Monticello.
Published in the Times Herald-Record on 2/19/2006
Posted by Melanie Reber (Member # 3707) on :
Tickborne illness confirmed in girl's death Public Health Office has identified no other cases of Rocky Mountain spotted fever in Gordon County. 05/25/05
From staff, AP reports
Public health officials say a Gordon County third-grader died of Rocky Mountain spotted fever earlier this month. C arrie Elaine Mollett, 9, died May 10 at T.C. Thompson Children's Hospital in Chattanooga.
Carrie, daughter of William Albert and Melissa Faye Mollett of Resaca, was a third-grader at Max V. Tolbert Elementary School.
"This has been confirmed as a case of Rocky Mountain spotted fever," said Logan Boss, public information officer for the Northwest Georgia Public Health Office.
Rocky Mountain spotted fever is the most severe and most frequently reported tickborne illness in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Rocky Mountain spotted fever is broadly distributed throughout the continental United States, as well as southern Canada, Central America, Mexico and parts of South America.
Last year, there were 17 confirmed and 61 probable cases of Rocky Mountain spotted fever and 12 cases of Lyme disease in Georgia. While none of those cases was fatal, one person died from tick-related human monocytic ehrlichiosis.
Boss said the Public Health Office has identified no other probable cases of Rocky Mountain spotted fever in Gordon County. "We have received an increase in the number of calls to our office, but it is probably a result of increased awareness because of this case," he said.
Although there are hundreds of species of ticks in Georgia, only a few types bite people: the American dog tick, the Lone Star tick and the black-legged tick, also known as the deer tick. Most cases of disease from ticks happen between April and September, but people can be infected all year.
Health officials recommend that people wear long-sleeved clothing that's tucked into socks or pants to make sure ticks don't crawl inside. In addition, wearing insect repellent with the chemical DEET also helps. Health officials said checking one's body for ticks at the end of the day also is important.
Rocky Mountain spotted fever is caused by bacteria that is spread to humans by tick bites. Common symptoms of tickborne disease often happen from four days to four weeks after being bitten and may include fever, a rash, headaches and muscle pain.
The disease can be difficult to diagnose in the early stages, and without prompt and appropriate treatment it can be fatal, according to the CDC.
The tick season already is under way across the increasingly warm South, said Dr. James Oliver Jr., who oversees the Smithsonian's National Tick Collection housed at Georgia Southern University in Statesboro.
"There are a lot of warm, active species beginning to be active now," Oliver said. "We've been getting increased numbers of calls about ticks." Officials want ticks for study
The Georgia Division of Public Health is partnering with the University of Georgia and the Georgia Poison Center to conduct a study that will help identify areas in Georgia where the chances of getting sick from a tick bite are greatest.
If you find a tick attached to yourself or another person, you can call the Georgia Poison Center at (404) 616-9000 or (800) 222-1222, 24 hours a day, seven days a week for information about tick removal, identification and testing.
When you call, the Georgia Poison Center will provide information about how to mail the tick to get it tested. UGA will test the tick for the bacteria that cause tick-borne diseases like Rocky Mountain spotted fever, ehrlichiosis, Lyme disease, southern tick-associated rash illness and tularemia, depending on the species of tick.
Three weeks after you call the Georgia Poison Center, an expert in tick illness from the Georgia Division of Public Health will call you to ask some questions about exposures to tick habitats and find out if you have developed symptoms of a tickborne illness; you will get the results of the tick testing when it is complete.
For more information about tickborne diseases in Georgia, visit the Web site at or call the Georgia Division of Public Health at (404) 657-2588. HOW TO PROTECT YOURSELF
* Wear light-colored clothing that allows you to see any ticks crawling on it.
* Tuck your pants legs into your socks so that ticks cannot crawl up the inside of your pants legs.
* Apply repellents to discourage tick attachment. Repellents containing permethrin can be sprayed on boots and clothing and will last for several days. Repellents containing DEET (N, N-diethyl-m-toluamide) can be applied to the skin, but it will last only a few hours before reapplication is necessary. Use DEET with caution on children. Application of large amounts of DEET on children has been associated with adverse reactions.
* Conduct a body check for ticks. Use a hand-held or full-length mirror to view all parts of your body. Remove any tick you find on your body.
* Parents should check children for ticks, especially in the hair, when returning from potentially tick-infested areas. Ticks may also be carried into the household on clothing and pets, so both should be examined carefully.
Source: Centers for Disease Control SYMPTOMS OF ROCKY MOUNTAIN SPOTTED FEVER
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Rocky Mountain spotted fever can be extremely difficult to diagnose in its early stages, even for experienced physicians who are familiar with the disease. Initial signs and symptoms can resemble other infectious and noninfectious diseases and can include:
* Sudden fever
* Headache
* Muscle pain
* Rash appearing two to five days after the onset of fever
* Rash often beginning as small, flat, pink, non-itchy spots on the wrists, forearms and ankles; the spots turn pale when pressure is applied and eventually become raised on the skin.
Posted by Melanie Reber (Member # 3707) on :
Christina Marie Lambeth, 19
"Miss Christina Marie, 'Christy' Lambeth of Winston-Salem died Thursday, February 10, 2000 after losing the battle to Lyme disease.
She was born July 8, 1980, in Forsyth County. Christy was a member of Hopewell Moravian Church. She was preceded in death by her grandfather, Rex Louis Holder Sr. and her grandmothers Rose Marie Church Holder and Willa Dean Lambeth. Surviving are her mother and father, A. Dean and Betty Holder Lambeth, and her sister, Courtney Michelle Lambeth.
Funeral services will be held 2 pm Sunday at Hopewell Moravian Church. Christy will lie inside at the church 30 minutes prior to service. Burial will follow in Parklawn Memorial Gardens.
Memorials may be made to the Lyme Disease Foundation in her memory. The family expresses deep appreciation to God, Hopewell Moravian Church, friends and family that have stood by and supported us through Christy's long, hard struggle."
She died at the age of 19.
Posted by Melanie Reber (Member # 3707) on :
Craig W. Moon, 46, Maine
LEWISTON -- Craig W. Moon, age 46, of Back Cove Drive in Turner, died Wednesday, April 12, 2006, at Central Maine Medical Center in Lewiston with his loving family at his side.
He was born in Washington, D.C., on Dec. 11, 1959, a son of Ann (Burton) and George W. Moon Jr.
Craig was a graduate of Oakland Mills High School in Columbia, Md., class of 1977, where he was an allstate football player. He was a graduate of the University of Maryland, where he received a bachelor's degree in chemical engineering with a minor in process control. During his education, he became a member of Tau Beta Pi.
Craig moved to Maine from Maryland to work as a chemical engineer at International Paper Co. in Jay. He later went to work for Scott Paper Co. in Hinckley, and currently was employed by New Page Corp. in Rumford as the information technology manager.
Craig was an avid outdoorsman, fishing and hunting with his kids at every chance. He was especially proud of his two children, Amelia and Philip, whom he taught to hunt and fish very well. They won multiple trophies and awards doing these things.
He was a whiz at working on computers and often had the dining room table covered with two or three at a time that he would be fixing for friends and family.
He was a member of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers; the Monmouth Fish & Game Club; Ducks Unlimited; and the National Rifle Association.
He was greatly admired for his dry sense of humor, tenacity, perseverance, determination, and will to live.
He was diagnosed with chronic lymphocytic leukemia in January of 2000. In June 2002 he underwent a "mini" bone marrow transplant and ended up being in remission less than two years later. He fought very hard to beat the numerous obstacles thrown in his path. He spent 58 days in the hospital in June and July of 2004, after being totally paralyzed by lyme disease, having the distinction of being the only known bone marrow transplant patient to contract lyme disease. He even had an article published about this in the Journal of Infectious Clinical Diseases in December of 2005.
During his hospitalization, he only missed four days of work. He came home still in a wheelchair and went to therapy every day.
He helped to coach his son's football team for a few years and that summer he did it from his wheelchair, not even missing the first practice.
He was the best role model for his kids.
His unwavering courage and zest for life were fostered by his immense support system of family and the most incredible friends, to whom we will be forever thankful.
He is survived by his wife of 20 years, Debra Ann (Bernard) Moon; a daughter, Amelia Moon, and a son, Philip Moon; his father, George W. Moon Jr. of Parksley, Va.; a sister, Karen Koenig and husband, Jeff, of Catonsville, Md.; a brother, Gary Moon and wife, Dorrie, of Crisfield, Md.; sister-in-law Judy Ellis of Rumford; brother-in-law Roger Whitehouse of Rumford; mother-in-law Alfreda Bernard of Rumford; nieces and nephews Nicholas and Ashley Moon, Jacob, Luke, and Joseph Koenig, Christine Reynolds, and Diane Ellis.
He was predeceased by his mother, Ann Moon, in 2005.
Visiting hours will be 4 to 8 p.m. on Monday, April 17, at the S.G. Thibault Funeral Home. A Mass of Christian burial will be celebrated at 11 a.m. Tuesday, April 18, at St. Athanasius & St. John Catholic Church, Rumford.
In lieu of flowers, contributions in his memory may be made to the Dana Farber Cancer Institute, Craig Moon Fund, c/o Dr. David C. Fisher, 44 Binney St., Boston, MA 02215.
Arrangements are by S.G. Thibault Funeral Home & Cremation Services, 250 Penobscot St., Rumford, ME; 364-4366; http://www.dignitymemorial.com
Published in the Morning Sentinel on 4/15/2006.
Posted by Melanie Reber (Member # 3707) on :
David A. McHoul, 63, Massachusetts
David A. McHoul, 63 ; was Cape funeral home director By Jillian Orlando, Globe Correspondent | June 10, 2005
David A. McHoul, a Provincetown funeral home director since 1985, died Monday at the Cape End Manor Nursing Home of complications from Lyme disease. He was 63.
The son of a funeral home director, Mr. McHoul grew up in the business. "Whatever the families needed he seemed to be able to accommodate them," said Jim Keefe, office manager at McHoul Funeral Home.
It was important to Mr. McHoul to help people in the difficult times after losing a loved one, but it was not easy work. ''Sometimes it would be upsetting working in this business because we buried friends a lot," said Sandy Dobbyn, Mr. McHoul's girlfriend of 16 years, who also works at the funeral home.
Mr. McHoul was born in Boston, the eldest of three sons of Alexander and Mildred (Hennessey) McHoul. He went to Watkinson Preparatory School in Hartford and to college at the New England Institute of Applied Arts and Sciences in Boston.
After college, he served in the Marine Corps during the Vietnam War.Returning from the war, he ran McHoul Services, a funeral livery service in Boston with his brother Douglas from 1962 to 1983.
In 1984, Mr. McHoul left Boston and moved to Provincetown and opened McHoul Funeral Home a year later. "He was in control of everything and never got flustered," Keefe said.
Mr. McHoul loved Provincetown and met many people whom he befriended and who enjoyed his sense of humor, his girlfriend said. ''Oh, he knew everyone," Dobbyn said. ''We loved to eat out at all the restaurants, and the staff were our friends."
Mr. McHoul got coffee with ''the boys" at Adams Pharmacy every morning and enjoyed riding his bike around town.
He began traveling frequently in the 1990s, visiting 14 Caribbean islands during that decade. Locally, he traveled to Long Point on his boats, Digger I and No Wake. Accompanying him on many boating trips was his Dalmatian, Dune who lived to be 14 years old.
Later in life, his Wheaten terrier, Wheeti, was by his side, helping to pull his wheelchair around town, Dobbyn said.
In addition to his girlfriend and parents, he leaves two daughters, Kelly Doyle of Plymouth and Kary Gatens of Los Angeles; two brothers, Douglas of New York and Puerto Rico, and Donald of North Attleborough; and three grandchildren.
A funeral Mass will be said today at 11 a.m. in St. Peter the Apostle Church Hall in Provincetown. Burial will be in St. Peter's Cemetery.
� Copyright 2005 Globe Newspaper Company. Link to article in Boston Globe online
Posted by Melanie Reber (Member # 3707) on :
David Lee Thomas, 18, New Jersey
On May 18, 2000, David Lee Thomas of Tinton Falls, New Jersey, died after a long battle with Chronic Lyme Disease.
David was a member of the varsity swim team, the Baptist Church of Red Bank and Monmouth High School. He was 18 years old.
Posted by Melanie Reber (Member # 3707) on :
Deanice Hinton, 49, Oklahoma
Deanice Hinton died of lyme December 11 of 2004 at the young age 49. My mother was infected in 1984 for 20 years she suffered with lyme.
I thank each of you for your stories and help. Keep fighting and telling your stories or those who have passed will have died in vain.
I will not allow my mother to die in vain come the spring of 2005 I will be entering medical school, also if anyone knows how I would like help in organizing a walk for lyme in May in the state of Oklahoma in honor of my mother.
My thanks amber Hinton
My mom did respond to the antibiotics the problem was getting them, she was off of them for 3 months and had a severe yeast infection, when waiting for the rocephin to come she was being treated for the yeast. The doctor ordered her not to be exposed to anyone sick because of her depleted immune system, of course people didn't beleive that.
I contacted the CDC and the Oklahoma department on health today. The CDC apparently don't receive many lyme cases from Oklahoma because in Oklahoma the doctors are not required to let the CDC know about an infection because it is lonestarie another strain of lyme.
I ask both the department of health what they are doing to let Oklahomans know about the risks of this disease. Get this. They have pamphlets and information but they must be requested by a doctor in order to receive them. Other diseases they send out regularly.
Anything wrong with this picture. You will have to excuse me I have a world to save
``Joni suspects Lyme disease killed her husband, who lived a healthy life up until he was diagnosed with the disease last August.''
Old Colony Memorial SouthOfBoston.com 8-13-05
`He touched everyone he met' By Daniel Axelrod MPG Newspapers
PLYMOUTH (Aug 13) - Former Plymouth conservation agent John Martini faced his first obstacle at six months old when his parents left him on the doorstep of St. Mary's Home in Binghamton, N.Y.
Raised by nuns until he was 18, Martini moved out and worked as a cab driver in Boston, where he paid his way through UMass-Boston and earned a bachelor's degree in political science and American history. After two marriages, two children, a career teaching high school, and running a landscaping business, Martini died July 24 at age 55.
Joni, his wife of 19 years, suspects her husband died of Lyme disease.His death was unexpected and relatively sudden, and the official cause remains unknown pending numerous tests.
Martini left behind his daughter Julie, 30, his son Jeffery, 27, a massive backyard garden of exotic plants and a legacy of being a vibrant, outgoing, sociable, kind, generous, optimistic, and loving man, according to friends and family.
Reaching out to everyone
Joni Martini still has the thank you letters from John's former Falmouth junior/senior high school students tucked away in a folder.
``Students sent letters saying they were sorry to see him go. They liked his sense of humor,'' Martini said.``He used to have some students who stayed in touch for years at a time. Even after they'd move to different states they'd call and ask him for advice.'' Wherever he worked and whatever he did, Martini made a lasting impression.
``He was a family guy, warm, caring and wonderful, and he made you feel very special,'' Michelle Turner, administrative assistant for Plymouth's Conservation Commission, said.Turner worked closely with Martini during his days as a part-time conservation agent for Plymouth. Turner said staffers knew when the bubbly Martini came in the town offices because he filled the room with a cheerful vibe and chitchat.
Turner is Italian, and Martini used to kid her in Italian, discuss Italian food and talk about Italy.
``You felt like you were a part of him when you spoke with him,'' Turner said. ``Everyone misses his personality. I still have a picture of him on my desk. I look at it all the time.''
After graduating among the top 5 percent of his class at UMass in 1972, Martini cultivated his love of cooking by working as a chef for a nursing home in Falmouth.
He married Christine Beaulac, with whom he had his two children. Martini spent the next 13 years working, mostly as a chef, and raising his children Jeffrey and Julie. He won custody of the children in 1980, after a long divorce.
Now a single parent, he was partly led to teaching by his need to make more money. He went back to school at Southeastern University to earn his teaching certificate and began teaching history for the Falmouth school district in 1985. Martini again graduated from Southeastern magna cum laude, among the top 5 percent of his class.
At SMU in the mid `80s, John focused on another lifelong passion - learning about New England's Native American clans. Joni still occupies the couple's Plymouth house, where visitors will see a bookcase, built by John, full of perhaps 400 books on Native Americans - just a sample of what he read.
Back when John was in school, he visited the Falmouth Christmas Tree Shop just to catch a glimpse of Joni, a fellow divorcee ``he had the `hots' for,'' Joni said. Coincidentally, Joni's sister, Barbara Beltran, and Martini earned their teaching degrees at the same time.
Barbara liked Martini - who had no idea she was Joni's sister - so she gave him Joni's phone number. John's random phone call to Joni one day led to a six-hour conversation, a follow-up date to the movies, a six-month courtship and marriage.
``You know how people say they have a soul mate?'' Joni said. ``There was just something that clicked there. We both were interested in the same things and it wasn't awkward to talk.''
Martini got a job at Falmouth schools, where he worked for three years before moving to Cornwall, Vt. in search of a wholesome life and good schools for his beloved children. John taught for a time in Vermont and the family became self-sufficient farmers.
No flatlanders (except John)
``Usually Vermont natives call newcomers flatlanders and it takes a while to fit in, but John fit right in,'' Joni said. Martini fit in so well that Cornwall's 1,000 or so residents voted the newcomer onto the board of selectmen.
When the family arrived, they settled in after buying 25 acres and a three-bedroom contemporary home renovated by John after he studied carpentry on his own. The family grew crops, tended chickens and heated the house with wood John split and burned in wood stoves. Joni raised the kids and, while they were in school, worked at a general store where she got to know community members.
One day, residents at the store suggested Joni tell John to run for the board of selectmen. At first he dismissed her suggestion, but soon John delved into campaigning. He loaded hand-painted signs into his big old white Oldsmobile, drove around town and shook hands and chatted with everyone he met. The newcomer with no political experience won the local election by a landslide against an incumbent town leader. Martini's time as a Cornwall selectman was the beginning of a long life of community service as a teacher and member of various boards and committees in the communities where he lived.
Martini also taught from 1987 to 1989 at Otter Valley Union High School in Brandon, Vt., where he established an alternative education program for disadvantaged and disaffected students, just as he'd done at Falmouth. Martini even helped start a reading program and aided in the development of the state's Educational Reform Act.
All along, though, a love of the earth grew deep within him. No longer content just to foster his student's academic and personal growth, he went to school to become a landscaper. After Martini learned landscaping, the family moved to Plymouth. He had lived here briefly and loved the town, and Joni wanted to be closer to her family in Falmouth.
Making his mark on Plymouth
Besides his Vermont community service, Martini served on Plymouth's master plan committee, the downtown steering committee and two different economic development committees and as a town meeting member. He was a long-time Mason, a part-time conservation agent for Plymouth and even a tutor for those who couldn't read.
Speak with those who knew or loved Martini and you'll find a recurring theme - not only did John do everything he could to get to know people, he couldn't stand pat if he saw something in the community needing fixing.
``He meant a lot to many of us for different reasons,'' friend and planning board member Larry Rosenblum said. ``John was concerned about the community and also a great cook, a great gardener and you got the sense he was a shepherd tending to his flock with everything.''
Rosenblum was shocked when Martini recruited him to run for the planning board. ``Usually the candidate picks the campaign manager, here the campaign manager picked the candidate,'' Rosenblum said. Rosenblum remembers one day when Martini drove past the synagogue on Pleasant Street downtown and noticed the lawn's beat-up appearance. Martini wasn't Jewish.
``But he said to the Rabbi, `It looks like the garden needs tending,' and he volunteered to do that,'' Rosenblum said.
Martini's landscaping business, Alden Court Gardens, is still owned by his wife and operated by 24-year-old Jeff Parsons and his assistant, who serve 40 to 50 clients.
``John was never afraid to learn something new or different, and I think that's what made him so successful,'' Joni said. ``If you spoke Polish he'd go out and try to speak Polish.''
The Martinis' house is decorated with Native American artifacts from John's travels.
Outside, John's second passion is quickly evident in the form of the sprawling garden with red pine needle-covered walkways, through which John would walk potential customers to help them plan their gardens.
``His knowledge of plants was amazing, and he knew all the Latin names. Sometimes I had to say `Speak English, John,' `` Turner said. ``And as conservation agent his rapport with people in the field was special.''
Even Martini's kids are excelling in life. Julie works for the Massachusetts Cultural Council on Arts and Jeffery is doing his graduate work at Georgetown University. After a stint working for the conservative think-tank Rand Corporation, Jeffery is studying Arabic.
The end: fast and frightening
The end for John Martini was fast and frightening. Martini contracted the deer tick-transmitted Lyme disease last August and the tell-tale big bull's-eye rash appeared on the upper inside of his right leg complete with a hard egg-like lump. Two months of antibiotics followed and the disease seemed to go into remission. Subsequent Lyme disease tests showed up negative.
But by February John felt tired all the time. His face was puffy and his eyes were often half-closed. The muscular 5-foot, 6-inch 150-pound landscaper became weak and lost muscle strength. He hired assistants to help with his business and took naps during the day between landscaping jobs.
``The doctors had no clue what was going on, and every part of his body hurt,'' Joni said. ``John seemed to feel it was still the Lyme disease, but the doctors said it wasn't and testing didn't show it.'' By June, John was hospitalized at Jordan Hospital for a week with the mysterious ailment. He seemed to feel better and he came back home, but, by early July, Martini was back in the hospital and sicker than ever.
``On July 3, I took him to the Jordan ER and he could hardly walk, his heart was racing, and we were so very scared,'' Joni said. ``We didn't know if he was having a heart attack.'' The hospital admitted him, ran more inconclusive tests and on July 9 sent him to Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston.
He died about two weeks later after a steady stream of inconclusive tests and antibiotics, but not before he got to know all the doctors and nurses on the floor. He spent his last days sleeping, reading the novel ``The Da Vinci Code'' and dipping his hands in the soil of a plant a friend brought him. The hospital is still running tests on his body to confirm whether Lyme disease was the culprit.
Joni suspects Lyme disease killed her husband, who lived a healthy life up until he was diagnosed with the disease last August.
``He was always positive and he thought he'd get better when he got sick,'' Joni said. ``I'm still in shock. It's still hard to believe that he's gone. I just miss his voice and his laughter. He had a very good sense of humor, he joked a lot, he was silly and he used to like to tell and play practical jokes.''
Martini hopes the doctors pinpoint what killed John, and most of all she wants the public to somehow learn from John's death. (See sidebar) She thinks John ``would be honored'' if his body is used to help fight Lyme disease.
``I told the doctors if there's anything in his body that can help the next person that comes along, so they don't have to suffer like he did, I hope they find it, because I still have to live with the fact that, if they don't find anything, I just won't know what killed him.'' (end quote)
Posted by Melanie Reber (Member # 3707) on :
Jon Pierre Lavallee, 46, Massachusetts
June 20, 2002
Cape Cod Times motor-route driver; enjoyed woodworking
WELLFLEET - Jon Pierre Lavallee, 46, died Wednesday at Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital in Boston of Lyme disease.
A Nauset Regional High School graduate, he was an athlete and an avid fan of all sports. He was a gifted craftsman, who enjoyed woodworking, building furniture and restoring antiques, some of which were hand-painted by his partner, Beth. He was a familiar face at the Wellfleet Flea Market, where he sold many of his creations.
He worked for the Cape Cod Times as a motor-route driver for many years, delivering in the Provincetown and Truro areas.
He leaves his parents, Russell and Cynthia Lavallee of Wellfleet; two sisters, Cynthia A. DeJong of Sheboygan, Wis., and Michele A. Dumont of Wellfleet; a brother, Brian S. Lavallee of Brewster; his life partner, Beth Sherwood of Wellfleet; and many nieces and nephews.
A memorial service will be at 11 a.m. Tuesday at the Wellfleet United Methodist Church, Main Street, Wellfleet.
Donations may be made to Wild Care, P.O. Box 760, Brewster, MA 02631, attn: Karen; or to the Animal Rescue League, P.O. Box 1265, Brewster, MA 02631.
Posted by Melanie Reber (Member # 3707) on :
Jonathan Bleefield, Maryland
On May 27, 2004, JONATHAN BLEEFIELD; beloved son of Kathryn Von Hagel and the late Charles Bleefield; step-son of George Von Hagel, Jr.; beloved brother of David Bleefield, Laurie Fields, Amy Entwisle and Anne Exton; step-brother of Carol Blair, George Von Hagel, III and Violet Cheatham.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be sent to the Lyme Disease Foundation, 1 Financial Plaza, Hartford, CT 06103. Services private. Published in the Baltimore Sun on 6/1/2004.
[ 06. November 2006, 01:29 PM: Message edited by: Melanie Reber ]
Posted by Melanie Reber (Member # 3707) on :
Kathy Cavert
Posted by Ann - OH
Sadly, Kathy Cavert died several years ago. She was an amazing advocate and educator. She founded a support group, lectured a lot and did a study that was presented at a National Lyme Conference. She had a newsletter and published quite often.
Her own case was very complicated by some severe car accident injuries and several surgeries that she had to have over the years.
She was a very beautiful, tiny, blonde woman who loved her dogs and had very dedicated and loving friends.
Here is one of her best articles, written in the mid 1990's.
Ann - OH [quote]
Psychosocial Issues of Lyme Disease Kathy Cavert
As with all serious and debilitating diseases, there are some factors that come into play more than the disease itself which complicates things for the patient and the family. These issues are sometimes more devastating than the disease itself.
One of the biggest problems with Lyme disease is that it can render the victim completely helpless and unable to work or take care of the family. The disease can mimic other diseases in combination such as Lou Gehrig's disease, rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, polymyalgia rheumatica, fibromyalgia syndrome, psoriatic arthritis, Alzheimer's and lupus. It is painful and causes debilitating fatigue and weakness to the point of paralysis at times. It can cause seizures and Bell's palsy, meningitis and encephalitis. It can cause bone pain and joint pain so severe that it can be frightening.
As with all severe disabling diseases, this one carries with it a whole host of problems other than the disease itself. The following are but a few:
Guilt. Feeling bad about feeling bad particularly when one is unable to work or keep up their share of the housework and child-rearing. This carries over into marital relationships as well because although the Lyme person looks well on the outside, often they feel as though they are dying on the inside. It is hard when loved ones and friends want to go someplace and have a good time and the Lyme patient wants to stay home due to fatigue or pain. They oftentimes feel guilty for being such a dull partner.
The symptoms can also lead to guilt surrounding the lack of sexual interest because the disease is a neurologic disease and can cause some sexual problems as well.
Isolation/Desertion. Often the Lyme patient has the sympathy of friends, physicians, and family at first. But as the months pass and the years pass and the patient continues to complain of varying symptoms and the blood test scans continue to come back negative, friends and family pull away. They begin to doubt the sanity of the person. The physicians begin blaming the patient and suggesting emotional overlay, hysteria, depression or psychogenic problems. The family follows suit.
This kind of abandonment only makes things worse for the Lyme person. They not only have to deal with chest pain, numbness, tingling, infections, fevers, dizziness, pain, weakness, fatigue and memory loss, etc., but they have to do it with strange looks, nasty comments and mistrust from the people who were at one time close to them.
Validation of the person. It is difficult to feel validated as a person when others are telling you that you are nuts and that your symptoms do not exist or that you are bringing them on yourself. Validation must be done now more from within and one finds themselves in the dilemma of trying to beef up their own self-esteem with positive affirmations. This is a time when we all need to feel support and so often we feel just the opposite.
Employers accuse patients of faking illness; family accuse them of not wanting to work or carry out daily chores; friends accuse them of being hypochondriacs and no longer being the kind of friend that they were in the past. Children worry if it is their parent, and spouses become concerned as well.
Parents begin to doubt the validity and the severity of the symptoms and the Lyme patient sinks into depression, at last fulfilling the prophecy of the doctors who for so long had suggested that to be the case in the first place.
Lyme is like having symptoms of all the major diseases compiled into one. It can leave one in quiet desperation. Lyme disease is an infection and an infection that affects the brain. Adding insult to injury, the brain manifestations such as subtle encephalitis and meningitis can cause patients to be emotionally labile, or perhaps moody.
Most Lyme patients are people whose lives have been filled with activity and outdoor things and for the most part, these are people who lived life to its fullest and suddenly were struck down. The adjustment is not easy.
There is fear of the future and fear of the present. With concomitant brain inflammations and central nervous system problems, it can cause a variety of emotional problems, unlike anything the patient previously knew.
We are hoping that the physicians in the midwest will stop and take a good look at what is really going on here. We do have a problem and it is a problem that at some point, must be addressed. Unfortunately I am finding more and more people who have suffered with Lyme for over 6 years and it concerns me greatly.
It is my sincere hope that soon each and every physician in Kansas City and the surrounding areas will include Lyme in their differential diagnoses when symptoms are suggestive of a combination of rheumatologic, neurologic or cardiac.
Lyme Disease is not a benign disease. It is a very serious spirochetal disease which must be treated with aggressive antibiotic therapy.[end quote]
Family who couldn't afford burial kept body in SUV By The Associated Press (3/18/05 - ROYSE CITY, TX) -- A woman who couldn't afford to bury her ex-husband last month drew criticism from neighbors and questions from police after she stored his embalmed body in the back of an SUV in the family's driveway for two days.
"The phone rang off the wall with calls such as, 'How ... can you all be so cold-hearted and keep Larry in that vehicle in front of your home?' " said Brenda Pitts Bennett, who had let 50-year-old Larry Bennett live with her after their 1995 divorce. Larry Bennett, a former building inspector whose poor health had cost him his job and drained his finances, died Feb. 26. His cause of death is pending, but his ex-wife said he died of complications of Lyme disease, a bacterial disease spread by ticks.
Larry Bennett was buried in his ex-wife's hometown of Farmersville, but not before the Bennetts became the talk of the neighborhood.
Brenda Bennett said she went to Rockwall County shortly after the death to collect money for a burial. A judge told her the county allows up to $1,000 for cremation of paupers. The ex-wife said she took the $1,000 to a funeral home because she thought it would pay for a burial instead of cremation, but she later was told that it wouldn't be enough.
So, she said, the family had little choice but to load Larry Bennett's body in their SUV and take him home while they figured out what to do.
She said the family soon started getting angry calls -- so many, that they had to take the phone off the hook -- and people started driving by just to look at the body, which was in a bag.
Royse City police received numerous calls about the body, Sgt. Jim Baker said. But the body wasn't removed because no law was violated, and since the body was embalmed, it posed no health issue, Baker said.
"It was believed to be safe, and the family had a right to claim it," he said.
After two days, a mortuary agreed to store the body. Larry Bennett was buried March 10 with the help of donations.
Brenda Bennett said the treatment from the community was disheartening.
"Everyone acted like I was insane. ... I know they could not have come up with the money at all to afford a funeral for their loved one, yet they wanted to condemn us," she wrote.
(Copyright 2005 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved
Posted by Melanie Reber (Member # 3707) on :
Norwalk Citizen~News Obituaries Article Launched:10/26/2006 11:47:48 AM EDT
Lauren Faxon Brooks of Old Greenwich lost her valiant and courageous struggle with metastatic breast cancer at the age of 57 on Oct. 12.
She had a wonderfully humanitarian, kind and gentle spirit and will always be remembered for her unwavering commitment to helping family, friends and those in need. She was an extraordinarily gracious woman blessed with many gifts, including a boundless sense of humor and compassionate nature that will live on in the hearts of and continue to inspire all who knew and loved her.
Originally from Palo Alto, Calif., she graduated from Cubberley High School and Cal Poly in San Luis, Obispo, Calif., where she was a member of Delta Chi Omega. She met her husband, Torrey, while she was the registrar at the Stanford Business School. They married in the Napa Valley and settled in Greenwich in March 1985. She was a member of the Greenwich Board of Realtors for 17 years, was the founder and president of Brody Realty, and was a member of the Greenwich Country Club.
For the past eight years, she was an active board member and the vice president-education of Time for Lyme, Inc., of Greenwich, a nonprofit organization dedicated to education and research regarding Lyme and other tick-borne diseases. She was instrumental in creating and disseminating educational materials regarding tick-borne diseases, both for local and national use. She was especially proud of her work with the local chapter of the American Red Cross to create a tick removal kit, which is now distributed nationally, and her personal guidance of many individuals afflicted with Lyme.
The Brooks family owned the Brooks Community Newspapers until 1998. She was the daughter-in-law of B.V. Brooks, who was the president and publisher of the newspaper company.
In addition to her husband, she is survived by her two sons, Brody and Brandon of Old Greenwich; her mother, Ernestine Faxon of Palo Alto; her sisters and brothers-in-law, Robin and James Yurash and Teri and Matt Peters of California; many nieces, nephews and cousins; and, of course, her beloved Dachshund, Bailey. She was predeceased by her father, Bill Faxon.
Memorial contributions may be made to Time for Lyme, Inc., designated for the Lauren F. Brooks Memorial Fund at P.O. Box 31269, Greenwich 06831. For additional information about her, visit www.laurenbrooks.org. Posted by Melanie Reber (Member # 3707) on :
Leo Bogart, 84, New York
Posted by Ann - OH
I put all the information about babesiosis first because some was at the beginning and some at the end of the obituary and I wanted to be sure you read it all.
The entire obituary is posted below. Ann - OH
[quote] Sociologist Leo Bogart Dies of Babesiosis from Long Island (NY Times 10-19)
October 19, 2005
Leo Bogart, 84, Sociologist Who Studied Role of Media in Culture, Is Dead By JULIE BOSMAN
Leo Bogart, a sociologist, author and marketing specialist who was known for studying the role of the mass media in culture, died Saturday at Mount Sinai Hospital in Manhattan. He was 84.
The cause of death was babesiosis, a parasitic disease that is transmitted by ticks, said his wife of 57 years, the former Agnes Cohen. .................
After checking into Mount Sinai on Aug. 7, Dr. Bogart learned that he had babesiosis, a malarialike infectious disease that destroys red blood cells. It is typically found in coastal islands of the Northeast, and Mrs. Bogart said her husband might have contracted it on a trip to the couple's home on Long Island." [end quote]
[Here is the full obituary] Sociologist Leo Bogart Dies of Babesiosis from Long Island (NY Times 10-19)
October 19, 2005
Leo Bogart, 84, Sociologist Who Studied Role of Media in Culture, Is Dead By JULIE BOSMAN
Leo Bogart, a sociologist, author and marketing specialist who was known for studying the role of the mass media in culture, died Saturday at Mount Sinai Hospital in Manhattan. He was 84.
The cause of death was babesiosis, a parasitic disease that is transmitted by ticks, said his wife of 57 years, the former Agnes Cohen.
Dr. Bogart, who also studied advertising and public opinion and wrote nearly a dozen books, argued that market forces should not be the sole determinant of media content. He decried the increasing presence of violence and sex in film and television, asserting in his most recent book, "Over the Edge," that advertisers degrade content through their desire to capture the youth market.
He was an influential figure in the marketing and advertising industries. He served for many years as the executive vice president and general manager of the Newspaper Advertising Bureau, the sales and marketing organization of the newspaper industry.
He taught marketing at New York University, Columbia University and the Illinois Institute of Technology. He was a senior fellow at the Center for Media Studies at Columbia and a Fulbright research fellow in France.
At his death, Dr. Bogart was a director and senior consultant for Innovation, an international media consulting firm, and wrote a column for Presstime, the magazine of the Newspaper Association of America.
Dr. Bogart was born in Lwow, now Lvov, Poland, and moved to the United States with his family at age 2, eventually becoming fluent in seven languages.
After graduating from Brooklyn College in 1941, he joined the Army Signal Intelligence Corps. Fluent in German, he intercepted communications in Germany during World War II. He chronicled that experience in his memoir, "How I Earned the Ruptured Duck: From Brooklyn to Berchtesgaden in World War II." He earned a doctorate in sociology at the University of Chicago.
After checking into Mount Sinai on Aug. 7, Dr. Bogart learned that he had babesiosis, a malarialike infectious disease that destroys red blood cells. It is typically found in coastal islands of the Northeast, and Mrs. Bogart said her husband might have contracted it on a trip to the couple's home on Long Island.
In addition to his wife, he is survived by two children, Michele H. Bogart and Gregory Charles Bogart; and one grandchild.
Martha J. "Marty" Bradley, 68, a resident of Annapolis for 22 years, died of complications of Lyme disease March 11 at Anne Arundel Medical Center after an 11-year illness.
Mrs. Bradley was born Jan. 16, 1937, in Salem, Va., where she graduated from Andrew Lewis High School as valedictorian of her class and from Roanoke College with a degree in chemistry.
She retired in 1994 from the Environmental Protection Agency where she was a chemist for 15 years.
Mrs. Bradley was a member of Asbury United Methodist Church in Annapolis.
Surviving are her husband, Robert D. Bradley, whom she married June 4, 1995; and one brother, Charles Hall of Huddleston, Va.
Visitation will be from 2 to 4 p.m. Wednesday at Kalas Funeral Home, 2973 Solomons Island Road in Edgewater, where memorial services will be held at 11 a.m. Thursday. Burial is private.
Copyright � 2005 The Capital, Annapolis, Md.
Posted by Melanie Reber (Member # 3707) on :
Mary T. Patten, 59, New Jersey
Mary T. Patten was born in Paterson, New Jersey. She lived in Totowa, New Jersey, and was a beloved member of LymeNet (MaryPat).
Mary passed away January 22, 2006 at the age of 59. She will be missed by many.
Posted by Melanie Reber (Member # 3707) on :
The following letter appeared in the January 1993 issue of "LymeLine," the newsletter of the Lyme Disease Network of NJ.
Dear Friends,
Let me introduce myself. I am a mother of a family in which all four members have Lyme Disease. I call you friends because I believe all Lyme patients and their supporters are bound by a special community of care and concern. What happens to one of us has a direct impact on all of us as we struggle to be well, preserve our rights, and live happy, productive lives.
I would like to tell you about my daughter Meg. Meg was a vivacious, active child who excelled in school, played travel soccer, volunteered in a shelter for disadvantaged children, and was active in student government and social activities.
She was a freshman at the University of Delaware where she hoped to discover how she could make the world a better place. She has a social life that would rival that of a celebrity. Meg had an incredible zest for life and laughter that few of us will ever approach. Her own proclaimed motto was "Don't sleep too long, walk too fast, or forget to smile in the sun."
During her many lengthy hospital stays she sought out those sicker or less ambulatory and would go to any length of silliness or sympathy to cheer them up. When she was bed ridden and unable to get up she would amuse her roommates and visitors with wry observations and witty impersonations of people they knew.
She could never stand to see someone sad or hurt and not try to help. She never knew a stranger, only potential friends... of which she had an amazing number. She always made time to be there for her friends when they needed her. Meg had an incredible inner strength surpassed only by her true, sincere belief in the goodness of her life. She was a person you would like to know.
Meg died three weeks before her nineteenth birthday of cardiac arrhythmia brought on by Lyme Disease.
You cannot give Meg back to her mom, dad, and sister. You cannot erase the pain, fill the gap in our lives, or ease the longing in our hearts to have her with us. But you _can_ help us prevent this from happening to another person with Lyme Disease. _Please_ take the time to write to your Senators and Congressmen urging them to support and promote legislation for Lyme Disease research and funding.
_Please_ write to the CDC and the NIH and make your plight and your concerns known. Don't allow another Lyme death to occur. It is up to us to keep this issue in front of them and insist that they address it.
It is up to us to make them admit and acknowledge the seriousness of this illness. Please write today.
With heartfelt gratitude,
Diane D. Betz Meg's Mom
Posted by Melanie Reber (Member # 3707) on :
Mike Thomas, 48, Florida
Man loses battle with Lyme disease Tallahassee Democrat - Tallahassee,FL,USA Sun, Oct. 09, 2005 By Jennifer Jefferson DEMOCRAT STAFF WRITER
On the Internet, he was known as Dr. Mike even though he wasn't a physician.
Mike Thomas, 48, was a supervisor of water utilities for the city of Tallahassee.
After being diagnosed with amytrophic lateral sclerosis, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease, he became an avid researcher of the disease.
His research led him to China to undergo experimental treatment in December, but he died Wednesday at home of Lyme disease.
In Beijing, Thomas met other patients from around the world who turned to him for information. The BBC even featured him on a show about the experimental treatment he received in China.
On Sunday, he was at his computer reading e-mails from overseas, said Juhan Mixon, Thomas' best friend.
"No one expected it to happen quite as quickly as it did," said Candace McKibben, the pastor who is presiding over the funeral 2 p.m. today at the chapel of Bevis Funeral Home of Tallahassee.
In August 2003, Thomas was diagnosed with Lou Gehrig's disease, a fatal condition that causes motor neurons to deteriorate and muscle movement to diminish. Doctors say Thomas and the 30,000 others in the United States who have it usually have three to five years to live.
In the fall of 2004, Thomas couldn't wiggle his toes or raise his right foot. So Mixon helped Thomas raise $30,000 needed to travel to China to get millions of olfactory ensheathing glia cells from second-trimester aborted fetuses inserted into his brain and spinal cord in hopes of stimulating the other cells to work. The procedure is still in the experimental stages.
Thomas and his wife, Kim, went to Beijing Oct. 31, 2004, and returned Dec. 2.
When Thomas came back, he could walk and stand without a brace, Mixon said. He was even able to go back to work. In January, his condition deteriorated, and he was soon diagnosed with Lyme disease.
Ticks transport the bacterium that causes Lyme disease. The symptoms include a skin rash, fever, headache and fatigue, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Web site. If left untreated, infection can spread to joints, the heart and the nervous system.
Thomas was undergoing treatment for the disease, but it was in the late stages when it was diagnosed, Mixon said. Thomas could still walk but had to use a walker.
After extensive research online, Mixon said, Thomas questioned whether he had Lyme disease from the start or whether the diseases were interrelated.
Thomas never found out.
After the China trip, "We were all hopeful that he would get better," Mixon said. "We were hopeful that (if) we could treat the Lyme disease, he would be better."
Posted by Melanie Reber (Member # 3707) on :
Peter Anthony Banducci, 45, California
PETER ANTHONY BANDUCCI Beloved husband, father, son, brother, uncle, cousin and friend, went to be with the LORD on September 28, 2006 after a long battle with ALS and Lyme disease. The diseases may have destroyed his body, but did not destroy his mind and spirit, his love for the LORD and others.
The LORD blessed Marian and the late John Banducci with Peter on February 27, 1961, he was 1 of 6 produced by this blessed union. Pete attended school in the Mission area of Fremont, graduated in 1979. He studied automotive repair at a young age and was blessed with a true gift from GOD. He went to Ohlone College where he majored in business and met his future wife, Pamela. He went on to study many automotive courses and was an ASC certified Master Tech. On September 2, 1986, he independently opened Pete's Foreign Auto Repair. It is in its 21st year of business and continues to operate under Roger daRocha and Pamela. Pete had the business certified as a Green Business and a AAA approved facility.
Peter went on to marry Pamela on December 31, 1987. This union was blessed with 2 children, Alyssa and Samuel. His family meant everything to him. Some of his most enjoyable times were spent out on the boat with his family; celebrating family birthdays and holidays; baseball at Niles-Centerville Little League and was a big Giant's and A's fan; he enjoyed music, especially Michael McDonald and Chris Isaak; and last but not least he enjoyed his calls to his mom and Batman.
Pete valued honesty, family, friends and the LORD. He developed 2 new friendships with Jocelyn and Marcus who helped his family with his care. He was cared for by his loved ones at home.
Peter is survived by his wife, Pamela; children, Alyssa and Samuel; his mother, Marian; his siblings/spouses, Monica and Mitch Radosky, Angela and Randy Ochs, John and Michelle Banducci, Chris and Kelly Banducci and Paul and Sally Banducci; in-laws, Carmen Harpel, Judy Harpel, Cheryl and Dan Martin, Randy and Debbie Harpel and Mitch and Gina Harpel; many nieces and nephews, cousins and friends. He was preceded in death by his father, John Banducci and father-in-law, Louis Harpel.
He was ready for his marathon to celebrate his eternal rebirth and he will be deeply missed by all. We ask you to celebrate the life and rebirth of Peter on Saturday, October 28, 2006, 1 p.m. at Corpus Christi, 37891 - 2nd Street, in the Niles area of Fremont. Donations preferred to ALS/MDA Forbes Norris Center, S.F., CA.
Published in the ANG Newspapers from 10/21/2006 - 10/26/2006. (Inside Bay Area)
Posted by Melanie Reber (Member # 3707) on :
Peter Edgar Hare, 73, Florida
Peter Edgar Hare's memorial service will be at the New Smyrna Beach Seventh-day Adventist Church, 1910 Pioneer Trail, on Saturday, May 13, at 4 p.m. Dr. Hare was born in Maymyo, Burma, on April 14, 1933, to missionary parents, Eric and Agnes Hare.
He graduated from Pacific Union College in 1954 and married Patti Martin a week later. In 1955, he completed a master's degree from UC Berkeley and returned to PUC to teach chemistry for three years before beginning a doctoral program at Caltech, graduating with a Ph.D. in organic geochemistry in 1962.
The next year he began a rewarding 35 years with the Carnegie Institution of Washington's Geophysical Laboratory as a research scientist. He developed an amino acid age-dating technique and collaborated with scientists around the world. In 1998, he retired, and moved to Volusia County in 1999.
Early Friday morning, May 5, at the age of 73, he peacefully fell asleep in Jesus at the Port Orange Christian Adult Care Home after a long battle with Lyme disease. We await the last trumpet, for the trumpet will sound. Our beloved husband, father, and PopPop will be raised incorruptible.
He is survived by his wife, Patti, and two children, Carol Pack, Laurel, Md., and Calvin Hare, Orlando; three grandchildren, Stacey Pack, Brian Pack, and Travis Hare; and a brother, Leonard Hare, Berrien Springs, Mich.
Memorial gifts may be sent to Pacific Union College Advancement Office, One Angwin Ave, Angwin, CA 94508, for the P E Hare Scholarship Fund.
Published in the Daytona Beach News-Journal on 5/10/2006.
Posted by Melanie Reber (Member # 3707) on :
Richard Olney, 71, France
Richard Olney New York Times Wednesday, August 4, 1999
Richard Olney, one of the first food writers to introduce the simple joys of French country cooking to American readers as well as chefs like Berkeley's Alice Waters, was found dead yesterday at his home here in Provence. He was 71.
Kermit Lynch, a California wine merchant who has a house near Mr. Olney's, said that the writer's gardener found him in bed. Lynch said Mr. Olney had a bout of Lyme disease two years ago but had appeared ``in wonderful shape'' when the two of them last met about a week ago.
Mr. Olney lived alone in a simple hillside house near the French port city of Toulon on the Mediterranean. Surrounded by olive trees, the house centered on a kitchen with a large fireplace, a stone sink and collections of books and terrines. He dined in fair weather on a table set under a grape arbor outdoors.
His reputation was based on a pair of early books -- the ``French Menu Cookbook'' and ``Simple French Food,'' which appeared in the early 1970s -- and on the Time- Life cookbook series, which he helped to edit. He wrote more than 35 books on food and wine in all, including an autobiography called ``Reflexions,'' which was in the final editing process when he died. John T. Colby Jr., the publisher of Brick House Press, which is producing the memoir, said it would be published in October.
Mr. Olney's influence in the culinary profession was profound, although he was not as well-known to the public as Julia Child or Elizabeth David, the English cookery writer with whom he is often compared. Yet his recipes, set out with clinical precision, were within the capacity of any careful cook; they were simple and direct, the polar opposites of the complex formulas typical of French nouvelle cuisine.
Mr. Olney's most important disciple was Waters, who keeps a jacket- less, food-stained copy of ``Simple French Food'' in the kitchen of Chez Panisse.
It was Mr. Olney who introduced Waters to David, over a three-hour lunch of white truffles, an extravaganza that neither soon forgot.
"He lived his life so consciously and purposefully," Waters said yesterday. ``When some people build a stone wall, they think about it for weeks beforehand. Richard spoke that way, wrote that way and cooked that way -- strict, demanding but unpretentious. There are hundreds of great cooks, but not many with his talent and aesthetic sense.''
Born in Marathon, Iowa, Mr. Olney attended the University of Iowa for a time, then spent a while in Paris, financed by his father, before heading for New York. While studying painting at the Brooklyn Museum Art School, he waited on tables at 17 Barrow St., a small restaurant in Greenwich Village. In 1951, at the age of 24, he left the United States for France, and he never moved back.
Many saw Mr. Olney as a hermit, but Colby, his publisher, said he kept in constant touch with friends and family in the United States by fax.
Among his survivors is a nephew, John, who, to Mr. Olney's great delight, went into the wine business in California, working at Ridge Vineyards in Cupertino.
Posted by Melanie Reber (Member # 3707) on :
Rick Fincham, 44, Maryland
So very sad to lose another lyme victim. This man was a landscaper. Had picked ticks off of him but never saw a bite. He got ill about a year and a half ago and was finally confined to a wheel chair. He died on May 17. 2005 at age 44 after first going to the wrong hospital in Maryland and them stating it was not lyme. We went to the funeral home on Sunday and it was so very, very sad.
He leaves a 12 year old girl and a college age boy plus his wife. His parents cared for him to give the wife some rest. What do you say when this happens. He was under treatment from an LLMD.
Many prayers for the victim's family.
He had bartonella and lyme. Was tested by Igenex and Bowen which confirmed lyme but no babesia of HME, HGE.
This is an article about his little girl. This was before he passed away.
Gambrills gymnast to compete in nationals By SHARON LEE TEGLER, For The Capital
Docksiders Gymnastics in Millersville has trained aspiring gymnasts in Anne Arundel County since 1975 and current owners Bob and Kim Ouellette continue to turn out top notch athletes.
One of them, 13-year-old Rachel Fincham, is the pride of her Gambrills neighborhood. The teenager recently placed in the top seven in a regional gymnastics competition in Allentown, Pa. As a result, she will compete Thursday through May 15 in the United States Association of Gymnastics Junior Olympic Nationals in Ontario, Calif. Her goal is to place among the top four competitors in her age group.
Those four are awarded a trip to the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs to train with the national team coaches. Rachel qualified for the nationals by competing in four disciplines: vault, uneven bars, balance beam and floor exercise.
Rachel's family is elated about her success and her mother, Linda, plans to accompany her to the competition.
"Rachel worked really hard to achieve her goal of going to nationals," Mrs. Fincham said. "She is an amazing gymnast and I am so proud of her determination, her hard work and her wonderful spirit."
However, Rachel's achievements are tempered by challenges for the Finchams at home.
Rick Fincham is his daughter's most ardent supporter in spite of having been stricken with a serious illness a year ago which resulted in a loss of mobility.
Bob Oullette explained that Rick was incredibly involved with the gymnastics program at Docksiders until his health worsened and he was unable to work in landscaping.
If Rachel's excited by the chance to compete in the nationals, she doesn't necessarily show it. Instead, her thoughts turn immediately to her father.
"It's been a tough year knowing my dad has been too ill to come to our meets. However, every time I compete, I know he's there in spirit and is still so proud of me for everything I do."
Rachel's Docksiders teammates and trainers express the same kind of concern.
"They were always a supportive and helpful family. They are wonderful people who would do anything for anybody. We feel like now it's our turn to help. We'd like to give back," said Mr. Oullette.
A group of staff members and families from the school, spearheaded by Kim Oullette, have done just that.
Their contributions have ranged from fund-raising to surprising the family a couple weeks ago with landscaping, carpentry and other home improvement efforts that may have slipped by as the Finchams have struggled with Mr. Fincham's health problems.
Neighbors in the Finchams' Four Seasons community had the same idea.
To help her achieve her goals they have set up an account for her at Sun Trust Bank in Gambrills. Their initial aim was to offset expenses incurred by Rachel and Linda for the trip to California. Looking ahead, however, the fund could possibly contribute to some Olympic or other opportunity in her future. They are hoping for more donations to this benefit fund.
Helping Rachel will mean the difference between sending a quartet or a quintet to the national competition.
Four other Maryland girls - who also train at Docksider Gymnastics qualified in the top seven as well. Two, Alexis Green and Toi Garcia, are Anne Arundel County residents. The others, Stephanie Ouellette and Krystal Welsh, are from Howard and Prince George's counties, respectively.All are level-10 national qualifiers, technically the highest level aside from elite gymnasts who compete internationally.
Training and competing at such a high level can be taxing, both physically and finacially. The team's trip to California is one example. A USAG organization raises money to defray the costs for their travel expenses.
However, parents are still responsible for a portion of the total cost, about 25 percent including gymnast and coaching fees. The girls are housed as a team in a hotel with the other competitors and coaches, but parents who attend pay their own way.
If you would like to make a donation to the benefit fund for Rachel, contact Sun Trust Bank, 2644 Chapel Lake Drive, Gambrills, MD. 21054 or any other Sun Trust Bank. The account is under the name of Rachel Fincham.
Sharon Lee Tegler is a freelance writer in Severna Park.
Published May 07, 2005, The Capital, Annapolis, Md. Copyright � 2005 The Capital, Annapolis, Md.
Posted by trueblue (Member # 7348) on :
Dillon Jamison King, 37, California
Services will be Friday for Dillon Jamison King, who died of Lyme disease Jan. 5, 2005 in his home. He was 37.
A Santa Cruz native, Mr. King graduated with honors from UC Irvine and a Christian School of Ministry. He returned to Santa Cruz to pursue health care, jewelry design, manufacture and art. He performed marriages for many of his friends.
Mr. King is survived by parents Gordon and Wendy Augason of Kentucky; sister Stephanie A. Ranquist of Kentucky; brother Mark Augason of Scotts Valley; longtime devoted friend Elizabeth Strong of Soquel; four nephews; and two nieces.
A candlelight service will be 7 p.m. Friday at Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Santa Cruz, 6401 Freedom Blvd., Aptos.
Burial will be in Oakwood Memorial Park. Arrangements are by Oakwood Memorial Chapel.
Please add Doris Grade, Iowa, to this list. She passed away early this year. She was a wonderful lady, very kind. I spoke to her on the phone a few times. We talked about our former nursing careers and how much we missed it, since I also worked as a nurse consultant before Lyme. Lyme forced Doris to retire early.
In May the LDA of IA made plans to have trees planted in honor of Doris and 6 other Iowans who have died from Lyme disease. The plantings will take place this month.
Here is an excerpt from the May 2006 LDA of Iowa newsletter:
The Lyme Disease Association of Iowa regrets to report that one of our family of Lyme Disease members has died from the complications of Lyme Disease. Doris Marie Grade died after a three week hospital stay in Carroll, Iowa. Doris and her husband, Louis, were original members of our group.
To describe Doris, we quote a bit of her obituary from the Carroll newspaper,
`` Mrs Grade joined the Iowa State Department of Health as a nursing consultant in the spring of 1978. Her job was to inspect health care facilities such as hospitals, nursing homes, psychiatric units, rehab agencies and home health agencies for compliance with state and federal rules. She trained for this job at the University of Maryland at Baltimore.
She was a member and had served on the altar guild at St Paul Lutheran Church in Carroll. She was also a member of the Carroll Genealogical Society, the Lincoln Highway association and the St Anthony Nurses Alumni Association. She enjoyed reading and traveling. ``
May God bless Doris and her grieving family.
Posted by trueblue (Member # 7348) on :
Edward Stanley Arnold, 54, Tennessee
ARNOLD, EDWARD STANLEY - 1951-2006. Edward was born in Clinton, Tennessee November 26, 1951 and died in Nashville, Tennessee on February 25, 2006.
His parents were Polie E. Arnold and Mildred Presson Arnold. Mildred taught in Oak Ridge. Polie worked at K-25.
Edward attended Mrs. Hanna's Kindergarten Class at age four, and then attended Clinton Elementary School. He went to North Clinton School for one year while the present elementary school was being built. He was a Boy Scout until he became an outfielder for Doc Thomas' Baseball Team. He was a Drum Major for Mr. Anderson and Student Council President in High School. He attended Vanderbilt University, becoming a Psychiatrist after 8 years of studies.
In June, 2000, he contracted Lyme Disease. He hasn't practiced medicine since 2000. His last treatment was at Vanderbilt University.
Eddie especially enjoyed baseball, fishing, and reading about the Civil War. He is survived by: his mother; sister; his niece; nephew; and two great nephews.
The family will receive guests at the Stockdale Malin Funeral Home in Camden, TN on Wednesday, March 1, 2006 from 4:00 pm to 6:00 pm. The funeral will be held immediately afterward in the same place at 6:00 pm. There will be a service in celebration of Eddie's life on Saturday, March 4, 2006 at Memorial United Methodist Church in Clinton, TN at 4:00 pm.
Published in the Knoxville News Sentinel on 2/28/2006.
Posted by Melanie Reber (Member # 3707) on :
Robert Michael Hanson, 49, Washington
Nov. 23, 1955 - July 8, 2005
ENUMCLAW, Wash. - Robert "Rob" Hanson was called home on July 8, 2005. He had been fighting Lyme Disease for about one year.
Robert was born in Deer Lodge, Mont., to Bob and Ruby Hanson. He graduated high school from Laurel, Mont., in 1974, and entered the United States Air Force in 1975. He set his sights on being an air traffic controller, and after leaving the military, he was hired by the FAA in 1980. He was promoted to Air Traffic Control Supervisor in 1990. Robert loved his work.
He met the love of his life, Jan Anderson, and they married in 1966, and resided in Enumclaw. Robert loved his family, hunting and fishing. He also loved having his friends over for Dodge RAM parties, where he would help them improve their Cummings diesel pickups.
Robert is survived by his wife, Jan; daughters Bridget, Becky and Chrissy; son Robert Jr.; grandchildren, Emma and Robert Tyler, Kaycee; and his mother and father, Bob and Ruby Hanson of Laurel; sisters Vicki Brester of Laurel, Cindy Davis of Sheridan, Wyo.; and brother Ric Hanson of Columbus. Robert also has many living nieces and nephews.
Robert will be missed by all who knew him by his hard work, practical jokes and love for family and friends.
Published in the Billings Gazette on 7/18/2005.
Posted by trueblue (Member # 7348) on :
Ellen Agnes Loughlin, 56, Arizona
Very sad news.
After a decades-long battle vs Lyme disease, my dear friend Ellen Loughlin died May 19, 2006. Apparently the Lyme disease bacteria was too much for her heart.
Ellen and I both saw the same local infectious disease specialists, who ruled out Lyme disease.
Years ago Ellen responded well to IV antibiotics but she relapsed when treatments stopped.
Ellen Agnes Loughlin Of Tucson, AZ, died after a long, brave battle against chronic, disseminated Lyme Disease on May 19, 2006. She was 56 years old.
Born on March 23, 1950 in Tachikowa, Japan to the late Lt. Colonel Charles Thomas Loughlin (USAF, retired) and Beatrice Gunning of Remsenburg, Long Island, NY, she was a graduate of Westhampton Beach High School in Westhampton Beach, Long Island, NY, and completed her undergraduate work at Stony Brook University, NY. Her postgraduate degree in Education was completed at the University of California in Los Angeles, CA.
She is survived by three sisters, Patricia Loughlin Stanley of Tucson, Janet Loughlin Rubin of Remsenburg, Long Island, NY, and Elizabeth Marie Loughlin of Islip Terrace, Long Island, NY; a maternal aunt, Mari Gunning Hart of Lido Beach, Long Island, NY; five cousins; five nephews; and one niece.
A accomplished musician and artist, Ellen had many interests including, skiing, ice-skating, swimming, and horseback riding, to name a few. However, she will perhaps best be remembered by her strong Catholic faith, as well as her life-long love of children, and how selflessly-devoted she was to all children, particularly her third grade students, her niece, her nephews, and all their friends. People in Tucson grew to know and love the kind, generous person simply known as "Aunt Ellen" to so many.
A funeral mass will be celebrated in honor of Ellen's life on Saturday, June 10, 2006 at 10:00 a.m. at SS. Peter and Paul Catholic Church on Campbell Ave. Rosary will be prayed Friday evening at 6:00 p.m. also at SS. Peter and Paul Catholic Church. In addition a mass of the Christian Burial will be celebrated on June 22, 2006 at Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in Quiogue, Long Island, NY with interment to follow in Remsenburg, Long Island, NY.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that any donations please be made to Lyme Disease Foundation, 1 Financial Plaza, Hartford, Connecticut 06013.
Published in the Tucson on 6/4/2006.
Posted by Melanie Reber (Member # 3707) on :
Obituary: Ruth Ann Tobin / A founder of Lyme disease support group
Friday, October 29, 2004 By Bob Batz Jr., Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Ruth Ann Tobin, who turned her own battle with Lyme disease into a support group that has helped many others, died Monday of cancer at her home in Lawrenceville. She was 71.
It was after a 1989 church trip to the Catskills that Mrs. Tobin was diagnosed with Lyme, a confounding and controversial disease that was first linked to tick bites in Lyme, Conn., in the mid-1970s. Six months after her treatment, she relapsed, and then took antibiotics for four years to recover.
Around 1990, she helped found the Pittsburgh Lyme Disease Support Group, and continued to meet with it monthly, every second Monday, at Calvert Memorial Presbyterian Church in Etna.
She was outspoken about Lyme, which she believed was underdiagnosed and undertreated. As she told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette in 1995:
"What worries me is that the doctors in this area seem to be so uninformed about this disease. There's no excuse for that ignorance in this big of a city."
Tammy Burleson, of Elizabeth Township, says Mrs. Tobin was so tell-it-like-it-is she was "a little scared" of her when she joined the support group in the early 1990s. But with characteristic kindness and dedication, Mrs. Tobin helped her get information and find doctors, and later helped her start the South Hills support group that Burleson still leads.
She describes her mentor as "very accepting and very knowledgeable," adding, "She's going to be greatly missed, not only by her friends and family, but by the Lyme community as a whole."
Mrs. Tobin had worked as a payroll clerk for the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police, and then was an active traveler with the Arsenal chapter of AARP. After she was diagnosed with cancer, she was a regular in the dance and movement group at the Cancer Caring Center in Bloomfield.
"She had tons of energy," said her daughter, Janet Hodnik of McCandless, who said that until recently she had continued to help people with Lyme disease.
"She spent a great deal of time on the telephone, even when she was ill with cancer," Hodnik said.
Mrs. Tobin also is survived by her husband, Robert; two sons, Robert, of Shaler, and Daniel, of Lawrenceville; and eight grandchildren.
Friends will be received from 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 p.m. today in the Daniel T. D'Alessandro Funeral Home, Butler and 46th streets, Lawrenceville. A Mass will be celebrated at 10 a.m. tomorrow in St. Mary Church in Lawrenceville.
Posted by trueblue (Member # 7348) on :
James Sanders, 55, Pennsylvania
From TOFU, INC. the Gettysburg Support Group
Date: Wed, 1 Sep 2004 14:51:53 -0700 (PDT) From: Lovette Mott Subject: URGENT: Death of James Sanders To: [email protected]
Once again I am forced to wipe away the tears of pain and anger due to the untimely death of our dear friend, James Sanders, who at age 55 succumbed to Lyme Disease. How many more of us must die before the doctors and this community and our politicians wake up to the seriousness of this illness? Maybe 1 death per year isn't enough. Wasn't Ted Kotula enough? Now James Sanders? How many memorials must we attend and have in honor of people with this disease before the medical profession wakes up and helps us.
No, it's not fibromyalgia, no it's not MS, no it's not the flu, no it's not ALS, no it's not anemia, no it's not chronic fatigue, no it's not early arthritis, no it's not ADHD - IT IS LYME DISEASE and all of the coinfections that go along with it. And it is an EPIDEMIC.
I call on every school official to get the facts to help the children of this town, I call on every minister in this town to help the afflicted, most of whom don't know where to turn, I call on every parent to check their kids every day for ticks. I call on the doctors once again to step up to the plate and learn about this complex disease which is now killing people.
If you aren't sure if you have it, then come to our meeting this Sunday, September 5th at the Community Room of Gettysburg Hospital from 1-4 pm. We'll have a doctor speak to us and we'll be happy to help you even if no one else will.
Lovette Mott Biglerville, PA 334-6339
We just came back from Gettysburg after attending his memorial service. The pastor was very good and kept saying how sick he was from the lyme disease which eventually caused his series of strokes. He tried to work and did his best. He also tried many alternatives meds too. We always enjoyed to hear what was new that he was trying.
We cannot let this continue. There must be a better way to get our message out before other people die from this disease.
I met Jim several times at the support group and I forget how many years he had lyme. Yes, he did work w/ a lyme specialist in md. that is well known. I just can't remember all the particulars of what he'd been on. Jim was distressed in beg. of August his job was requiring folks to work lots of overtime. He was thinking about quitting....What a sweet soul he was, he'll be missed!!!
James Sanders was 55 and was on all kinds of meds and went to 2 LLMDs. He tried it all.
Thank you all. I will again print off the messages and send to his two children. He had two baby grandchildren also.
Jenny Umphress contracted Lyme Disease when she was 15 years old. For the next six years she fought Lyme disease with all her strength. Shortly before she died, she asked her Mother for a final promise. Susan Umphress said "No." at the time, because she did not know how close Jenny was to death. After Jenny died, Susan Umphress was haunted by her wish- and so she fulfilled it. Jenny's wish was for her mother to write her story, so that no teenager would have to go through what she went through.
As a Lyme disease patient, Jenny was subjected often to Doctors who did not know anything about Lyme disease and treated her badly. As with so many others, Doctor after Doctor did not help but only made her situation worse by telling her family she was not sick.
Until she was completely debilitated, the family could not find anyone to help them. Jenny's health disintegrated.
One Doctor, insisting she was not physically ill but psychosomatic, slapped her face, telling her to "Grow up!"
At various times, Jenny was completely bedridden, confined to a wheelchair and in terrible, terrible pain. At one point, she suffered complete amnesia from which she never recovered. She suffered great physical pain from Lyme disease, but also intense emotional pain at the insensitivity and ignorance of some of the medical personnel she depended on to help her.
While she was awake and having portacath surgery, a Doctor mocked her by saying, "Yeah, Lyme Disease is fatal. Ha ha ha!"
Well, for Jenny Lyme disease *was* fatal.
She died at 21.
Posted by Melanie Reber (Member # 3707) on :
Sarah Minor, 44
Sarah, a lyme patient, took her own life by carbon monoxide poisoning and narcotic overdose.
Posted by Melanie Reber (Member # 3707) on :
Scott Brazil, 50, California
'Shield' Director/Producer Dies Scott Brazil, 50, suffered from ALS
April 19, 2006 LOS ANGELES -- Scott Brazil, an executive producer and director of FX's series "The Shield," has died.
Brazil, a two-time winner at both the Emmys and the Golden Globes, died Monday at Sherman Oaks Hospital in Los Angeles of complications from ALS (Lou Gehrig's disease) and Lyme disease, news reports say. He was 50.
A veteran of such shows as "Hill Street Blues" and "Buffy the Vampire Slayer," Brazil has been with "The Shield" since it premiered in 2002. He directed 11 episodes of the series, including the premiere and finale for seasons two, three and four. As a producer, he shared in the show's 2003 Golden Globe win for best drama series.
"Scott was a tremendous man, a loyal friend, a creative producer and the best director we had. However, he rarely got the credit he deserved for all those things, because he never actively sought it out," says Shawn Ryan, creator of "The Shield." "The full range of his humanity and talents was fully known only to those of us who had the privilege of working side by side with him every day. His loss is devastating to us personally and to the television industry, professionally."
Peter Ligouri, the former president of FX who's now head of FOX, says it was an honor to have worked with Brazil.
"I cannot think of anyone who engendered more affection, admiration and respect than Scott," Ligouri says. "He fiercely guarded the creative vision of 'The Shield' and zealously supported and loved all of his associates. He never drew attention to himself, and he deserves the ovation that we have for him in our hearts."
In addition to the Golden Globe for "The Shield," Brazil shared in two outstanding drama series Emmys and one Golden Globe for "Hill Street Blues" in 1983 and '84.
Brazil also directed episodes of "Grey's Anatomy," "JAG," "Nip/Tuck" and "CSI: Miami," among others. He was a co-executive producer of "Gideon's Crossing" and "L.A. Doctors" as well.
He continued to work on "The Shield" while fighting ALS, using a motorized wheelchair to get around.
Brazil is survived by his wife, Marie, two children, a brother and his parents.
Posted by Melanie Reber (Member # 3707) on :
Dr. Sterling Edgar Walton, 57, Texas
Sterling Edgar Walton: Old-fashioned doctor who spent time with patients 02:42 PM CDT on Tuesday, April 12, 2005 By JOE SIMNACHER / The Dallas Morning News
Dr. Sterling Edgar Walton was known for the time he spent with his patients. After he took a leave of absence from his North Dallas general practice in December to battle Lyme disease, many of them wrote wanting to know when he would return.
Dr. Walton, 57, died Friday of complications of Lyme disease at his Dallas home.
A memorial will be at 1 p.m. today at Park Cities Presbyterian Church, 4124 Oak Lawn Ave. He was buried in Capital Memorial Gardens in Austin.
"He was your old-fashioned doctor who spent time with patients," said his wife, Becky Walton of Dallas. "He was your family doctor." Dr. Walton had a passion for medicine and never intended to retire, his wife said. "People view him as a very humble, understated person, but he was a perfectionist," Mrs. Walton said.
Born in San Antonio, Dr. Walton was named for his uncle, Dr. Edgar Dunstan, an internist who was named superintendent of Parkland Hospital in 1937. Dr. Dunstan was a mentor and role model for his nephew. Dr. Walton grew up in an Army family, traveling the globe when his father was transferred. He graduated from Radford High School in Honolulu, where he was valedictorian.
He received his bachelor's degree from Rice University, where he was in the marching band. He received his medical degree from what is now the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas in May 1973. He was an intern at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston. Dr. Walton's career included all aspects of family practice. He even delivered babies early in his career, his wife said.
He began his professional career practicing at Baylor University Medical Center before moving to Medical City Dallas about 15 years ago, his wife said. Dr. Walton was past president of the Dallas Academy of Family Practice.
"He also had a lifelong love of music," his wife said. "He was an accomplished pianist and had sung with choirs all over Dallas." Dr. Walton was an active member of Park Cities Presbyterian Church, where he sang in the choir. He was devoted to his church, gave generously and welcomed missionaries into his home, his wife said.
In addition to his wife, Dr. Walton is survived by a daughter, Elizabeth Campbell of Nashville, Tenn.; a sister, Linda Walton of Dallas; a brother, Norman Walton of Dallas; and two grandchildren.
Memorials may be made to the Park Cities Presbyterian Church Choir.
Posted by Melanie Reber (Member # 3707) on :
Susan H. Parrish, 47, Florida
PARRISH, Susan H., 47, of Wesley Chapel, passed into the father's loving arms March 30, 2006. She is survived by her beloved husband of 26 years, Wayne; sons, Blake and Chase; daughter, Skye; parents, Tom and Marilyn Hoadley; sisters, Kathy and Amy Hoadley, and Betsy Santucci; beloved parents-in-law, David and Mary Parrish; brothers- and sisters-in-law, Scott and Susana Parrish, John and Cheryl Parrish, and Doug and Diane DeForest; and granddaughter, Chloee.
Susan attended the University of Florida, where she was a member of Alpha Delta Pi sorority. She was a pioneer of the home schooling movement, published numerous articles and spoke publicly on the subject for 18 years.
After discovering that her family was infected with Lyme disease, she created national awareness for the disease and helped many obtain diagnosis and treatment. Susan was also a Christian music manager for many years, which brought her great joy.
She fought a very long and hard battle with cancer, but loved to speak to groups and encourage them in their faith. People who knew her well called her "The Great Encourager." She was thankful for every day of her life.
A memorial service will take place at 10 a.m. Monday, April 3, at Idlewild Baptist Church, 18371 N. Dale Mabry Highway, Lutz, followed by a private burial. The family requests that memorial contributions be made to the Susan Parrish Memorial Fund, c/o Idlewild Baptist Church, Life Discovery Ministry, 18371 N. Dale Mabry Highway, Lutz, FL 33548.
Published in the TBO.com on 4/1/2006. (Tampa Tribune)
Posted by Melanie Reber (Member # 3707) on :
Susan Hawkes-Koons, 57, Maine
HAWKES-KOONS, Susan Sunday, September 28, 2003
HAWKES-KOONS, Susan - Passed away September 18 in Sidney, ME after a long battle with Lyme and Lou Gehrig's Disease.
She was born on September 24, 1946 in Washington DC, one of four children of Frances Hawkes Gordon and the late Herbert Hawkes.
Susan attended Berkeley High School and UC Berkeley and graduated from Mills College with a major in music. In 1980 she graduated with her degree in Law from Golden Gate University in San Francisco. A member of the Maine and California Bar Associations she had the added thrill of being sworn in at the Supreme Court in Washington DC.
She spent the next year in the Reagan White House as a special liaison in the Intergovernmental Affairs Office. She moved to Maine in 1982, as an assistant in the Attorney General's Office and in 1983 was the Assistant DA in Farmington. In 1985, she opened private law practice in Augusta, involved in general law and specializing in governmental relations.
Susan was Chair of the Maine Arts Commission for several years, a highlight being a trip to Archangel, Russia with a group of Maine artists and musicians.
Susan is survived by her husband, Dr. John D. Koons; mother, Mrs. Frances Hawkes Gordon of Pasadena, CA; sisters, Alice Roberts of Newport, NH, and Mary Ballard of Santa Barbara, CA; brother, Sam Hawkes of Keene, NH.
Posted by Melanie Reber (Member # 3707) on :
On August 19, 2004, Ted Paul Richard Hoggard unexpectedly passed away during the night. Born on November 5, 1982; he was 21.
Ted was the beloved son of Mitchell and Merry Hoggard and the much loved brother of Chelsee and Brandee. Ted will also be sorely missed by his grandmother, Marguerite Hoggard and grandad, John Barksdale; uncles, Major Hoggard and A.J. Hyatt, Jr.; aunt, Paulla McIntire; godmother Joquetta Redamonti; and many cousins.
He will be especially missed by his long time best friend, and love, Jessica Erickson and her family, Art, Monica and Brittany Erickson. Ted was preceded in death by his grandfathers, Ted Ray Hoggard and Clifford Paul Roberds, his grandmother, Rubye Barksdale, great grandmother, V.V. Hardage and uncle, David Roberds.
Ted had an exceptionally close relationship with his grandparents and godmother and often visited and traveled with them.
Though his life was short, it was filled with many experiences and challenges. He had traveled to Europe and throughout the United States. He especially enjoyed flying from Sacramento to Paris on the Concorde SST on its only flight made from Northern California. Another highlight was a family cruise to Alaska.
He was an active competitor in CHSRA (California High School Rodeo Association) in team roping. His efforts resulted in many awards. He went to the state CHSRA finals in 2001. He loved horseback riding, hunting and fishing and availed himself of every opportunity to be in the great outdoors.
He attended Shasta, Emma Wilson, Pleasant Valley High and graduated from Champion Christian School in Chico. He attended Butte College and completed the Emergency Medical Technician course. His varied interests included sports, especially soccer, and martial arts.
He often expressed his feelings on paper and enjoyed writing stories. He wrote a poem that was published in the newspaper.
For many years, Ted courageously battled Lyme disease. He participated in pioneering research in treatment utilizing hyperbaric oxygen therapy. This led to his employment at Chico Hyperbaric Center. He was looking forward to managing the facility upon the completion of his education.
Some of Ted's happiest times were at the family cabin in Mill Creek surrounded by family and friends. He enjoyed dirt biking and riding ATV's with his friends there. His many friends and family will miss his twinkling eyes and infectious smile. He played hard and loved life.
He was a gregarious young man who was always happiest when surrounded by family and friends. Even though his time here passed much too soon, he filled his life with adventures.
Donations to CALDA (California Lyme Disease Association); P.O. Box 707, Weaverville, CA 96093, or Champion Christian School (1184 East Avenue, Chico, CA 95926) may be made in Ted's memory.
Visitation will be held in Chico at Brusie Funeral Home at 626 Broadway, on Tuesday, August 24th, from 5 to 8 p.m. His friends are invited to a celebration of Ted's life, Wednesday morning, August 25, at 11 a.m. at Calvary Chapel at 1888 Springfield Drive in Chico. Friends will be invited to share special memories of Ted.
Published in the Chico Enterprise-Record on 8/24/2004.
Posted by Melanie Reber (Member # 3707) on :
Terri Dahl Fishel-Hokit, 61, California
TERRI DAHL (FISHEL-HOKIT)
A celebration of life is being planned for Terri Dahl Fishel-Hokit who died Tuesday January 24, 2006 surround by her loved ones at Dominican Hospital in Santa Cruz, CA, after suffering from Lyme Disease and Breast Cancer .
She is survived by daughter Dana, her husband, David Juenemann and their three girls Hillary, Lauren and Emilie all of Capitola; brother John, his wife Lindy and their two sons Nicholas and Michael Langston of Fort Mill, South Carolina and sister Toni Garcia of Las Vegas, Nevada.
Terri was born October 15, 1945 in Escondido, CA where she also graduated from high school. She moved to Capitola with her daughter in 1968 and lived in Soquel at the time of her death.
She worked at Cabrillo College in the early 1970's and spent many years in the Title business in Santa Cruz and Santa Clara counties.
She had a kind heart and will be remembered with a smile.
Contributions are preferred to a favorite charity or Women Care Santa Cruz. Please contact Dana at 345-7251 or Gail Goudreau at 338-2303 for details.
Published in the Santa Cruz Sentinel on 1/27/2006
Posted by Melanie Reber (Member # 3707) on :
Travis Allen Wilson, 23, Washington
Travis Allen Wilson , born Dec. 29, 1982, passed away on Sunday, April 23, 2006 , at the age of 23 from complications of Lyme disease and Morgellons disease.
Travis was born in Olympia, Wash., and lived most of his life in Shelton, Wash. He lived for a time in Tenino, Wash., and for the past three years resided in Leander.
He attended Pioneer School, Tenino Middle School, Tenino High School and Shelton High School. Travis was a very gifted student, winning a school spelling bee, spending his entire eighth-grade year in an advanced placement program for highly capable students, and participating in the Running Start program at South Puget Sound Community College his junior and senior years of high school.
Travis played basketball and softball in grade school, golfed, and bowled for many years on leagues. He loved playing video games both on the computer and on video game systems. He worked at a video game store when he was 14 years old and was proud to be a beta tester for Nintendo at the company's headquarters in Redmond, Wash., for several years.
Travis attended Austin Community College and was a website designer for a time. He and a friend had just generated financial backing to start a new business, going into customers' homes and fixing their computers. Travis had developed the business plan for this endeavor. He had a special talent for fixing computers. He had been building and repairing them for over a decade. They were his passion.
Travis became a certified pharmacy technician in 2003. He used this knowledge to help himself and to advise others on both Lyme disease and Morgellons disease. He was very active in monitoring Lyme and Morgellons computer bulletin boards and eager to share information that he had learned and gained from his own experience.
He was an avid reader and writer. He wrote many poems and had four chapters written in a novella to which he was very dedicated. Unfortunately, he passed away before it could be completed.
He loved to sing and play the guitar and had hoped to play in a band one day. Nirvana and the Beatles were his favorite bands. He also liked to paint abstract pictures.
Travis was very sick for much of his life, but fought to live on, trying both traditional and alternative therapies. He valued his family and friendships immensely. They meant the world to him. He told his mother many times that he would much rather have cancer, than this horrifying, nightmarish Morgellons disease. He fought for as long as he could. He was a brave soul. He will be greatly missed.
He is survived by this mother, Lisa Wilson of the family home in Leander; father, Mark Wilson of Shelton, Wash.; sister, Trisha Wilson, of Herndon, Va.; great-grandparents, John and Mary Thompson of Rainier, Ore.; and St. Petersburg, Fla.; and numerous aunts, uncles, cousins and friends.
Memorial donations may be made to the nonprofit Morgellons Research Foundation at P.O. Box 16576, Surfside Beach, SC 29587. Find more information on Mor-gellons at www.morgellons.com.
Funeral service was held April 29, at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Burial followed at Miller Cemetery in Agate, outside Shelton.
"Transplacental infection by Borrelia burgdorferi (Bb), the agent of Lyme Borreliosis (LB), has recently been documented (L.E. Markowitz, et al; P.A. Schlesinger, et al). Fetal infection confirmed by culture has been reported by A.B. MacDonald (in press) from a highly endemic region (Long Island, NY).
We report a culture positive neonatal death occurring in California, a low endemic region. The boy was born by C-section because of fetal distress. He initially appeared normal. He was readmitted at age 8 days with profound lethargy leading to unresponsiveness. Marked peripheral cyanosis, systemic hypertension, metabolic acidosis, myocardial dysfunction, & abdominal aortic thrombosis were found. Death ensued. Bb was grown from a frontal cerebral cortex inoculation. The spirochete appeared similar to the original Long Island tick isolate. Silver stain of brain & heart was confirmatory of tissue infection.
The infant was the second born to a California native. The 20 m/o sibling was well. The mother had been having migratory arthralgias and malaise since experiencing horse fly & mosquito bites while camping on the Maine coast in 1971. The family was seronegative for LB by ELISA at Yale. Cardiolipin antibodies were also not found."
Posted by Melanie Reber (Member # 3707) on :
John William McGrath, 75, Florida
John W. McGrath, Fort Myers, FL passed away Jan. 22, 2000, born in Boston, March 18, 1924, raised in Sharon, MA.
John is survived by his loving wife of 52 years, Barbara F McGrath; son, John W. Jr. of Chatham, MA., daughters, Stephanie of CO., Paula Newell of VT., Tracy Lenz (Albert) of FL, and Nadine Terrio (Neal) of Chatham. He is also survived by 10 grandchildren, Danny, Michael & Andrew Lenz, Thaddeus & Garrett McGrath, Paige & Ariel Newell, & Devin, Kelsey & Sydney Terrio.
John served as a Corporal in the Marine Corps. in WWII. After graduating 4th in his class at Business College, he moved to Chathamn, and owned his own successful Tax Accounting practice for 30+ years as well as serving the town as an assistant to the selectmen and the Veterans Agent.
Retiring to the Landings, he served as past President of Windjammer Village Assoc. and handicap chairman of LMGA. As a member of Fiddlesticks CC., he was in charge of the Marshalls for the Calvin Peete and FILA Tournaments.
An avid sportsman, he played ice hockey, and won trophy's in powerboat racing and golf. His golf awards include: Eastward Ho CC, Landings Mens Golf Assoc., Fiddlesticks CC., Hawaiian Airlines Open, and one of his proudest awards, the 1980 Tony Lema Memorial Tournament. Also other golf awards too numerous to list.
A memorial service will be conducted at 5:00 PM, Jan. 27th, at Picnic Point, The Landings, Fort Myers.
Donations to Crohns & Colitis Foundation of America, 386 Park Ave. South, 17th. Floor, New York, NY 10016-8804 or Lyme Disease Foundation, Inc. One Financial Plaza, 18th Floor, Hartford, CT 06103.
KISER FUNERAL HOME
481-4341 Published in The News-Press on 1/26/2000.
Posted by Melanie Reber (Member # 3707) on :
Theodore F. Kotula, 65, Pennsylvania
Theodore F. Kotula, 65, of Gettysburg, died Monday, March 1, 2004, at the Gettysburg Hospital. He was the husband of Phyl lis Strini Kotula for 42 years.
Born Sept. 12, 1938 in Adrian, he was the son of Barbara Collins Kotula of Lucernemines and the late Theodore F. Kotula. He was a member of St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church, Gettysburg. He was a veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps and was a Pennsylvania State Trooper from 1964 until 1992, stationed in Gettysburg, and had also served on the protective detail for Gov. Richard Thornburgh during that period.
Following his retirement, he worked at Cedar Ridge Golf Course in Littlestown for 11 years. He was a former member of the Gettysburg Elks, the Bonneauville Catholic War Veterans and the Gettysburg Moose. He was a member of the Retired State Police Association in Pennsylvania, and a member and former president of the Delone Catholic High School Athletic Association, where he was recently recognized for 25 years of service.
He was a coach for Gettysburg Midget Football, Gettysburg Little League, Gettysburg Teener League, American Legion Baseball and St. Francis Xavier CYO Basketball.
Surviving also are two sons, Timothy F. Kotula of Hanover and Raymond A. Kotula of Westminster, Md.; a daughter, Kathleen M. Kotula of Abbottstown; three grandchildren; two brothers, R. Robert Kotula of Indiana, Pa., and Richard Kotula of Lucernemines; and two sisters, Carol Ann Parker of Fairfax, Va., and Barbara E. Gravel of North Reading, Mass. He was preceded in death by a brother, James Kotula.
Funeral services will be held Friday, March 5, with a Mass of Christian burial at 11 a.m. at St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church, 22 W. High St., Gettysburg, with Father Bernardo Pistone celebrant. Interment will be in St. Francis Xavier Cemetery, Gettysburg. The family will receive friends at the Monahan Funeral Home, 125 Carlisle St., Gettysburg, on Thursday from 6 to 9 p.m.
Memorial contributions can be made to the Delone Catholic High School Athletic Association, 140 S. Oxford Ave., McSherrystown, Pa. 17344; or to the St. Francis Xavier Catholic School, 22 W. High St., Gettysburg, Pa. 17325.
Published in the Evening Sun from 3/3/2004 - 3/4/2004.
Posted by Melanie Reber (Member # 3707) on :
Trevor Allen Wayne Ligon, 2, Kentucky
Died August 2003.
Courier-Journal 8/17/2003
Posted by Melanie Reber (Member # 3707) on :
Roberta J. Sorbello-Luongo, 62, Massachusetts
Roberta J. Luongo 62, of Hamilton & formerly of Revere, March 2, 2003.
Loving daughter of Lena (Valeriani) Sorbello of N. Quincy & the late Joseph Sorbello. Also survived by husband Richard G. Luongo of Revere; son Richard A. Luongo of Rockport; two daughters, Nicole Luongo Cloutier of Dover, NH, Erica Luongo of Lawrence; two brothers, Paul Sorbello of Dover, NH, Joseph Sorbello of Laconia, NH; a sister, Donna Foley of Scituate and many nephews & nieces.
Her funeral service will be held Friday 10:00 AM in the Whittier-Porter Funeral Home, 6 High St., Ipswich, followed by a committal service & entombment at the Holy Cross Mausoleum, Malden. Family & friends are respectfully welcomed. Visiting hours are tomorrow (Thursday) 5:00 to 8:00 PM.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions in her name may be made to the "Angel Fund", 649 Main St., Wakefield, MA 01880. Published in the Boston Globe from 3/4/2003 - 3/5/2003.
Posted by Melanie Reber (Member # 3707) on :
Luther Conant, 51, New Jersey
Luther Conant was a Quaker, writer and filmmaker, a man who loved irreverent humor- Mark Twain was a personal hero-, and a devoted husband and a father.
''One thing I've had to give up - the illusion that I can control what's going to happen to me. I've been forced to live in the present. And if I'm going to find any joy in the life that I have now, it can only be the joys of the moment. I can't plan for anything. I've got to enjoy what's happening now.'' - Luther Conant, written in his online blog, June 2001.
Posted by Melanie Reber (Member # 3707) on :
Erin Zinna, 19, Missouri
Kansas City Star Tuesday, May 28, 2002
Friends, family astonished how tick bite could kill young athlete By BILL GRAHAM The Kansas City Star
Erin Zinna
They buried Erin Zinna in her boxing trunks, a symbol of the physical strength and the free spirit befitting a national Golden Gloves champion. Yet it was Zinna's humor and smile that drew more than 600 people to the Polo High School gym on May 16 for her funeral. Amid their grief was profound disbelief. Health officials say Zinna, 19, died of ehrlichiosis, an uncommon disease carried by ticks. "It's just very hard for us to believe that here's a tick that can cause this kind of damage to a big, beautiful, spirited girl," Polo principal Robert Newhart said.
Zinna lived most of her life on a livestock farm west of Polo where ticks were part of everyday life. "I've picked ticks off my kids since they were old enough to crawl in the grass," said her mother, Lynette Zinna. Erin Zinna kept up with two older brothers on farm chores such as hauling hay and often joined them on fishing trips. In the spring she searched the woods for mushrooms with her father, Ed. "She had a sweet, feminine side," her mother said. "But she was not a sissy."
In high school Zinna excelled at all sports, including softball, basketball and track. As a junior she received the Wendy's High School Heisman Award for Missouri female athletes. By her senior year she was 6 feet 2 inches tall and weighed slightly more than 200 pounds.
"She was the epitome of health," her mother said. "She ran. She ate well. She drank gallons of water. She took no medicines. I don't know of anybody who was stronger or healthier." A year ago Zinna helped lead graduates into the Polo High gymnasium as senior class president. She was an honors student and involved in many activities.
"Erin was the kind of girl who crossed all classes of people," Newhart said. "She was caring, and Erin had that smile that attracted people. And she was not afraid of anything." The straight-A student also was a champion arm-wrestler.
"She was the kind of girl who could either go into a barroom or the White House," Newhart said. Zinna was not through with athletics after high school. In August she punched her way to the National Golden Gloves super-heavyweight championship for women in Augusta, Ga. "She was a spectacular natural athlete," said Jimmy Joe Zeikle, her trainer at the Cameron Boxing Club. "She was somebody that other people thought could do anything, and she was always happy."
Zinna tried to get into the Olympic boxing program but couldn't, so she turned pro. Her first match was to have been last Wednesday at a Kansas City casino. "She had a great shot, great potential," Zeikle said. Zinna was drawn to Johnson County Community College by a program in the child-care field and in late winter participated in the shot put for the school's track team at a national meet.
Zinna quit track this spring to take a job at St. Agnes Child Care Center in Roeland Park, her mother said. Zinna wanted a career in child development.
"When her job was done, she would sit in the classroom doing her homework, just to be with the kids," said Neona Russ, the center's director and a college classmate of Zinna's. "If there was a challenged kid, she was just a magnet for them. She went out on the playground, and the kids would come running." Zinna had made plans for the summer, already setting up a puppet show in her classroom to spice up stories.
She could have picked up the tick anywhere. Zinna lived in Shawnee this spring with a relative and stayed with friends at times in Kansas City. On weekends she often returned home to the farm near Polo. She fished, hunted for mushrooms and played with her dog. On a Friday night, May 3, Zinna complained of headaches and malaise, her mother said. On May 4 she went to her weekend dishwashing job at the National Golf Club of Kansas City in Parkville. But she went home feeling ill.
"Mom, I feel like I'm dying," she told Lynette Zinna that day in a telephone call. She had a severe headache and a fever, and her neck and back hurt. That night Zinna checked in to North Kansas City Hospital. After tests, she was diagnosed with spinal meningitis, her mother said. Her condition went up and down all week. The morning of May 9 she showered and seemed better. That afternoon she got worse and later was placed in intensive care. At some point in the week her mother mentioned to the staff that Zinna had complained about an annoying tick bite behind her knee, Lynette Zinna said.
On May 10, doctors told the family they suspected that Zinna had Rocky Mountain spotted fever, a tick-borne disease, her mother said. Antibiotic treatments began, but her organs began to fail. On May 11 doctors said there was no hope. The life-support system was removed at her parents' direction, and Zinna died. Early the next week, blood tests showed that she had a form of ehrlichiosis, said Linda McElwee, administrator for the Caldwell County Health Center. McElwee said she was received the diagnosis from officials at North Kansas City Hospital. A hospital spokeswoman said doctors and officials there would not comment on the case.
"Never in my wildest dreams would I have thought a tick could do this," Lynette Zinna said. "I still don't know what to think."
Erin Zinna was buried in her blue boxing uniform. Her favorite rock music and the song "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" from her favorite movie, "The Wizard of Oz," were played at a memorial service. "Everything she did, she did so well," Lynette Zinna said. "I had to make this as right as possible." Grief extended from day-care children to college students to staffers at the National Golf Club and throughout Polo. "She had such a future," Russ said. "She would have been at the forefront of our (child-care) frontier." Zinna died on one of medicine's frontiers.
Zinna probably had never heard about Human Granularcytic Ehrlichiosis. Her mother had not, until now.
"She never did anything ordinary," Lynette Zinna said. "It would have to be something very unusual to take her."
Posted by Melanie Reber (Member # 3707) on :
John Stanzcky, Connecticut
Prize winner gardener; owned raspberry farm. Died February 2001 of Babesiosis.
Source: Lyme Times #30
Posted by bettyg (Member # 6147) on :
up
Posted by Vermont_Lymie (Member # 9780) on :
I am sorry to have to add to this link:
Dumke, Martin F. 205 words 19 November 2006
The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Final B99 English
� 2006 Journal Sentinel Inc. Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning. All rights reserved.
Dumke, Martin F.
Of Denton. Martin Frank Dumke passed away in his sleep at his home in Denton, MD on Wednesday, November 15, 2006 from neurological complications of Lyme disease.
Martin was a strong, kind, and loving man, and is survived by his friend and life-time partner, Marc Wright. He is also survived by his mother, Ruth Dumke of Milwaukee, WI; two sisters, Mary Lynn and Kathryn; four brothers, Jim, Bob, John and Tom; seven nephews, Jason, Aaron, Ben, Matt, Alex, Darin, and Danny; and three nieces, Amanda, Amber, and Mary Catherine.
He was predeceased by his father, Kenneth Dumke. Martin was an avid bicyclist and he and Marc enjoyed many memorable days canoeing, hiking, and birding. Together they enjoyed the company of their many friends and neighbors and their many visits with family.
He was an employee of Verizon in Baltimore. "Martin, I will love you always." Services were held on Sun., Nov. 19, 2006 at Fellows, Helfenbein and Newnam Funeral Home, P.A., Easton, MD. Interment was private. A memorial service will be held at a later date.
Memorial donations may be made to the National Wildlife Federation, 11100 Wildlife Center Drive, Reston, VA 20190. www.fhnfuneralhome.com Posted by Melanie Reber (Member # 3707) on :
My most sincere gratitude to each of you who have contributed to this post.
I added Martin last night as the 208th name.
I will try to update the earlier list here soon.
My best, Melanie
Posted by Melanie Reber (Member # 3707) on :
Up for those who have been meaning to add information.
M
Posted by CaliforniaLyme (Member # 7136) on :
2006
Carole M. C. Alton PEPPERELL -- Dr. Carole M. C. (Paul) Alton, a resident of Pepperell, died Sunday, Nov. 19, after a long battle with Lyme disease. She was the beloved wife of William J. Alton.
She graduated with a bachelor's degree in dental surgery from the University of Glasgow, Scotland in 1965, and a doctorate of medical dentistry from Tufts University in 1976.
Mrs. Alton was a professor at Tufts Dental School through 2005. From 1978 to 1991, she had a dental practice on Main Street in Groton.
She was a dedicated sports fan and particularly loved skating and New England Revolution Soccer.
According to family members, Mrs. Alton was involved in Dog Agility Competitions with her collie, Lola. She loved a wide range of music from Billy Idol to Rachmaninov.
She had a wicked sense of humor, family members said.
Besides her husband, she is survived by two sons, Paul M. C. Alton and Guy W. B. Alton, both of Mason, N.H.; a daughter, Pamela C. D. Alton of Nashua; four grandchildren, Ian, Winter, Renee, Camilla; and three step-grandchildren, Nicky, Rusty, and C.J. Published in the Lowell Sun on 11/24/2006.
Guest Book � Flowers
Posted by CaliforniaLyme (Member # 7136) on :
Marie C. Johnson has an Obituary in the Asbury Park Press and I believe she died of Lyme but I can't get the obit- for some reason m y computer goes down whenever I click on her name (no kidding, wish I was!). Can someone get it>? Thank you, Sincerely, Sarah aka CaliforniaLyme
Posted by Melanie Reber (Member # 3707) on :
MARIE C. JOHNSON, 85, of West Chester, Pa., formerly of COLTS NECK
Posted by the Asbury Park Press on 11/30/06
MARIE C. JOHNSON, 85, of West Chester, Pa., formerly of COLTS NECK, passed away peacefully on Tuesday, Nov. 28, at the Chester County Hospital, West Chester, Pa.
Mrs. Johnson was a graduate of Summit High School. She was an executive secretary with Bell Labs, New York City, in the 1940s and 1950s. She retired to raise her family.
She was a loving wife, mother, grandmother, and sister who enjoyed her family, friends, and family get togethers. She was a member of St. Patrick's Church, Kennett Square, Pa. Born and raised in Summit, she also resided in Fanwood and Colts Neck before moving to West Chester, Pa., in 1983.
She was the wife of the late Martin "Ernie" Johnson and the daughter of the late Thomas and Catherine Callari of Summit. She is survived by her son, Alan C. Johnson and his wife Paula of West Chester, Pa.; a daughter, Kathy J. Pier of Wanamassa, Ocean Township; and three grandchildren, Allyson, Brian, and Eric Pier. She is also survived by two brothers, Vito and Anthony Callari of Summit.
Family and friends may call from 2 to 6 p.m. Sunday at the Bradley-Brough Funeral Home, 535 Springfield Ave., Summit.
A funeral service will be at 9:45 a.m. Monday from the funeral home, followed by a 10:45 a.m. Funeral Mass at St. Teresa of Avila Church, Summit.
Friends and family are invited to attend. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made in her memory to Lyme Disease Association Inc., P.O. Box 1438, Jackson, NJ 08527, or online at www.lymediseaseassociation.org.
A father, an artist, a son, a friend and a Red Raider - Texas Tech senior Thomas "Curry" Roberts left all of these roles on March 2.
According to a memo sent out by Interim Dean of Students Gregory Elkins, Roberts was enrolled in the College of Visual and Performing Arts and was majoring in studio art with a concentration in painting.
Roberts grew up in Plainview.
"He was a really outgoing person - very fun-loving and enjoyable. He stands out in my mind as someone who had a lot to contribute," said Lisa Kersh, a former teacher and current principal of Plainview High School.
Kersh taught Roberts in a family and consumer sciences class in 1993.
"He will be missed by everyone in Plainview," she said. "He was a vibrant life-loving young man."
Close friend and fellow artist, Katy Patton, shares similar sentiments.
"Curry was a really outgoing, sweet and friendly person," said Patton, a senior painting major from Lubbock. "He was an amazing artist and very dedicated to his work."
Patton and Roberts had been friends for 2 1/2 years. They also collaborated on projects and did a few art shows together.
"He was a Marine so that carried over into his art in an interesting way," Patton said of Roberts' style.
When asked what was the most important thing in Roberts' life, Patton said right behind his 4-year-old daughter was his love of art.
Though the memo from the university said Roberts died from "undetermined causes," Patton said his death was a suicide.
"He shot himself in the art studio of his home," she said.
Patton said she saw no signs of Roberts being suicidal.
"He was always very together. I mean, he was a Marine, you know?" she said.
Patton also mentioned Roberts had Lyme disease.
According to www.m-w.com, Lyme disease is "an acute inflammatory disease ... transmitted by ticks ... that may result in joint pain, arthritis, and cardiac and neurological disorders."
Patton said Lyme disease temporarily can cause insanity in some instances.
"About a week before he killed himself he was saying things that made me think he was temporarily nuts," she said.
Roberts' professor of painting Michael Collins said he views his death as a "devastating shock."
"I've been teaching for 28 years, and this is by far the worst thing that has ever happened to me," said Collins, assistant professor or art and area lead painter for graduate and undergraduate studies.
When asked about his abilities and personality as a student, Collins talked about Roberts' dedication.
"He was an excellent student. He did 17 paintings for me from a hospital bed fighting Lyme disease. Now, what does that say about his character?" Collins said.
He also mentioned Roberts was being looked at for several scholarships for graduate school based on his talents.
Collins also recalled last summer when Roberts' went to Italy with him to study, saying Roberts had "lots of gifts and lots of ability."
"Whatever led to this is yet to be understood by a lot of people. He was an amazing young man with incredible potential," he said.
The flags on campus are scheduled to be lowered in Roberts' honor today.
Posted by CaliforniaLyme (Member # 7136) on :
Case No: 26. Autopsy No.: #46758 Age (decades): 70 Sex: F Decade of Autopsy: 1990 Key Number: 810547 appendectomy ;. hysterectomy ;. bladder repair ;. osteoarthritis ;. family history cerebrovascular accident cancer ;. tick bite ;. onset nausea ataxia right facial weakness ;. admission local ;. diagnosis LYME disease nervous system ;. elevated serum cerebrospinal fluid igm igg titers borrelia burgdorferi ;. intravenous ceftriaxone ;. transfer progression cranial nerve deficits ;. lyme disease ;. secondary bell palsy cerebellar involvement ;. right lid lag ;. heberdeen nodules ;. elevated serum cholesterol ;. aspiration pneumonia ;. pleocytosis ;. mononuclear per lumbar puncture ;. area increased signal ;. weighting noted right cerebellar peduncle ;. enhanced ;. gadolinium ;. white matter lesions corona radiata per magnetic resonance imaging ;. multiple temperature spikes ;. enterobacter species per sputum culture ;. broad spectrum antibiotics ;. right vocal cord paralysis per nasopharyngeal endoscopy ;. acute respiratory arrest ;. intubation ;. extubation required one hour ;. chest radiograph consistent ;. new bilateral aspiration pneumonia ;. admission stereotatic biopsy pontine lesion ;. left gaze paresis anisocoria right cornea decreased sensation bell palsy uvula deviated right ataxia upper extremities ;. consistent ;. right pontine lesion ;. blot negative lymph disease ;. negative rheumatoid factor ;. serum rapid plasma reagin positive ;. broad spectrum antibiotics ;. pulmonary infiltrates per chest radiograph ;. anemia ;. small left pleural effusion sonography ;. atelectasis pleural effusion negative lymphadenopathy negative definite masses per computerized tomography ;. extensive necrosis ;. lymphocytes atypical poorly preserved suggestive negative diagnostic small cell malignant neoplasm per nervous system sterotactic needle aspiration ;. necrotic tissue cannot determine specimen represents necrotic brain abscess tumor per pons needle biopsy ;. steroid therapy ;. tracheostomy ;. mechanical ventilation ;. hypotensive episode responsive fluid resuscitation ;. feeding tube ;. heme positive loose stools ;. conjunctivitis treated ;. topical gentamicin ;. right gaze palsy ;. leukocytosis ;. percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy tube placement ;. elevated cerebrospinal fluid glucose per lumbar puncture ;. extremely atypical ;. background mononuclear per cerebrospinal fluid analysis ;. left subclavian venous line ;. hypotensive episode responsive fluid resuscitation ;. increasing bilateral atelectasis versus infiltrates per chest radiography ;. antibiotic therapy ;. enterobacter per sputum culture ;. stable ring enhancing lesions posterior pons decreasing cortical edema exam less distortion fourth ventricle per magnetic resonance imaging study ;. diarrhea ;. positive assay clostridium difficile toxin ;. weaning ventilator ;. pulmonary toilet ;. supraventricular tachycardia per electrocardiogram responsive verapamil ;. recurrent atelectasis left lower lobe per chest radiograph ;. continuous positive airway pressure maintain airway ;. empiric flagyl ;. right subclavian line ;. maltophilia per sputum culture enterobacter ;. enterococcus ;. per urine culture ;. cardiopulmonary arrest ;. successful cardiopulmonary resuscitation ;. coma score ;. neurological exam consistent ;. brain death ;. heparin ;. lidocaine pressor agents ;. atrial tachycardia ;. intermittent atrial flutter fibrillation per electrocardiogram ;. increased arterial alveolar oxygen gradient ;. burst suppression pattern consistent ;. severe anoxic brain injury per electroencephalogram ;. negative resuscitate status ;. death ;. well differentiated primary cns lymphoma ;. associated hemorrhage necrosis right inferior cerebellar peduncle brain ;. severe ischemic ;. anoxic ;. encephalopathy cerebral cortex cerebellum brain ;. lacunar infarcts midbrain putamen brain ;. adenoma right kidney ;. acute chronic pancreatitis pancreas ;. chronic passive congestion intrahepatic cholestasis steatosis liver ;. organizing pneumonia right left lower lobes lung ;. focal active pneumonitis lungs ;. scattered cytomegalovirus intranuclear inclusions ;. organized thromboemboli lung ;. leiomyomas stomach esophagus ;. congestion edema lungs ;. weight gms ;. calcified granulomas ;. greatest diameter ;. lower lobe left lung ;. mild atherosclerosis left anterior descending right coronary arteries heart ;. cardiomegaly ;. left ventricular hypertrophy heart ;. fatty infiltration right ventricle heart ;. atherosclerotic plaque ;. stenosis superior mesenteric artery ;. moderate complicated atherosclerosis aorta ;. mild atherosclerosis pulmonary artery ;. degenerative joint disease vertebra ;. hemorrhagic urethritis cystitis urinary bladder ;. hematomas rib fractures anterior chest wall thorax ;. cardiopulmonary resuscitation ;. ulcer gastroesophageal junction ;. cytomegalovirus inclusions underlying endothelium ;. diverticulosis colon ;. tracheostomy tube trachea ;. heberdeen nodes nodes radial deviation distal interphalangeal phalanges hands ;. mild pedal edema ;. surgical absence uterus ovaries ;. hysterectomy
Posted by CaliforniaLyme (Member # 7136) on :
Autopsy No.: #26488 positive LYME serology Case No: 7. Autopsy No.: #26488 Age (decades): 40 Sex: Decade of Autopsy: 1990 Key Number: 26972 diagnosis multiple sclerosis age ;. progressive deterioration neurologic status requiring total care admission ;. intravenous adrenocorticotropic hormone ;. adjustment medications ;. phenobarbital ;. positive LYME serology ;. admission meridian nursing center hills ;. paraplegia ;. postural tremor ;. recurrent ;. coli urinary tract infection ;. aspiration thin liquids ;. increased difficulty swallowing ;. decreased oral motor control ;. five pound weight loss past six months ;. declining mental status ;. patient family decision gastrostomy tube placement secondary patient wishes against artificial life support ;. initiation comfort care only orders ;. discontinuation food fluids ;. elevated temperatures degrees ;. shallow respirations ;. apneic spells ;. decreased responsiveness ;. death hours ;. extensive multiple periventricular demyelinated plaques bilateral cerebral hemispheres cerebellum basal ganglia brainstem high levels cord ;. brain weight ;. moderate hydrocephalus vacuo ;. purulent material ;. bacterial overgrowth bronchi bilateral lungs consistent ;. aspiration ;. focal hemorrhage small foci acute bronchopneumonia apical posterior basilar bilateral lungs ;. combined weight ;. squamous metaplasia urinary bladder ;. cause death ;. multiple sclerosis ;.
Posted by imanurse (Member # 7022) on :
James Andrew Anderson, California 1949 - 2006
James Anderson was born in Bakersfield, CA on December 7, 1949 and passed into our loving Heavenly Father's arms on November 18, 2006, in Mammoth Lakes, CA. He fought a courageous battle with Lyme disease and Multiple Chemical Sensitivities (MCS).
James graduated from Shafter High School and served in the U.S. Coast Guard from 1968-1971. He attended Cal State Bakersfield College where he earned a degree in Business Finance in 1976. He worked for the U.S. Dept. of Labor on the Consumer Price Index in Kern County before moving to Santa Barbara, CA.
He leaves behind his wife, Barbara (Romuld), of 27 years as well as his step children, Christine Maness (Bob) and five children in Chico, CA; Rev. Michael Moccardini (Yvonne Tatzel) in Santa Barbara, CA; Rev. Kevin Moccardini (Amy Miller) and five sons in Lancaster, CA; his uncle Dave Anderson (Bebe) in Shafter, CA; sister, Susan Anderson in Bakersfield; sisters-in law, Debbie Romuld, Pam Borth, and Lynn Halliday. His father, Elmer Anderson; mother, Norma Anderson; brothers, Tim Anderson and Dr. Phillip Anderson, and grandparents preceded him in death. A graveside service was held at Goleta Cemetery in Goleta, CA on November 30th, at 10:00 a.m. Arrangements by Welch-Ryce-Haider Mortuary in Santa Barbara, CA.
James Andrew Anderson "Andy" Dec. 7, 1949 - Nov. 18, 2006
Published in the Bakersfield Californian on 12/3/2006.
Posted by imanurse (Member # 7022) on :
Bryan Grimes Jr., 67, North Carolina
AYDEN - Mr. Bryan Grimes Jr., 67, passed from his earthly life on Friday, Dec. 29, 2006, in Pitt County Memorial Hospital. The funeral service will be conducted Monday at 1 p.m. in the Immanuel Free Will Baptist Church with pastor Brad Donaldson officiating. Entombment will be in the mausoleum at Pinewood Memorial Park. Pallbearers will be William Demsie Grimes, James Robert Grimes, John Wharton Grimes, David Briley Jr., Howard Paramore, Keith Manning, Cary Whitaker and Lyndel Barnes.
Mr. Grimes, a native of Washington, N.C., was the first child of the late Bryan and Bobby Musgrave Grimes. He graduated from Washington High School in 1957 and the University of North Carolina in 1961. After college, he became a commissioned officer in the USAF and served for a period of time in Vietnam. Since 1970, he has been self employed in various businesses. In 1981, he, along with his wife and son, started Harvest Time Foods Inc., which produces Anne's Flat Dumplings. He retired as president in 1995 because of illness and his son, Bryan Grimes III became president, but he never lost interest in the business. Before his illness, he was a member of the Lion's Club and the Toastmaster's Club. He was a lifetime member of the Full Gospel Businessmen's International and a devoted member of Immanuel Free Will Baptist Church in Winterville and loved the people there.
Mr. Grimes was a gentle and kind man whose love for his family was only surpassed by the love he had for his savior and Lord Jesus Christ. He went quietly through life and will be remembered by many for his kindness and many who never knew him benefited from his generosity. The world recognizes and applauds a man whose success is measured by his worldly possessions, but we honor this man for the treasures he built up in heaven which he now possesses.
A man of strength, his courage was shown in the battle he fought for so many years against Lyme disease and the destruction it had on his body. He fought bravely, never complaining, and now he is seated in high places free from the bondage of this disease. A light has gone out here in our lives, but we know that Heaven has a bright new star.
He is survived by his wife of 45 years, Mildred Anne Briley Grimes; son, Bryan Grimes III and wife, Windy, and granddaughter, Elizabeth Anne all of Ayden; brothers, William Demsie Grimes and wife, Myrtle, of Mocksville, James Robert Grimes of Plymouth, and John Wharton Grimes and wife, Connie, of Washington; sister, Martha Lewis Grimes Harding and husband, Edmund, of Washington; brother-in-law, David C. Briley, Jr. and wife, Gwen, of Grimesland; sister-in-law, Peggy Joyce Briley Stocks and husband, Stanley, of Wendell; and a number of nieces and nephews.
The family will receive friends at Wilkerson Funeral Home today from 7-9 p.m. Memorial contributions may be made to Immanuel Free Will Baptist Church, 317 Vernon White Road, P.O. Box 415, Winterville, NC 28590.
Published in The Daily Reflector on 12/31/2006.
Posted by Melanie Reber (Member # 3707) on :
Thank you IMA.
Posted by Melanie Reber (Member # 3707) on :
Dylan Gleavey, 7, Rhode Island
Warwick boy succumbs to encephalitis 02:18 PM EST on Thursday, December 28, 2006 By Cynthia Needham
Journal Staff Writer
WARWICK -- A 7-year-old boy whose parents called him their ``superhero'' was buried yesterday, five days after dying of encephalitis, an inflammation of the brain, at Hasbro Children's Hospital.
Dylan Gleavey was one of two second graders from Warwick's Greenwood Elementary School to contract a neurological virus this month. State health officials are trying to determine if the two cases are related.
As Dylan's condition worsened in mid-December, his classmate was admitted to Hasbro with viral meningitis. She has since recovered.
Digital Extra View, sign a sympathy guestbook for Dylan Gleavey
Hearing about the illnesses, anxious Greenwood parents met with state health officials last week to find out more.
``We are as concerned as the parents, quite honestly. Right now we don't know what to tell parents except yes, there are two kids with neurological infections, but we don't have the lab [reports] to tell us if they are connected,'' the state's chief epidemiologist, Dr. Utpala Bandy, said yesterday. ``We are actively investigating the cases. I wish we had the answers, but right now we don't. This investigation is not over.''
On the other hand, Bandy and other state officials emphasize that they do not believe there is any public health threat.
``We're feeling OK because we're not seeing a third, fourth and fifth case. It's been a month [since the two were diagnosed]. If you had an outbreak, others would have gotten it already,'' Bandy said.
With just one pediatric hospital in Rhode Island, illnesses such as these are easier to track here than in other states, she said. The state has ruled out both mosquito-borne eastern equine encephalitis and rabies as the cause of Dylan Gleavey's illness. Now they are trying to determine whether the same organism caused the illness in each child. Those tests will likely take several more weeks, Bandy said. Two doctors from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta are here helping with the state's investigation.
At last week's meeting with Greenwood parents, Bandy said she explained that encephalitis and viral meningitis are ``uncommon complications of very common viruses.''
Each condition is a somewhat general term used to describe a swelling in the area of the brain.
Meningitis is a swelling of the tissue that covers the brain and the spinal cord, while encephalitis, the more serious of the two, is an inflammation of the brain itself. Often, people who suffer from encephalitis will experience some meningitis, or swelling of surrounding tissues, though meningitis sufferers might never experience encephalitis, Bandy explained.
Telltale signs of both illnesses include sudden fever, stiff neck, confusion and sometimes seizures.
Rhode Island sees 300 to 400 cases of viral meningitis a year, compared with just one or two cases of encephalitis, according to health department statistics.
Many children -- and adults -- can be exposed to viral meningitis and not develop symptoms any more serious than a runny nose. Occasionally, people who have a problem with their immune system or a predisposition to the condition can develop more serious symptoms, Bandy said. (Bacterial meningitis is a more serious and rarer version of the condition and is more likely to lead to death.)
The second-grade classroom at Greenwood was cleaned with bleach before the meeting with parents. Health officials say the school is safe for the children's return next week.
School Supt. Robert J. Shapiro said yesterday the School Department will continue to monitor the situation at Greenwood when classes resume.
Bethany Furtado, a School Committee member-elect who once served as president of the school's parent teacher organization, said that although some parents remained ``panicked,'' she thought health officials did a good job explaining the illnesses and dispelling rumors of a health threat.
Inside Dylan Gleavey's house on Cottage Street yesterday, brightly wrapped Christmas presents lay unopened. His parents, Charles and Denise Spoerer, say they can't bear to unwrap them. Both parents still wear blue hospital bracelets affixed to their wrists the day their son was admitted to Hasbro, on Dec. 1.
Earlier that week, Denise Spoerer said Dylan had a cold. She took him to a walk-in clinic where her son, an asthma sufferer, was diagnosed with a serious sinus infection. When Dylan suffered a seizure the next day, Spoerer rushed him to Hasbro, and he was soon diagnosed with viral meningitis, she said.
In mid-December, following what his parents said was a long seizure, doctors diagnosed Dylan with encephalitis and moved him to the intensive care unit. He died last Thursday at 3:51 p.m.
Around the same time Dylan's condition became more serious, the Spoerers said, the second child from Dylan's classroom was admitted to Hasbro with similar symptoms. Citing privacy laws, officials will not identify the second child, but reiterate that she has recovered. Returning from their youngest son's funeral yesterday, Dylan's parents moved from sadness to anger and back to sadness as they talked about his death. They are critical of the School Department's response and of the care Dylan received at the hospital.
``It took two weeks and another child being admitted to the hospital before anyone said anything,'' Denise Spoerer said.
``How can there be two cases in a classroom and they not be related?'' she asked.
Softening, she talked about how her little boy loved Japanese Yu-Gi-Oh! cards and playing on his scooter. In happier times, Dylan used to joke that he'd save his parents from any intruders or bad guys. They called him their superhero.
Melanie: Keep these coming. Though sort of depressing, they also are realistic and remind us of what we are facing.
I don't see in the last post about the boy with encephalitis that he was diagnosedwith lyme. Did I miss it?
Posted by Melanie Reber (Member # 3707) on :
Hello Jeff,
Mycoplasma pneumoniae or walking pneumonia, is a Tickborne disease. It is highly contagious, as the articles point out, and just a few short courses of ABX will not help these poor students who have now been exposed.
``When physicians diagnose someone with walking pneumonia, they are usually referring to an infection with an organism called Mycoplasma pneumoniae. (Apart from being a pain, mycoplasmas are kind of cool. They are the smallest self-replicating biologic systems known.) Mycoplasma is a major cause of respiratory infections in school-aged children and young adults. It is most common between the ages of 5 and 15, accounting for 70% of pneumonias in children aged 9 to 15. Mycoplasma can be contagious with close contact. It usually requires prolonged contact to catch the disease. Epidemics have been reported in situations such as summer camps and boarding schools. The disease spreads through breathing air coughed by someone who is infected. Since the cough is often worse at night, people sleeping in the same room are most vulnerable.''
``What are the causes and risks of the condition? Most cases of encephalitis are caused by a viral infection of the brain tissue; however, there are numerous potential causes. Selected viruses, bacteria, fungi, parasites, and non-infectious causes of encephalitis include: Viruses transmitted by a mosquito bite, such as:''
* Mycoplasma ( usually causes "walking" pneumonia )
melanie-thankyou for all you have done on the memorial project.
i am confused about what is going on in rhode island and pmed you-but your box is full. please let me know when you empty it-i would really like to taalk to you. thanks.lp
Posted by imanurse (Member # 7022) on :
Mary Frampton, 76, California
JANUARY 4 * 2007 MALIBU SURFSIDE NEWS PAGE 15
Death of Longtime Local Environmentalist Is Mourned by Many
* Founder of Save Our Coast Wanted to Be a Voice for Marine Mammals and Their Ocean Home
BY BILL KOENEKER
Mary Frampton, 76, who was in the forefront of the local en�vironmental movement especially during the 1980s and early 1990s, has died. The longtime Malibuite, who said she could live anywhere in the world but loved Malibu and would not leave, had recently revealed she believed she had Lyme disease. The cause of death, according to a Los Angeles County Sheriff's report, was ``apparently of natural causes based on a doctor who signed the death certificate.''
``We are going to miss her,'' said Malibu Mayor Ken Kearsley, who was a neighbor and longtime colleague. The mayor served on the board of directors of Save Our Coast which was founded by Frampton.
Former Mayor and City Councilmember Joan House, now a member of the city's planning commission, who worked closely with Frampton on several key environmental issues, said, ``Mary Frampton was a tireless worker on behalf of the dolphins, water quality and the ocean. Mary's unique individuality and focus will be greatly missed by me and is a loss for the city.''
Councilmember Sharon Barovsky said she was also saddened by Frampton's sudden departure.
Frampton early on became interested in environmental issues, particularly about clean ocean water, and often stated everyone should insist the oceans remain clean and healthy and free from pollutants and discharges from land based human endeavors. She said surfers, who had started their own environmental movement calling themselves the canaries of the coast, in part, influenced her insights.
Frampton became very involved in how bacteria and viruses remain active in the oceans long after they are discharged and was influenced by some of the most prominent re�searchers and scientists at the time who were warning about the dangers of infection to swimmers, ocean users and even marine mammals. The latter, whom she called the innocent creatures of the underwater world, helped spur on another group of Frampton's, called Dolphin Watch.
By all accounts, Frampton's most intense passion after the city was incorporated was several attempts to create a marine sanctuary along the Malibu coastline. Frampton and SOC lead the charge for city leaders to do what was necessary to develop some kind of protection for Malibu's fragile shoreline.
The resultant product, despite initial opposition from commercial fishing interests, made it through Sacramento's legislative process only to be vetoed by the governor. ``She was way ahead of the curve when she championed the cause of no-take zones in the Pacific, which would have enhanced the number and the size of fish and the health of the ocean,'' said House.
House recalled how Frampton had paid for one of the studies required to show the need for a sanctuary. ``With studies and documents in hand she went to Sacramento and managed to achieve the support of commercial fishermen for the no-take zones and encouraged the legislators to implement these zones,'' added House. ``Unfortunately this did not occur.''
Barovsky talked about how Frampton never gave up her desire to see firsthand a sanctuary created for Malibu. Barovsky said she told Frampton just weeks ago that the current administration's plans for marine protection included an area in or around Malibu.
``Mary was so thrilled,'' Barovsky remembered. ``She said, `Oh my God, I could die happy.'''
Barovsky praised Frampton's behind the scenes help with the city. ``Most people have no idea what she did for the city. Save Our Coast was a co-signer for the Los Flores restoration project. She supported acquisition of the Chili Cook-Off site and made calls for us and opened up doors,'' added Barovsky.
The mayor recalled how she remained a tireless cheerleader for the municipality. ``She was always on the phone. She was always talking to people. She was very positive. She cared about the animals. She cared about the ocean. She cared about the beauty of Malibu,'' he noted.
A photojournalist by trade, Frampton worked for years at the Los Angeles Times and was married to a Times editor, who passed away several decades ago. It was her husband's love of the sea and sailing that brought the two to Malibu purchasing a modest ranch home in Sycamore Park.
Frampton's work is a who's who of the political dignitaries and world-famous celebrities of the 50s, 60s and 70s that she captured on film. It is believed her work is archived at UCLA. Frampton came from a newspaper family. Her father owned the Spanish-language pa�per El Sol of San Ber�nardino.
When husband and wife commuted to work, the two continued to spend all of their free time in their paradise by the sea. The two landscaped the creek side bungalow that is just minutes walking distance to the ocean and over the years, the subtropical vegetation grew into what Frampton called her ``rainforest,'' always beckoning friends and others to visit.
Her attorney John Murdock confirmed that Frampton left wishes to keep her residence as the headquarters for Save our Coast. She often expressed interest that the home become an environmental center.
Frampton's love of nature extended to trees, many of them along the riparian corridor she lived in towering over her. She contended the trees protected her, her critters and all who dwelled below them. Just this winter the fierce Santa Ana windstorms brought several of the huge sycamores that graced her property and her neighbor's down onto her house but without any untoward effect to any structure. ``The trees protected me,'' she insisted.
At one time, Frampton became so concerned that a government agency such as the California Coastal Commission might force her to rid her property of exotic species of trees that she extracted promises from several individuals that they would chain themselves to the trees to save them from any untoward action.
Frampton's foray in local public life began in the mid-1980s when she guided her group Save Our Coast into the political turbulence of the time in Malibu when Los Angeles County was attempting to sewer Malibu. She insisted that sewering of the coastal community would not be the way to keep the ocean safe from pathogens because of the technology used in the 1970s and 1980s that allowed for pipe outfalls to simply discharge the effluent further out to sea. Frampton's and others' insistence there be no pipe outfall is a legacy that remains today in terms of local or regional leaders suggesting that sort of solution for Malibu. The idea could never get past Frampton's local lobbying efforts.
With the influence of a number of groups, including Save Our Coast, and hundreds of other Malibuites, the county's efforts to put in a major sewer line and plant were thwarted and Frampton turned her efforts towards informing the public about the biological hazards that existed along the coastline.
Save Our Coast sponsored several major symposiums that featured well-known speakers who told about the probable fate of the oceans if mankind's current practices on land were left unchecked. Memorial services are pending.
Posted by trueblue (Member # 7348) on :
"A Groton dentist is also reported to have died recently from the disease, according to Susan Horowitz, a member of the Groton Board of Health and a local veterinarian."
Does anyone know if we have this one? And/or how to get that information?
Posted by CaliforniaLyme (Member # 7136) on :
I don't know geography of back East at all but I assumed that was Dr. Carole Alton- is Pepperell near Groton- or maybe Groton was where she practiced and Pepperell where she lived>? Because she is a dentist who just died- she is on this thread-
Posted by trueblue (Member # 7348) on :
Thank you, Sarah! That's the one, how did you find it?
I was trying to do searches and came up with nothing. (apparently her practice was in Groton)
Posted by CaliforniaLyme (Member # 7136) on :
Oh just because she was a dentist who just died of Lyme!!! That's all*)!!!
Posted by Vermont_Lymie (Member # 9780) on :
Teresa McGilley Redlingshafer, 72, of Overland Park.
The Kansas City Star (Missouri)
Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Business News
January 10, 2007 Wednesday
SECTION: STATE AND REGIONAL NEWS
Relished-her-Irish-roots-TRIBUTE
HEADLINE: Relished her Irish roots TRIBUTE
BYLINE: Adjoa Adofo, The Kansas City Star, Mo.
Teresa McGilley Redlingshafer, 72, of Overland Park.
When and how she died: Dec. 29, of Lyme disease.
Age: 72
Partner for life: While a student at Loretto Heights College in Denver, Teresa McGilley met her future husband, Raymond Redlingshafer Sr., at her aunt's home in Kansas City. Raymond Redlingshafer said it was his wife's good looks, great personality and consideration for other people that won him over.
In all five of the businesses he started, Teresa was her husband's "right-hand man," handling all the accounting. "She was smart, and she could handle it," he said. "She was the best partner you could have had."
Family life: After their marriage in 1954, the couple had seven children within nine years.
"We would go on picnics once a month at Loose Park across the street -- even during the winter in the snow," said daughter Teresa Gehring. "With seven kids, going out to eat was expensive. Having picnics made sense."
They would gather around a fire in one of the park's stone hearths, make s'mores and listen to their mother's stories.
"She would tell lots of stories about growing up, and her dad," Gehring said. "She would tell us stories that she heard from her relatives about Ireland."
Irish all the way: She was the daughter of Irish immigrants and loved "everything Irish." In fact, 10 years ago, she acquired dual citizenship. "Her father and mother were 100 percent Irish," said son Raymond Redlingshafer Jr.
"They (Redlingshafer and her siblings) were the classic children of immigrants who came over and achieved. With my uncle Jim McGilley, she began to collect family documents from Ireland." Before her death, she visited Ireland twice.
Interest in astrology: In 1974, Teresa Redlingshafer, who had a penchant for math and an interest in the stars and planets, began to study astrology. "It's tremendously math-oriented," said Raymond Redlingshafer Jr. "Later, she learned how to use a computer just so she could do astrology."
Survivors include: Her husband, four sons and a daughter-in-law, two daughters and 22 grandchildren.
The last word: "Her favorite quote was one by Mother Teresa: 'We may do no great things, only small things with great love,'�" Gehring said.
To suggest community members to profile, send e-mail to [email protected].
Copyright (c) 2007, The Kansas City Star, Mo. Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Business News. For reprints, email [email protected], call 800-374-7985 or 847-635-6550, send a fax to 847-635-6968, or write to The Permissions Group Inc., 1247 Milwaukee Ave., Suite 303, Glenview, IL 60025, USA.
LOAD-DATE: January 10, 2007
Posted by Lymetoo (Member # 743) on :
Wow, Vermont....That was a great obit! Sounds as though she was one special woman.
Posted by Vermont_Lymie (Member # 9780) on :
hi lymetoo -- nice to see you!
Yes, that obit really captured her personality...
I am a bit ambivalent about posting obits that I see. On the one hand, I think we all should be optimistic, about our health and treatment. And so I hesitate to post lyme-related obits.
On the other hand, info is power and I believe in sharing information, as sad as these posts are.
Here's to hoping for more lyme research and better treatment methods!
Posted by Melanie Reber (Member # 3707) on :
Patricia Elaine (Jamison) Cooley passed tragically February 10, 2007 in Victoria. Disease prevented her pursuit of many interests including art. She was an active member in the Lyme and Crohn's disease communities. A memorial service will be held on Tuesday, Feb. 20, 2007.
Posted by imanurse (Member # 7022) on :
Duane H. Johnson, 65, Wisconsin
Duane H. Johnson, 65, Junction City, died Thursday, Jan. 25, 2007, while under the care of St. Joseph's Hospital Hospice at the House of Dove in Marshfield. He fought a three-year battle with Lyme disease and cancer.
Memorial services will be held at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday at the Shuda-Plover Family Funeral Home in Plover, with Gary Fenn, an elder from the Stevens Point congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses, officiating.
Visitation will be at the funeral home from 5 p.m. Wednesday until the services.
Mr. Johnson was born Aug. 1, 1941, in Waupaca, a son of the late Howard and Opal (Minton) Johnson. He attended schools in Scandinavia.
He was married to Marlene Laszewski on May 18, 1968, in Stevens Point.
He retired from Sentry Insurance.
Survivors include his wife; one son, Shawn, Fort Lauderdale, Fla.; his stepmother, Vivian Johnson, Waupaca; one brother, Stanley (Audrey), Waupaca; and nieces and nephews.
He was also preceded in death by one infant brother, Neal.
Source: The Portage County Gazette
Posted by imanurse (Member # 7022) on :
James P. Koch, 79
By Bryan Marquard, Globe Staff | February 18, 2007
A poster hanging in a lab where James P. Koch conducted research carried an admonition that took hold in his creative mind as he glanced at it each day.
"He told the story very often himself," said his wife, Harriet. "Somebody had put the poster up on the door of their lab. It said, 'No matter what your problem, you won't be able to solve it until you solve the population problem.' He saw it and it felt so true to him that he never forgot it."
Turning from the study of biological chemistry to gynecology, he devoted the rest of his career to helping control population growth and inventing better approaches to women's reproductive health care.
Dr. Koch, whose work produced a cervical cap for contraception, died Tuesday in his Brookline home. He was 79 and his health had failed after a severe case of Lyme disease and a series of small strokes.
A member for many years of the medical advisory committee for the Planned Parenthood League of Massachusetts, Dr. Koch had been on the front lines of the reproductive rights debate, sometimes facing protests and threats.
"He was one of the pioneer doctors willing to perform abortions at a time when it was not readily available, even when it was legal," said his daughter Pamela, of Menlo Park, Calif. "There was a lot of courage and commitment involved in making that right for women really possible. You had to be courageous and willing to have people picket you."
James Paine Koch was born in St. Paul. He graduated from St. Paul Academy, received a bachelor of arts from Harvard College in 1951, and a medical degree from Tufts University School of Medicine in 1956.
For most of the next 16 years, Dr. Koch was a researcher in biological chemistry at hospitals in Boston and at Harvard Medical School.
In the early 1970s, he switched his focus to gynecology and a few years later began developing a cervical cap.
He patented the birth control device and in the process became perhaps the first physician in New England to prescribe that form of contraception.
A few years ago, Dr. Koch and his wife joined daughters and granddaughters in Washington, D.C., for a reproductive rights march.
"I think it was a pretty powerful experience for him to be there," said his daughter, who introduced him to other doctors participating in the event.
"They kind of looked at him and said, 'Wow' -- not realizing that it was such an old fight, and yet still a fight," she said.
While Dr. Koch's greatest impact was in the contraception field, his imagination roamed wide.
"In his early years, he patented a lamp and he patented bookends," his wife said. "He was always tinkering."
She met Dr. Koch when he was an undergraduate at Harvard. Away from work -- and often away from their brood -- the couple went snorkeling and scuba diving throughout the Caribbean before settling on the island of Bonaire, off Venezuela, as their destination of choice.
"We went to the Bahamas, we went to Belize, we went to Mexico -- we went to five or six different places," his wife said. "And then we finally got to Bonaire and it was just so wonderful. The snorkeling and diving was just so accessible. You didn't have to go on a boat with 30 other people, you can go right off shore. We went down there for almost 25 years."
A devotee of music, Dr. Koch kept radios in nearly every room he frequented and was on a first-name basis with the DJs at WHRB, the undergraduate radio station at Harvard.
And he kept a harmonica for idle moments.
"On a plane, in a restaurant, he'd pull out a harmonica," his daughter said.
From folk to classical, bluegrass, blues, and gospel, Dr. Koch's musical passions knew few bounds.
"Zydeco? No problem," his daughter said. "Go to a folk festival out in Western Massachusetts? He's there."
Dr. Koch's expansive tastes carried over into fields beyond medicine, too, which meant "he was never bored," his wife said. "He always had a clear sense of purpose. He was always interested in so many things, even things he didn't have time for. He always said, 'I wish I had another life -- I wish I was a biologist. . . . I wish I had another life -- I'd like to be an astronomer.' "
In addition to his wife and daughter, Dr. Koch leaves four other daughters, Amelia of Newton, Sandra Koch McFarren of Carson City, Nev., Johanna of Incline Village, Nev., and Lousia of Silver Spring, Md.; a sister, Mary Adams Danos of Arlington, Va.; a brother, Frederick, of Brattleboro; and nine grandchildren.
A memorial service will be held at 2 p.m. today in First Parish Unitarian Church of Brookline.
� Copyright 2007 Globe Newspaper Company.
Posted by imanurse (Member # 7022) on :
Famed Artist and Musician Eric von Schmidt Dies at 75
Eric von Schmidt, a renowned Westport artist and pioneering figure in the folk music explosion of the late 1950s and early 1960s whose works touched the lives of generations of musicians, died Friday at a Fairfield convalescent home. He was 75.
Eric von Schmidt (c) posed with Westport artist Howard Munce (l) and Mollie Donovan of the Westport Historical Society in September 2004 prior to the debut of an exhibit of his paintings from his ``Giants of the Blues'' series. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Contributed photo
His daughter Caitlin von Schmidt of Westport said her father had been in ill health since suffering a stroke in September. She said a memorial service will be announced later.
Eric von Schmidt, a Westport native and 1949 Staples High School graduate, was the son of the late illustrator Harold von Schmidt whose rustic portraits of the American West appeared on Saturday Evening Post covers and in other magazines.
He perhaps became best known as a folk and blues singer-songwriter of the folk/blues revival of the 1960s, a key part of the East Coast folk scene and crowd that included Bob Dylan and Joan Baez.
Von Schmidt's 1969 album ``Who Knocked the Brains Out of the Sky.'' (CLICK TO ENLARGE) File photo
Dylan wrote liner notes for von Schmidt's 1969 album ``Who Knocked the Brains Out of the Sky.'' ``He could sing the bird off the wire and the rubber off the tire,'' Dylan wrote. ``He can separate the men from the boys and the note from the noise. The bridle from the saddle and the cow from the cattle. He can play the tune of the moon. The why of the sky and the commotion of the ocean.''
Von Schmidt's first album, ``The Folk Blues of Eric von Schmidt,'' was released in 1963. And one of his better known songs, ``Joshua Gone Barbados,'' has been performed by several other artists.
In 2000, von Schmidt, who was once described as having a whiskey-preacher voice, developed throat cancer and became unable to sing. A bout with Lyme disease made it difficult to play the guitar.
In recent years, he worked on a series of paintings called ``Giants of the Blues.'' Eric von Schmidt is shown with his Leadbelly guitar. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Contributed photo
Two years ago, the Westport Historical Society held its ``Giants of the Blues 1920-1950'' exhibit featuring works by von Schmidt.
Last March, the Westport Schools Permanent Art Collection Committee installed several large-scale paintings from the series in the hallway outside the Staples High School auditorium.
In a fine arts coup for the town, the committee received seven of the paintings on ``indefinite loan.''
Last March, the Westport Schools Permanent Art Collection Committee installed several large-scale paintings by Eric von Schmidt in the hallway outside the Staples High School auditorium. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Emily Hamilton Laux for WestportNow.com
An obituary in today's New York Times described von Schmidt as ``a frisky, bearded figure who combined a successful career as a painter of big pictures of historical subjects with an exuberant musical style he liked to apply to American folk classics.''
It said Ramblin' Jack Elliott, the legendary cowboy singer, lauded his spirited approach to the songs of Leadbelly, the legendary blues artist, and the folk songs of Woody Guthrie.
``Eric's got that wild spirit, and he doesn't water the music down for polite society,'' Elliott told The Boston Globe in 1996, the Times said.
As a small child, von Schmidt watched his father performing miracles week after week in his studio across the driveway from the family's main house on Evergreen Avenue.
(IMAGE) Eric von Schmidt seen in his 1949 Staples High School yearbook. Underneath he wrote: ``Oh what a rogue am I.'' Contributed photo
The young von Schmidt painted beside him, sketched with him and often posed for him.
Von Schmidt's foundation in music came from his mother, Forest Gilmore.
He had bought his first guitar after hearing Leadbelly sing live on a New York radio station in 1948 when he was 17.
Von Schmidt once said of his first time hearing Leadbelly: ``This incredible voice ... was honey-smooth but had the bite of a buzzsaw cutting through a cement block. It was Leadbelly 'live' and it changed my life.''
As a teenager, he was encouraged by his parents to visit the Library of Congress in Washington D.C., where he discovered a body of forgotten archival blues recordings. There his second career was born.
Following his graduation from Staples, where he wrote under his senior picture ``Oh what a rogue am I,'' von Schmidt went briefly to the Art Students League in New York City before being drafted during the Korean War.
After Korea, he received a Fulbright Scholarship to study painting in Italy in 1956-1957.
Upon his return, he moved to Cambridge, Mass., and became a folk and blues singer in the Cambridge coffee house scene and entered the Boston literary field.
His books, ``Baby, Let Me Follow You Down,'' co-authored with Jim Rooney, won the ASCAP Deems Taylor Award in 1979, and ``Notes for American Folk Music'' won a Grammy in 1998. In 2000, he was honored with the ASCAP Foundation Lifetime Achievement Award.
In addition to Caitlin, von Schmidt, who was twice married and divorced, is survived by another daughter, Megan Richardson of Greenfield, Mass., and three grandsons.
``He'll be missed by a lot of people, and he had a very full and vital life with no regrets,'' Richardson told The Associated Press.
Caitlin von Schmidt added, ``He did what a lot of people can't do, which is pretty much live his life by his own rules. That made it hard on the people involved with him ... but he was a very loving and generous man.''
Posted 02/03 at 10:16 AM
� 2007 by WestportNow.com. All rights reserved.
Posted by trueblue (Member # 7348) on :
Author Topic: Bill Chinnock (founder of E street band) gopats Frequent Contributor Member # 5218
posted 03-08-2007 07:43 PM -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I'm so sorry to say that a friend has succombed to Lyme Disease. Bill helped me out when I was at my worst and pointed me to many resources to help with my lyme disease.
But unfortunately he took his own life. He was only 59. He and his wife both had lyme. He was feeling better a couple of years ago and released a new cd and was ready to release another. This is so shocking.
posted 03-09-2007 11:11 AM -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I am so sorry. *************** In Newsday-
NATION
Bill Chinnock, 59, a founder of E Street Band
The Associated Press
March 9, 2007
YARMOUTH, Maine - Musician Bill Chinnock, a founding member of what became Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band, died Wednesday at his home, police said. He was 59.
Chinnock, a blues and roots rock stylist, had been suffering from Lyme disease and police said they were called to his East Main Street home by his live-in caregiver. Lt. Dean Perry would not comment on the cause of death but said "it is not of a suspicious nature." Chinnock's manager, Paul Pappas, told WCSH-TV, Portland, that the guitarist, keyboardist and singer-songwriter committed suicide.
A native of Newark, N.J., Chinnock was a key figure in the Asbury Park music scene that propelled Springsteen to stardom.
Chinnock moved to Maine in the 1970s. He made 13 albums and in 1987 won an Emmy for his song, "Somewhere in the Night." A duet he recorded later with Roberta Flack became a theme song for the soap opera "Guiding Light." His albums include "Blues," "Badlands," "Alive at the Loft," "Dime Store Heroes," "Livin' in the Promised Land" and "Out on the Borderline." In addition to performing around the country, Chinnock wrote music for films and television.
He had been living in Yarmouth for at least eight or nine years, Perry said. Copyright 2007 Newsday Inc.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
gopats Frequent Contributor Member # 5218
posted 03-09-2007 07:28 PM -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I also find sad that all the local papers and his sister say that this is a result of a long struggle with Lyme and yet Newday leaves that part out?
Reader Comments (below) By DAVID HENCH, Staff Writer
Friday, March 9, 2007
Bill Chinnock, a lifelong rock 'n' roller who was an icon of the Maine music scene, died Wednesday at his home in Yarmouth at age 59. Chinnock's high-energy rock and passionate blues spanned five decades. He cut his teeth as a performer on the Jersey shore with the likes of Bruce Springsteen and Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes, played the club scene in New York City and created country albums in Nashville. But he remained devoted to his adopted state of Maine. "Truthfully, he was one of the best singers I've ever played with, just a great voice," said John Kumnick, a Kennebunk bass player who joined Chinnock's band in New York City in 1982 and played with him on and off since then. "He knew how to connect with people." Chinnock started playing clubs in Maine in the early 1970s and moved here full time in 1974. His shows drew throngs of dedicated fans and won respect from critics for their energy, showcasing his musical and songwriting talents. One reviewer said Chinnock was "all energy. When he wails the blues, he does it with the conviction of a lifelong indigent." In recent years Chinnock struggled with Lyme disease, a chronic condition that ultimately attacked his immune system and left him in severe pain. He took his own life Wednesday, friends said. Chinnock was a self-taught innovator who, besides mastering the guitar and the harmonica, also made films and dabbled in computer graphics. He had his own studio and also worked as a producer. His sister, Caroline Payne of Yarmouth, recalled an older brother who used to playfully give her noogies and who took care of their parents as they aged. "He was such an incredibly talented person, and a great brother, a beautiful brother," she said. "He was a funny, wonderful, entertaining guy." She remembers growing up in the Jersey shore music scene when Springsteen used to be the opening act for her brother's band. It was a heady time. The band practiced in the basement while her mother cooked up plates of food for the musicians. Eventually, Chinnock left his band and his place was taken by Springsteen. The band went on to superstardom as Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band. Payne said her brother was never envious of the band's record-breaking success. "I never saw him have any of that," she said. "I never saw any frustration in him, any jealousy like that. He thought Bruce Springsteen was phenomenal." What was unfortunate, she said, was that her brother's music would sometimes be described as a Springsteen imitation, even though he was genuine and original. "He was a tough taskmaster," said Steve Fazio, a sax player who was with Chinnock when he signed briefly with Atlantic Records in 1980. "He had this perfectionist streak in him, which is probably why didn't make it nationally real big. He stuck to his soul. He didn't sell out and get glitzy like the record companies wanted." But he had the pipes, Fazio recalled. "He was filling in for Michael McDonald with the Doobie Brothers when Michael couldn't make it," Fazio said. Chinnock was not confined to a given musical style, playing blues, boogie, rock and country. "I thought his best was blues, but he was very versatile," his sister said. Chinnock married into one of the seminal country music families in Maine when he married Dick Curless' daughter, Terry. The couple have been estranged for months, but Chinnock was close to the elder Curless and they often played together. "He was a real inspiration to my brother," Caroline Payne said. Chinnock, who also had a home and studio in Fairfield, came down with Lyme disease eight years ago, she said. "It just took a bad course for him, branched into other areas and it really took him," she said. "I think he suffered a lot of pain. It affected his nerves." Despite the pain, he continued playing throughout his struggle with the disease. "He fought a courageous battle," his sister said. Their mother, who had lived with Chinnock and with whom he was very close, died about 10 days ago. Kumnick said he talked to Chinnock last week. Chinnock complained of pain, and he wasn't one to complain. "Physically, I always thought he was very strong, and he had a tremendous amount of energy. Lyme changed that. It became a very pervasive thing in his life the last six or seven years," Kumnick said. The nature of his friend's death is puzzling, he said. "It really seemed the opposite of the Bill that I know," he said. "I don't know if 'indomitable' is the word, but he was always up, always energetic, always doing something." Chinnock's wife also suffered from a milder form of the condition years ago, but she recovered. Chinnock made 13 albums and in 1987 won an Emmy for his song, "Somewhere in the Night." A duet he later recorded with Roberta Flack became a theme song for the soap opera "Guiding Light." His albums include "Blues," "Badlands," "Alive at the Loft," "Dime Store Heroes," "Livin' in the Promised Land" and "Out on the Borderline." In addition to performing at venues in Maine and around the country, Chinnock wrote music for films and television. Chinnock is survived by his 9-year-old son William in Bangor and his 32-year-old son John, who lives in New Jersey and plays rhythm guitar. Staff Writer David Hench can be contacted at 791-6327 or at: [email protected]
[ 10. March 2007, 12:50 AM: Message edited by: trueblue ]
Posted by Melanie Reber (Member # 3707) on :
Michael Coers, 62, Kentucky
Tuesday, March 20, 2007
Michael Coers, known for striking photos in C-J and Times, dies
Busing shot helped staff win Pulitzer By Paula Burba [email protected] The Courier-Journal
Pulitzer Prize-winning photographer Michael Coers, whose shot of a black student and white student shaking hands on the first day of court-ordered busing in 1975 became a touchstone image of that turbulent school year, was found dead of natural causes Sunday at his Louisville home. He was 62.
The photo, taken at what had been all-white Greenwood Elementary School, was among those that earned The Courier-Journal and Louisville Times photo department the Pulitzer Prize the following year. It is the only Pulitzer given to the newspapers for photography alone.
"That really was one of the iconic images" of busing in Louisville, C. Thomas Hardin, former Courier-Journal director of photography, said yesterday of the photo inside the classroom, empty except for the two boys.
Among Coers' many honors was the National Press Photographers Association's Humanitarian Award. He received it in 1985 for performing cardiopulmonary resuscitation "at the request of the EMT team to revive a 77-year-old woman who collapsed during a heat wave" as Coers was on assignment, riding with an emergency medical crew, according to a description accompanying the award.
"He was never one to blow his own horn, that's for sure," former newspaper photographer R.D. Firkins said yesterday, "He was pretty quiet about the awards that he got."
Hardin praised Coers' skills, recalling working alongside Coers as he shot for the old Sunday Magazine and for the daily paper in December 1970, when both covered the explosion that killed 38 miners in two Finley Coal Co. mines near Hyden, Ky.
During his 23 years on the staff, Coers' assignments would include four mine disasters, the 1974 tornadoes and the 1981 sewer explosion. "He was on the scene of lots of disasters, fires and killings. He liked excitement," former Courier-Journal columnist John Filiatreau said yesterday. "He loved meeting people like coroners, police detectives and hit men. ... He had a real fascination with criminal behavior, loved to talk to the bad guys."
"He could talk his way into and out of a lot of things," Firkins said, recalling one assignment Coers had talked his editors into.
"I believe it was the Blue Angels," he said, that Coers had arranged to ride with, taking pictures as a passenger inside one of the fighter jets as the group did formations.
"He was gung-ho about everything," Firkins said. It was Coers' enthusiastic work for the features department that earned him his "Cecil B. Coers" nickname -- an allusion to his fondness for getting the implausible shot, not unlike film director Cecil B. DeMille's vision, according to former features editor Greg Johnson.
"As a photographer, Coers was an editor's dream," said Johnson, now new-product development editor for The Courier-Journal. "No matter what sort of hare-brained idea you'd have for a cover, Coers could actually pull it off." Johnson cited a cover shot for The Louisville Times' SCENE magazine of a "kite's-eye view" looking down a string to the ground; he got it by renting a helicopter.
"Once for a story about handguns, I told him it'd be cool if we could have a cover photo of a bullet leaving the barrel and heading directly toward the reader," Johnson said. Coers "figured out a way to get the shot using mirrors. He blasted more than 15 mirrors to smithereens, but he got the photo. As always."
Hardin, too, called Coers' "a whiz" at solving cover problems for SCENE. "Week after week, he would come up with the solutions. ... He would work tirelessly."
"Coers' innovative cover photography was a hallmark of that magazine, and it helped create a buzz about SCENE that made Saturday the most popular day of the week for The Louisville Times," Johnson said.
Coers' career was cut short by Lyme disease. After several years of struggling with complications from the disease, he left the paper in 1989.
"His vision, his strength ... everything you need to be a photographer was attacked," Filiatreau said.
The condition was undiagnosed for years because Lyme disease was not identified until 1975 and most cases had been in states closer to Lyme, Conn., where it was discovered.
Coers's ailment was not diagnosed until 1988, after about four years of symptoms that included facial palsy, chronic fatigue and severe joint pain and inflammation.
He was found dead in his home Sunday of natural causes, said his former wife, June Clausen Coers, who had been there to visit and called 911 when she couldn't get any response from him.
Coers was a native of Indianapolis and graduated from Holmes High School in Covington, Ky., in 1962. He was hired as a staff photographer for the Louisville newspapers soon after graduating from Eastern Kentucky University, where he earned his bachelor's degree in social science.
Coers also invented a darkroom-printing aide called the Enlarger Mate, which was used for "burning" -- darkening -- photos, and marketed it to the CIA and others, Firkins, said, until he sold the rights.
Bless her heart... another Lyme mother lost in Maryland. She will not be forgotten.
Her family continues to help others with Lyme disease... as they have been doing for years.
``````````````````````````````````````````````
Carroll County Timed 3/10/07
Shirley E. Wolfenden, 75, of Westminster
Shirley E. Wolfenden, 75, of Westminster died Thursday, March 8, 2007 from cancer and lyme disease at Dove House Hospice.
Born Aug. 28, 1931, in Baltimore, she was the daughter of the late Walter and Olive L. Peregoy Leach. She was the wife of John Thomas Wolfenden, who died June 29, 2000.
She was a graduate of Barton High School in Baltimore. She was a member of the Zion United Methodist Church. She taught Sunday school since the age of 16. She was a volunteer for multiple sclerosis bowling groups, Cub Scouts and youth groups. She was the Senior Citizen Volunteer of the Year in 2003. She was a book judge for elections since the 1950s. She was a member of the Lyme Support Group and the Carroll County Cancer Support Group. She also enjoyed cooking and crafts.
Surviving are son Jay Thomas Wolfenden of Westminster; and daughter Robin Ann Wolfenden of Westminster.
A funeral service will be held at 11 a.m. Tuesday at Pritts Funeral Home & Chapel, 412 Washington Road, Westminster, with the Rev. Richard Shamer officiating. Interment will be in Zion United Methodist Church Cemetery.
The family will receive friends from 3 to 5 and 7 to 9 p.m. Monday at the funeral home.
Memorial contributions may be made to Zion United Methodist Church, 2714-16 Old Washington Road, Westminster, MD 21157; or Carroll Hospice Dove House, 292 Stoner Ave., Westminster, MD 21157
Posted by heiwalove (Member # 6467) on :
please add maggie mccorkle.. it seems she passed in 2005. *
October 15, 2005
Maggie McCorkle
Maggie McCorkle, a pillar of the Cherry Grove community, passed away in New York City on October 15. She had had a massive stroke and had long suffered the effects of rheumatoid arthritis as a result of having had Lyme disease. Audrey Hartmann, her erstwhile longtime partner, was with her when she died, according to Joan Van Ness.
Maggie was involved with the Arts Project of Cherry Grove, which was founded in 1948, from its inception and participated in many theatrical productions. Her final show, in 1998, was Sal Piro's ``You Go Girl!!'' in which her solo song was ``(She's just my) Jill,'' a tailor-made parody of ``Bill,'' from ``Showboat.'' She came to most subsequent shows to cheer the cast on and was always welcomed backstage as she offered words of encouragement.
It is safe to say that Maggie McCorkle will be sorely missed. *
I just read in my local paper of a woman from my town described as having "pretty serious Lyme Disease" by her son had gone missing on Easter Sunday.
I was going to come on here and see if there were any posts or news about it but decided to do a Google search of her name first. Sadly, she's been found dead in Rhinecliff, NY.
Article follows: No foul play in woman's death
Rhinecliff - A woman whose body was found along railroad tracks Wednesday north of the Rhinecliff train station was not a victim of foul play, the Dutchess County Sheriff's Office reported Thursday.
They identified the woman as Suzanne Lawrence, 62, of East Hampton, NY, who was reported missing on April 10.
Her body was found around 5 p.m. on April 11 on the banks of the Hudson River by fishermen.
The medical examiner's report stated the cause of death was due to medication and hypothermia. ``There is no reason to believe that there was any foul play or suspicious circumstances involved,'' said Det. Daren Cummings. ``We don't know why she was in the area, although family members said she was fond of Rhinebeck.''
Because of the proximity to the railroad tracks, authorities asked CSX Rail to show down train traffic during the onsite investigation. That took about 2 1/2 hours, police said.
Please say a prayer for this family and keep them in your thoughts.
Riverside death probably a suicide, police say By Patricia Doxsey, Freeman staff 04/13/2007
RHINECLIFF - The woman who was found dead on the Hudson River shore this week apparently committed suicide, police said on Thursday.
An autopsy concluded that Suzanne Lawrence, 62, of East Hampton, Long Island, died of a medication overdose and hypothermia, according to the Dutchess County Sheriff's Office.
Detective Jason Mark, the lead investigator in the case, said Lawrence was the subject of a missing-person report filed Tuesday in East Hampton and that local investigators found a note in Lawrence's car, near where her body was discovered, suggesting her death was imminent.
"It appears to be a goodbye kind of note," Mark said.
The note did not refer to suicide, but "there were some things in there where she was talking about her suffering," the detective said.
Police said almost immediately after Lawrence's body was found that her death did not appear to be the result of a crime.
The body, partially concealed by brush, was discovered by two fishermen about 5 p.m. Wednesday on the rocky shore of the river between the Rhinecliff train station and the Rhinebeck water-filtration plant, police said. The site is the end of Slate Dock Road.
Police did not say how long the body might have been there.
Mark said the contents of Lawrence's note and other documents found in her car indicated she had been ill for some time, though he didn't know what illness she might have had.
Mark also said there were empty prescription bottles both in the car and in Lawrence's possession and that there were pictures and other documents in the car.
Asked about Lawrence's connection to Northern Dutchess, police said she had friends in the area and enjoyed spending time outdoors.
The autopsy on Lawrence was performed Thursday at St. Francis Hospital in Poughkeepsie. Mark said authorities are awaiting the results of toxicology tests to determine the type and amount of medication in Lawrence's system when she died.
�Daily Freeman 2007
Thanks Kristina.
[ 13. April 2007, 04:07 PM: Message edited by: trueblue ]
Posted by Melanie Reber (Member # 3707) on :
My friends,
Last night, I added Suzanne to the Lyme Memorial site as the 240th name.
This morning, I wanted to take the opportunity to thank each of you who contribute information so we can continue to shine a light on these most devastating diseases and how they steal lives in so many ways.
My best, Melanie
Posted by trueblue (Member # 7348) on :
Melanie, I edited the above post to add the article Stardantzer posted today at the end. I wanted you to see the edit. (Um, I'll edit this out after, k?)
And thank you for all you are doing and have done. Posted by CaliforniaLyme (Member # 7136) on :
Hoffmann, Robert J.
Robert J. Hoffmann of Batavia Funeral services for Robert J. Hoffmann, 48, will be held at 11 a.m. Monday, at Immanuel Lutheran Church, 950 Hart Road, Batavia, where he will lie in state from 10 a.m. until the time of service. Interment will follow in West Batavia Cemetery. Visitation will be from 4 to 8 p.m. Sunday, April 8, at Moss Family Funeral Home, 209 S. Batavia Ave. (Route 31 and Main St.), Batavia. Robert J. Hoffmann went home to heaven on Thursday, April 5, 2007, while surrounded by his family. Bob fought against Lyme disease and/or ALS, a/k/a Lou Gehrig's disease for over two years, most of which was on a vent. We thank God for His presence during our journey and for the rest and peace He now provides for Bob. Bob was employed as a mortgage banker with Fannie Mae in the Chicago office since 1997. He is survived by his wife of 27 years, Vicki; their three sons, Bob, Tom and Dan; his sister, Barbara (nee Hoffmann) Preloger of Sioux Falls, S.D.; and his father, William Hoffmann of Brookfield, Wis., along with many members of extended family, church family at Immanuel in Batavia, and friends from the neighborhood and his office. He was preceded in death by his brother, Bill Hoffmann (18 years ago); and his mother, Jean Hoffmann (6 years ago). Contributions would be welcomed for Immanuel Lutheran Church, 950 Hart Road, Batavia, IL 60510, and for Les Turner ALS Foundation, 5550 W. Touhy, Suite 302, Skokie, IL 60077 in Bob's memory. For information, 630-879-7900. Published in the Chicago Suburban Daily Herald on 4/7/2007. Notice * Guest Book * Flowers Gift Shop * Charities --------
Posted by Melanie Reber (Member # 3707) on :
Stephen Allen Herring, 42, Maryland
June 29, 2005
ELKTON -- Stephen Allen Herring of Elkton died Sunday, June 26, 2005, at his home after a long battle against Lyme disease and related problems. He was 42.
Born Oct. 7, 1962 in Indianapolis, he was the son of Donald C. and Shirley Robey Herring, with whom he made his home.
Mr. Herring was a graduate of Elkton High School and Cecil Community College, where he was a member of Phi Theta Kappa, scholastic honorary fraternity. As a 10th Degree grand master with a doctorate in martial arts, he taught in several studios in Elkton and for several years was part owner of a tae kwon doe school in Edgewood. He also traveled to Colorado Springs, Colo., to coach a prospective member of the U.S. Olympics tae kwon doe team. For the past several years, he had been disabled and unable to teach.
Earlier, he was employed for 13 years by Chesapeake Publishing Corp. in Elkton in its printing plant, last as a pressman. He also worked several years as a carpenter in residential construction. He was graduated from the Maryland Police Academy and served briefly as a corrections officer at the Cecil County Detention Center.
Dr. Herring held the degree of 10th Dan, Doctor of Philosophy of Martial Arts, from the American University Sokeship Council. In June 2000, he was inducted into the World Wide Martial Arts Hall of Fame as ``Founder of the Year'' for the Soo Shim Hosinsul Federation, a nationally sanctioned system of tae kwon doe that he originated. He was inducted into the North American Black Belt Hall of Fame in September 2000.
For several years he was active in the local juvenile justice agency, directing its ``Hooked on Fishing, Not on Drugs'' program one summer. In 1998, he received the Secretary's Citation from the Maryland State Department of Juvenile Justice, being named ``Volunteer of the Year'' for the state.
He enjoyed fishing and playing guitar.
In addition to his parents, he is survived by two children, Pfc. Maegan L. Herring, a U.S. Army medic stationed at Fort Huachuca, Ariz., and Martin R. Herring of North East; three brothers, Martin C. Herring and wife, Fran, of East New Market; David C. Herring and wife, Karen, of Hurlock, and John F. Herring and wife, Judi, of Wilmington, Del.
Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. Friday, July 1 at Hicks Home for Funerals, 103 W. Stockton St., Elkton. The Rev. Karen F. Burnell will officiate. Burial will be at Gilpin Manor Memorial Park. Visitation will be held at the funeral home from 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday.
Memorial contributions may be made to Lyme Disease Research in care of the Hicks Home for Funerals, 103 W. Stockton St., Elkton, MD, 21921
Posted by CaliforniaLyme (Member # 7136) on :
Col. Bryce H. Wagner WINCHESTER- Col. Bryce H. Wagner, 62, of Winchester, KS., died Wednesday, June 7, 2006 at St. Lukes Hospital, Kansas City, MO. after a long illness. He was born October 10, 1943 at Lenoir, NC., the son of Leonard L. & Belva Mae Blackburn Wagner. Col. Wagner received his Masters Degree at Central Michigan in 1984 & was a War College graduate. He retired a military colonel after serving 26 years in the United States Army. He married Helen Doris Olsan on June 10, 1961 at Red Oak, IA. She survives at the home. Other survivors include four Sons, Sgt. Maj. Bryan Wagner, Alexandria, VA., William Wagner, Shawnee, KS., Bryce Wagner, Jr., Turny, MO., Kevin Wagner, Bushton, KS., Daughter, Kristina Wagner, of the home, one Brother, Denver B. Wagner, Clearwarter, FL., & 6 Grandchildren. He was Preceded in death by one brother and one sister. Services will be at 1:00 P.M. Friday, June 16, 2006 at the Winchester United Methodist Church, Winchester, KS.. Grave side service with full military honors will be at 2:30 P.M. at the Leavenworth VA National Cemetery, Leavenworth, KS. Visitation will be 6:30 P.M. to 8:00 P.M. Thursday evening at the Barnett-Chapel Oaks Funeral Home, Oskaloosa, KS. Memorial contributions may be made to the Lyme Disease Association of Greater Kansas City and sent in care of the funeral home PO Box 416 Oskaloosa, KS 66066. Col. Bryce H. Wagner Published in the Topeka Capital-Journal on 6/13/2006.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Posted by Melanie Reber (Member # 3707) on :
I'd like to take this opportunity to introduce myself. My name is Karen J. Rose...but my friends all call me ``Rose.'' So, when you see the name ``Rose,'' that would be me! I was recently asked to become a co-moderator of [email protected] (founded in December 2001) to free up the time and energies of Cheryl, Ellen, and Eva for more pressing needs. I am quite honored to be entrusted with this responsibility, and hope I can live up to their expectations. My skills as a former technical writer and researcher are a bit rusty, but I will do my best to continue keeping members informed of important Lyme issues. The focus of this information-only list will vary, according to the ever-evolving needs of the Lyme community.
For those of you who don't already know me, let me offer a little background explanation. I had never heard of Lyme disease until my ``official'' diagnosis, and subsequent disability, in April 1995. However, my confusing, complex, and well-documented medical history strongly indicates that my Lyme infection occurred in 1958. My husband, James Martin was diagnosed a year later, and is also disabled from chronic, late-stage Lyme. His medical history also points to early-childhood infection.
Since our dual-diagnoses, James and I have dedicated the majority of our time and energy to Lyme research, education, and advocacy, and have been involved with a number of online Lyme support groups. We've also met a lot of wonderful people along the way...too many people whose lives have been devastated by Lyme.
But, in March 2002, a ``mission'' of some sort starting forming in my mind. I didn't have a clear focus, and had not yet analyzed the best course of action, but I felt a very strong inner calling to do ``more.'' I discussed my ideas with a number of people whose opinions I trust and value, and considered the following possibilities:
1) Starting a physical support group locally.
2) Creating an online group targeted specifically to Texas Lyme issues, because there is a huge lack of available information here.
3) Writing a weekly or monthly newsletter.
4) Developing a Lyme website (separate from our personal websites).
So, when I was asked to co-moderate an existing Lyme-information group, I realized that this was an excellent opportunity to make a significant contribution. So, here I am, at your service.
I hope you will join me on this exciting new journey. I'll need some help, some constructive criticism, and a lot of Lymie feedback to continue providing relevant information. Please feel free to email me at toil_for_lyme@... with your ideas.
I'm looking forward to this challenging endeavor, and for the opportunity to play a part in increasing Lyme awareness.
Love ya, Rose
New co-moderator of [email protected] Posted by CaliforniaLyme (Member # 7136) on :
Drusilla Davis Howey
HOWEY Drusilla Davis Howey, age 68, director, choreographer and dancer, died at her home in Fairfield, on Sunday, January 5, 2003, of neurodegenerative complications arising from Lyme disease. She is survived by her daughter, actress/singer, Katharine, and son-in-law, R.J. Weed, of Los Angeles; two sisters, author, Marianne Mackay of Fairfield, and fine artist Jessie Stuart Mackay of Pinehurst, N.C. Burial is private and the family requests that in lieu of flowers, donations be made in Drusilla's name to the Lyme Disease Foundation, 1 Financial Plaza, Hartford, CT 06102. A memorial service will be announced at a future date. The Spear Funeral Home, 39 South Benson Road, Fairfield, is in charge of arrangements. Published in the Connecticut Post on 1/9/2003. Guest Book * Flowers * Gift Shop * Charities
Cheek CHEEK STEVE A. CHEEK, age 52, passed away Dec. 12, 2004. Beloved husband of Mary Ellen (nee Beck), devoted son of Bonnie (nee Patterson), loving brother of Margaret (Ray) Barda, Dottie (Bill) Blueter and James (Vivian). Preceded in death by his father Steve. Services Thursday, 11:00 a.m. WAITE & SON FUNERAL HOME, 765 N. COURT ST., MEDINA. VISITATION WEDNES-DAY 6-9:00 P.M. at the funeral home. Contributions may be made to Lyme Disease Assoc., Inc., P.O. Box 1438, Jackson, NJ 08527 Published in The Plain Dealer on 12/14/2004. Guest Book * Flowers * Charities
--------------------
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Robert Chilton CHILTON - Mr. Robert (Bob) passed away May 4th, 2006 in Zephyr Hills, Florida. He is survived by his wife, Kay; daughter, Patricia (Dennis) Stringham from Portage, Michigan; son, Guy Chilton from Grand Rapids; his grandchildren, Dale, Julie and Jeff Chilton, Jennifer and Matthew Stringham and great- grandchild, Devin Hunter Chilton. As requested, cremation has taken place. A memorial service will be held at Holy Spirit Church, 2230 Lake Michigan Drive NW, on May 15th at 11 am. You may meet with the family an hour before the service. Memorial contributions may be made to the Michigan Chapter of Lyme Disease or the charity of your choice. Arsulowicz Brothers Mortuaries, Inc. www.arsulowiczbrothers.com
Published in the Grand Rapids Press from 5/13/2006 - 5/14/2006. Guest Book * Flowers * Gift Shop * Charities
--------------------
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Barbara Lynn Fitzmaurice Fitzmaurice, Barbara Lynn, Freeland, Michigan. Passed away unexpectedly Wednesday, May 3, 2006, at her home. Age 56 years. The daughter of the late Howard and Alice (Neymeiyer) Thomas was born December 31, 1949 in Saginaw, Michigan. She married Ronald Fitzmaurice, November 22, 1968. He survives her. She was a Registered Nurse. Surviving are two sons and their wives, Gary and Wendy Fitzmaurice, Saginaw, Mich.; Greg and Kim Fitzmaurice, Birch Run, Mich.; four grandchildren, Calleigh, Brittani, Brenna, and Nicholas; one sister, Nancy Thomas; three nieces. She was predeceased by a brother, Gary Thomas. The funeral service will take place at 11:00 a.m. Monday, May 8, 2006, at the W. L. Case and Co. Funeral Chapel, 201 N. Miller Rd. Rev. Edward A. Meyer will officiate with cremation to follow. Friends may call at the Chapel from 2:00 to 5:00 p.m. and 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. Sunday. Those planning an expression of sympathy may wish to consider the Lymes Disease Foundation or the American Cancer Society. www.casefuneralhome.com Published in the Saginaw News on MLive.com on 5/5/2006. Guest Book * Flowers * Gift Shop * Charities
Jacqueline Hacker Jacqueline (Lewis) Hacker, 55, passed peacefully at her home in Sinking Spring, on March 15, 2007, surrounded by her children and mother. Jackie was a beloved and devoted mother and will be deeply missed by her three children: Michele, William and Valerie; and her son-in-law, Jonathan. Her loss also will be felt by her loving partner, Bob; and his daughter, Kayla. Jackie is survived by an adoring family and an extensive community of friends.
Raised in Ocean City, N.J., Jackie lived a life marked at times by difficulty, but defined by a rebellious optimism and faith that will be both remembered and missed by her family and friends.
For nearly five years, Jackie gracefully and courageously fought to overcome ALS and Lyme disease. Despite her physical weakness and lack of speech, she faced each day with many smiles and hugs giving hope and strength to those around her. Jackie's openness, warmth and compassion earned her the love and support of family and friends who remained by her side during her illness. They celebrate her life, as well as the end of her suffering, as they mourn her loss.
Memorial services will be held on Saturday at 2 p.m. in Bean Funeral Home, 3825 Penn Ave., Sinking Spring, with the Rev. Richard H. Whitney officiating. Friends will be received from 1 to 2 p.m.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that expressions of sympathy be made in Jackie's name to the ALS Association, www.alsa.org, 27001 Agoura Road, Suite 150, Calabasas Hills, CA 91301.
Bean Funeral Home & Crematory is in charge of arrangements.
Published in the Reading Eagle on 3/18/2007.
Guest Book * Flowers * Gift Shop * Charities --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Shirley L. Moore NEW EGYPT -- Shirley L. Moore, 67, died Saturday at the Compassionate Care Hospice in Trenton.
Born in Elizabeth, she was a long time resident of New Egypt. She was a member of the Church of the Nazarene in New Egypt and she was a co-founder of the Lyme Disease Association of New Jersey.
Surviving are her husband: Frank Moore, a son and daughter-in-law, Gary and Kathy Moore of Freehold, a daughter and son-in-law, Deborah and Anthony Sansone, Jr. of Okeano, OH, a brother, Robert Carlson of Brick and five grandchildren, Anthony, Frank & Samantha Sansone and Kylie and Kendall Moore and several nieces and nephews.
Funeral services will be held on Tuesday at 8 p.m. at the Church of the Nazarene, 201 Cookstown Road in New Egypt, Pastor Tim Flick, officiating. Internment will be at Jacobstown Baptist Cemetery in Jacobstown.
Calling hours will be 6-8 pm. Tuesday evening at the church.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Lyme Disease Association of New Jersey, P.O. Box 1438, Jackson, NJ 08527 or the to the Church of the Nazarene.
Arrangements are under the direction of the Tilghman Funeral Home, 52 Main Street in New Egypt.
Published in The Times, Trenton, on 6/29/2003. Guest Book * Flowers * Gift Shop * Charities
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Sarah Elizabeth Pawson PAWSON, Sarah Elizabeth A 3rd generation Santa Rosan, died peacefully in her sleep, Saturday, March 15, 2003 near her childhood home in Santa Rosa. She was 41. She's the beloved daughter of Lucille Pawson and the late Richard F. Pawson of Santa Rosa. She leaves 3 brothers, Rich Pawson of Lake Tahoe, Rob Pawson and his wife Robin of Rohnert Park, John Pawson and his wife Mary Grace and their children Melissa and Ethan of Bodega Bay. Her aunts are Dawn Bean of Santa Ana, Joan Nelson of Forestville, Lynn Hale of Sonoma. Her uncles are Walt Frugoli of Lake Tahoe and Max Hale of Sonoma. She leaves several nieces, nephews, cousins. Despite a constant struggle with several major health problems, she maintained her playful and spirited self. She was an avid gardener and pet lover. She leaves behind her beautiful cat of 17 years, "White Trash" plus 4 Amazon parrots. Her family and friends will greatly miss her and her sense of humor and whimsy. Funeral services are private. Donations in Sarah's memory may be made to the Lyme Disease Foundation, One Financial Plaza, Hartford, CT 06103 or Sonoma Co. Humane Society, Box 1296, Santa Rosa, CA 95402. Arrangements thru NEPTUNE SOCIETY OF SANTA ROSA, CA. Published in the Press Democrat on 3/21/2003. Guest Book * Funeral home info * Flowers * Gift Shop * Charities
Trying to update the pages as always, on to page 5 now, and unable to pay for these from the pay Obit archives(we are not $) but hoping someone else has them!!! They are in my possible Lyme related death file- Anyone have the following??? Thank you for any help- Lyme Disease Memorial Pages http://www.angelfire.com/planet/lymedisease/Lyme/Memorial.html Best wishes, Sarah
Bitterman, Diane White - Diane White Bitterman-- was a life long resident of Mobile. Published in the Mobile Register from 5/14/2006 - 5/15/2006.
Greaves, Lawrence H. - Greaves, Lawrence H. (54) Lawrence H. Greaves, a prominent Los Angeles entertainment attorney, has died at the age of 54. He died a sudden death .... More 100% Published in the Los Angeles Times on 1/25/2006.
Hirst, John A. - Hirst, John A., Albee Twp., Michigan. Passed away late Monday evening September 29, 2003 at Saint Mary's hospital, Saginaw, age 65 after a long illness. .... More 100% Published in the Saginaw News on MLive.com on 10/1/2003.
Jennette, Annie Lawrie Gard - Annie Lawrie Gard Jennette, 67, of 3412 Sir Colleton Court, died Saturday, November 6, 2004 at her home. Mrs. Jennette was born in Elizabeth .... More 100% Published in The News & Observer on 11/9/2004.
Mansuy, Emmy Lou - MANSUY- Emmy Lou, May 20, 2006. Born November 27, 1920 in Scranton, the daughter of Josephine Van Bergen, nee' Lees, and Henry. She was the .... More 100% Published in the Cape Cod Times on 6/26/2006.
McBride, Hazel M. - Hazel M. McBride, 98, of Resthave Nursing Home, Morrison, died Monday, Jan. 5, 2004, at the nursing home. Services will be 10 a.m. Tuesday, .... More 100% Published in the Quad-City Times on 1/9/2004.
Mellor, Dr. Norman Hoyt - MELLOR, DR. NORMAN HOYT Age 88, of Corona 58 years, passed away Friday, September 17, 2004. Dr. Mellor was born February 8, 1916 in .... More 100% Guest Book Published in the Press-Enterprise on 9/22/2004.
Metzger, Elaine E. - Metzger Elaine E. Metzger, age 61, of Edina, on 1/23/05. Preceded in death by father, Joseph A. Joyal; daughter, Mary. Survived by mother, Rose; .... More 100%
Published in the Star Tribune from 1/24/2005 - 1/30/2005.
Mossner, Wilma C. - Mossner, Wilma C., Sand Point (Caseville), Michigan Wilma C. Mossner, age 83, of Sand Point, died Monday afternoon, December 8, 2003 at The Lutheran Home .... More 100% Published in the Bay City Times from 12/9/2003 - 12/10/2003.
Moynahan, Margaret "Peg" - Margaret "Peg" Moynahan, 59 of Panthorne Trail, Southington, died Thursday, (December 27, 2001) at Yale-New Haven Hospital after a brief illness. Born on April 22, .... More 100% Published in the Hartford Courant on 12/30/2001.
Predmore, Ensley H. - Ensley H. Predmore, 82, of Portland, Pa, died Monday, June 19, 2006 at Clover Rest Home, Knowlton Township, NJ. Born: On March 12, 1924 in .... More 100% Published in The Express Times on 6/29/2006.
Roberts, Brenda Meredith - ROBERTS, BRENDA MEREDITH - died suddenly in her home on December 28, 2006. Brenda was born in Kingston, TN on October 4, 1948. She .... More 100%
Published in the Knoxville News Sentinel on 12/31/2006.
Snyder Sr., William - GREAT BARRINGTON -- William J. Snyder Sr., 66, of 54 Hollenbeck Ave. died yesterday at Fairview Hospital. Born in Great Barrington on July 26, .... More 100% Published in The Berkshire Eagle on 3/28/2004.
Spencer, Jane Marie - Jane Marie Spencer Jane Marie Spencer (nee Churchill) age 71 of Landenberg, PA died Sunday, September 12, 2004 at her home. Born in National Park, .... More 100% Published in the Today's Sunbeam on 9/14/2004.
Rodstein, Miriam (Pokras) - RODSTEIN MIRIAM (nee Pokras), March 14, 2007, of Delray Beach FL and Elkins Park PA. Wife of Albert; mother of Arlene (James) Ginsberg, Marc (Jill) .... More
Posted by CaliforniaLyme (Member # 7136) on :
Jimmy Duarte, gifted musician, charismatic islander, dies at 70
BY MARY LANCASTER INDEPENDENT WRITER
He was a true inspiration to countless young and budding island musicians, serving both as an artistic mentor and an example of the joys of performing. A warm and generous man beloved by all who knew him, James "Jimmy" Duarte's signature nod and sincere smile will be missed by those mourning his passing. Mr. Duarte died peacefully at home on Saturday morning, May 5, 2007 at the age of 70.
ROB BENCHLEY FILE "When he talked to you he had a way of making you feel special. Jimmy had that special ability to get to your heart," said friend Nick Ferrantella of Jimmy Duarte.
"He loved this town. He was a real Nantucketer through and through," said his wife of 46 years, Jean Duarte, who explained that her husband experienced heart problems in the last few years that had developed from Lyme disease. "He loved music and he loved sports - anything with kids - the kids and music. I have never heard him say he didn't like someone. That's just the way he was. I was lucky I found someone like that."
James A. Duarte was born on Nantucket to James L. Duarte, a Cape Verdean, and Minnie (Correia) Duarte, an island native. His talent blossomed in his youth, and Mr. Duarte began playing the guitar and singing at 14. An accomplished songwriter and versatile musician who mastered styles from blues to rock and jazz, he shared his creativity freely with many teens wanting to hone their abilities and begin their own bands.
PHOTO COURTESY OF VAUGHAN MACHADO At 30 Acres are, from left, David Perry on guitar, John Gebo on drums, Shelby "Biffy" Campbell on bass, and Jimmy Duarte on guitar.
"I could talk about Jim Duarte for a long time," said Vaughan Machado. "He was my first guitar idol. When I was 11 years old and I got my first guitar for Christmas I didn't know how to tune it. My father called him and Jimmy invited me to his house late Christmas morning and helped me tune it. When I went to his house he was playing an electric guitar and it was at that moment I was inspired. I went on to play professionally and it started with that day in his kitchen. As a performer, he was a pioneer here. There is no doubt that he influenced every one of my generation on Nantucket in terms of playing and performing. He was a sweet man and definitely one of the nicest, well-liked men on Nantucket."
Nick Ferrantella was another young musician who admired Mr. Duarte's talent and was fortunate to be invited to play with him as a teenager and in his early 20s. He especially recalls an entire summer he played drums with Mr. Duarte's "Jimmy D and the Acres" group at 30 Acres off Bartlett Road, the island's original rhythm and blues and rock and roll club.
"But Jimmy had a lot of bands," said Ferrantella. "Everybody who was young and local played with one of his combinations at one time or another. Musically, he was special. He was like a song stylist with a Cape Verdean flavor that was unique to himself. He had that smooth, tasty thing going - that warm sort of thing was what made him so unique. And he always had that handsome Muhammed Ali smile. When he talked to you he had a way of making you feel special. Jimmy had that special ability to get to your heart. Like everybody, I'm going to miss him. He had a lot of fans and friends."
Ferrantella and other musicians including Bob VanArsdale, George Gardos and Mr. Duarte's cousin, David Perry, recorded Mr. Duarte's popular song "Darlin'" on a soundtrack named "Last Call" created separately from the video documentary of that name about the island's former Main Street bar The Bosun's Locker. Inside the CD envelope they thanked Mr. Duarte for allowing them to reproduce his work.
"You'd never find a sweeter guy," said Perry, who was just a small child when he first heard Mr. Duarte play. "Jimmy was actually my first guitar hero. A lot of what I first learned and my taste developed from what he was doing. He was one of the first guys I knew who was playing music when it started to become rock and roll, and that's what we wanted to be doing. He was the man for the rock and roll stuff."
Perry, like other young people, was honored to be invited to be in one of Mr. Duarte's bands when Perry was just 14, making the rounds from 30 Acres to the Chicken Box and at private parties and events, and later being part of his other groups. Some of them were the Jimmy Duarte Combo, the 30 Acres Combo, Jimmy D and the Acres and The Islanders.
"He was an influence to many and played with the musicians who were around and up and coming from the late '50s through a couple years ago," said Perry. "I don't think there is anyone around here dabbling or whatever who didn't play with Jimmy at one point."
Dennis Liadis performed with Mr. Duarte in The Islanders for five years.
"Those were probably the best five years I've ever had, music-wise. We really had a good thing going," said Liadis. "He was an unbelievable guitar player - one of the best I've ever seen. There wasn't anything he couldn't play."
Though Mr. Duarte is well-known for his music, he was also a dedicated Nantucket Boys Club football coach for many years and one of the original founders of the Nantucket Little League. In addition, Mr. Duarte was a town employee for more than three decades, first with the police department and then for about 25 years with the Department of Public Works. He began with the DPW as an equipment operator and was general foreman when he retired a half-dozen years ago.
"He was a wonderful man," said DPW administrator Diane Holdgate, who worked with Mr. Duarte for 15 years. "He was like a surrogate father to all the guys here. Everybody loved him."
Mr. Duarte was predeceased by his parents and a brother, Franklin Duarte of Dorcester. He leaves his wife, Jean, son, Nick, daughter-in-law, Jana, granddaughter, Kezia, 10, and grandson, Darian, 5, all of Nantucket. He also leaves sisters Frances Barros of Wareham and Paula Sherwood of Gloucester, brother Paul Duarte of Buzzards Bay, and many cousins.
A wake will be held at the Lewis Funeral Home on Thurs., May 10 from 5 to 8 p.m. A funeral Mass will be held at St. Mary's Church on Fri., May 11, at 11 a.m. followed by a reception at Faregrounds Restaurant.
In lieu of flowers, donations in Mr. Duarte's name may be given to the Nantucket Boys and Girls Club or to the Marla Lamb Fund through Nantucket Cottage Hospital.
Posted by CaliforniaLyme (Member # 7136) on :
Gustav Robert Persson
Gustav Robert Persson of Newark ValleyGustav R. Persson, 62, of Newark Valley, N.Y., passed away on Monday, September 19, 2006, after a long battle with ALS and lyme disease. He is survived by his wife, Reda Persson; his stepdaughters, Susan Nassar, Dallas, Texas, Laura Tramontin, Metuchen, N.J.; his grandchildren, Makena, and Carson; and his brothers-in-law, sisters-in-law, and their families. He was predeceased by his parents, Robert and Mary (Valentine) Persson. Gus graduated from Newark Valley High School, and served in the U.S. Army during the Vietnam Era. He was also a former member of the American Legion and VFW, Owego. Gus was an avid outdoorsman, and was a member of the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, Pheasants Forever, and the Wild Turkey Federation. He was a gifted whitetail deer hunter and fisherman, who would always bring home the big one. A Funeral Service will be held at Richards Funeral Home, Rte. 17c West, Owego, N.Y., on Friday, September 22, 2006, at 2:00 p.m., with Rev. Dale Ingraham officiating. Burial will follow in West Newark Cemetery. Friends are invited to call at Richards Funeral Home on Friday, from 1:00 p.m. until the time of service. Those wishing are asked to direct memorial contributions in memory of Gus to the Muscular Dystrophy Association, 810 Seventh Ave., New York, N.Y. 10019. Attn: Director of Planned Giving to research for ALS. Published in the Binghamton Press & Sun-Bulletin on 9/20/2006. Flowers * Gift Shop * Charities
Posted by CaliforniaLyme (Member # 7136) on :
Holloway, Patricia Ann
She has "fought a good fight" with rheumatoid arthritis, for 12 years brought on by Lyme disease. She recently had both knees replaced and six weeks ago had her hip replaced. She was optimistic that this last surgery would finally end her pain.
Patricia Ann Holloway, 71, crossed over to her forever home on May 17, 2007. Visitation will be held at Ott & Lee Funeral Home in Richland, MS, Saturday, May 19 from 5 to 8 pm. Funeral Services will be held at First Baptist Church of Florence, Sunday, May 20 at 2 pm with Dr. Dwight L. Smith and Rev. Gene Jordan officiating. Interment will be in the Cleary Baptist Church Cemetery. Patricia, the youngest of 12 children, was born in Sallis, MS, October 28, 1935 to Rev. A. E. Lucas and Eula Dear Lucas. She attended S. D. Lee Elementary School in Columbus, MS, and high school at Louise MS. She met Lewis Dale Holloway at Clarke Memorial Baptist College in 1952, and they were married on May 30, 1953, in Louise Baptist Church by her father who founded the Church in 1950. In 1954, Dale was called to pastor this same Church. The couple and their two sons, Lewis and Mike, moved to Kansas in August 1956 to start new churches and work in education. A generation later she realized her greatest joy with the birth of her two daughters, Kim and Jenna. Patricia graduated from Baker University in Kansas. She received her Masters Degree from Mississippi State University and her Specialists Degree in Education from Mississippi College. She taught 4th grade and junior high math. She was Reading Supervisor of Rankin County Schools and Principal of Pearl Middle School.
She has "fought a good fight" with rheumatoid arthritis, for 12 years brought on by Lyme disease. She recently had both knees replaced and six weeks ago had her hip replaced. She was optimistic that this last surgery would finally end her pain. Pat and Dale were preparing to go home from River Oaks Hospital when God called her to her "forever home." Pat made friends easily, she had a few friends whose "eyes lit up when they saw her coming". She stood up for her friends loyally and held on to them tenaciously. She made friends with her doctors and "kept them in stitches" with her humor. She was very adventurous; she water skied frequently, climbed mountains in Alaska, rode the Tidal Bore in Nova Scotia, and rode a motorcycle (once). She was blessed with gifts, skills and talents. She was organist and pianist at churches Dale Pastored. She was an art student of Marie Hull. She loved yard work more than housework. She was a better cook than our "Mommas." She loved clothes, shoes, jewelry, and shopping for the same. She is an exemplary mother and wife. She had the gift of convincing each of her six grandchildren that they were the grandest one of all. During the first 40 years of marriage, she was a strongly independent wife striding ahead of her husband. Once again, she is now skipping in heavenly sunlight free from pain. We can only imagine her incredible joy today. She is survived by her husband, Dr. Dale Holloway, her sons, Dr. Lewis Holloway and Mike Holloway, her daughters, Kim Holloway and Jenna Holloway Cochran, her daughters in law, Karen Holloway and Kay Holloway, her son in law, Shawn Cochran, and her six grandchildren, Tray Holloway, Luke Holloway, Josh Holloway, Ben Holloway, Kristin Holloway, and the baby boy Jackson Cochran. Memorials may be made to the American Diabetes Association or the Indian Christian Mission, C/O First Baptist Church, Florence, MS. Published in the Clarion Ledger on 5/19/2007. Notice * Guest Book * Flowers * Gift Shop * Charities
Posted by CaliforniaLyme (Member # 7136) on :
Possible Lyme related death- ******************************* Edward Jankowski JANKOWKSI Edward Jankowski Tool and die maker, WWII vet, 83 Edward Jankowski, 83, died peacefully on Tuesday, May 15, at his home in Mountainside, following a short illness. At his side were his beloved wife of 58 years, Isabelle, his daughter, Loretta, and his son-in-law, Michael Redmond. A Mass of the Resurrection will be celebrated at Our Lady of Lourdes Church in Mountainside on Wednesday, May 23, 2007, at 10 a.m. Friends and neighbors are welcome to attend the Funeral Mass. Arrangements are by the Higgins and Bonner Echo Lake Funeral Home, 582 Springfield Ave., Westfield. Born in Bethlehem, Pa., Mr. Jankowski grew up in Elizabeth. He served in Normandy, Northern France, and the Rhineland during World War II, leaving the United States Army as a staff sergeant, Company C., 13th Infantry. He was awarded the Purple Heart for injuries sustained in combat. Mr. Jankowski was a longtime member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars and the American Legion, and with his wife, a longtime parishioner of Our Lady of Lourdes Church. He was a tool and die maker, retiring as a supervisor with Accurate Bushing Co. in Garwood. In addition to his wife and daughter, Mr. Jankowski is survived by his sister, Anna Jankowski of Linden. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made in the name of Edward Jankowski to the Lyme Disease Foundation Inc., P.O. Box 332, Tolland, Conn. 06084. Published in the Star-Ledger from 5/21/2007 - 5/22/2007. Guest Book * Flowers * Gift Shop * Charities
Posted by CaliforniaLyme (Member # 7136) on :
Possible Lyme related death->? *************************************** Eugene W. Wallich WAPPINGERS FALLS, NY - Eugene "Gene" W. Wallich, 65, of Wappingers Falls, passed away Tuesday, May 22, 2007 at St. Francis Hospital. He was born May 7, 1942, in Jersey City, NJ, and was the son of the late Eugene and Mary Mercurio Wallich. Gene was a veteran of the U.S. Army, serving from 1960 - 1963 and stationed in Germany with the 249th Ordinance Detail, USA REUR. He was employed by IBM in Poughkeepsie for thirty years as a Senior Advisory Programmer in the Enterprise Data Systems Division until his retirement in 1992. After his retirement, he became a consultant for IRC and Tel Tech. Gene was an avid fisherman and loved fishing with his best friend of thirty-three years, Tom Foley. He also enjoyed traveling up the Hudson River on his boat "Good Timing". He especially loved attending his grandson, Jake's, games and all of his sporting events and playing with his granddaughter, Kamryn. Another favorite pastime was playing Blackjack at Las Vegas, Aruba and Atlantic City. On September 26, 1994, in Poughkeepsie, he married Ellen L. Mooney. Gene is survived at home by his loving wife and partner of sixteen years. Gene is also survived by his step-son, Christopher Mooney of NYC; two step-daughters, Kerrianne Hammond and her husband, Jeffrey, of Hyde Park and Jennifer Mooney and her fianc�e, Peter Pessetto of Raleigh, NC; a daughter, Michelle Jano and her husband, Matt, of Long Island and a son, Aaron Shook and his wife, Nicole, of Wappingers Falls; a sister, Kathleen Bridges and her husband, Phil, of Mebane, NC and a brotherin-law, Peter Dreyfuss of Riverview, FL; five grandchildren, many nieces, great-nieces, great-nephews and cousins. He was predeceased by a daughter, JeanMarie Wallich. Calling hours will be held on Friday, May 25th from 2-4 & 7-9 p.m. and Saturday, May 26th from 10 to 11 a.m. at the Robert H. Auchmoody Funeral Homes, Inc., 1028 Main Street, Fishkill. Funeral services will be held on Saturday at 11 a.m. at the funeral home, followed by military honors. Cremation will be private. The family suggests in lieu of flowers memorial contributions may be made to the American Lyme Disease Foundation (ALDF) Mill Pond Offices, 293 Route 100, Somers, NY 10589.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Posted by Melanie Reber (Member # 3707) on :
Britteny Gallgher, 17, Missouri
May 23, 2007 8:53 AM Lyme disease is a growing problem Posted By: Paige Heyward
KANSAS CITY, Mo. - If you are planning a picnic, a trip to the lake, or plan to send your kids to summer camp to ride horses, hunt or play golf you need to be aware of a growing problem. It's something your doctor may not even know about.
``She was just so full of life and energy,'' mother Hattie Gallgher said. Britteny Gallgher will be remembered as the girl who loved live, even though life had been hard for her.
``She had a lot of strength and courage,'' Hattie said. Britteny needed all the strength and courage she could muster as she battled a debilitating disease.
``It almost seemed with every organ. It was one after another,'' Hattie said.
Three years ago, the happy teenager developed horrible symptoms, including bowel problems, her eyes became permanently dilated. She was constantly tired, but she couldn't sleep.
``Just suffering, just pain you cannot believe,'' father Terry Gallgher said.
But doctor after doctor couldn't find the cause, not to mention a cure. ``You just want to hold her, and you say `I don't know what to do,'' Terry said.
Finally, Britteny got the right test, the test that detected Lyme disease, and even though she underwent intense treatment, it was too late. She died last February.
``I could have gotten it tons of times,'' Rebekah Rauckman said.
One of Britteny's friends, Rebekah, 16, was diagnosed early enough to recover. But, she's so tired she can't attend school full-time and has a long list of debilitating symptoms.
``I have stomach problems, headaches, nausea,'' Rebekah said.
Many doctors in the metro don't recognize Lyme disease when they see it. That's because many people think it's a disease that only strikes in the woods of the Northeast.
The few doctors that treat Lyme disease in Kansas City say it's a dangerous assumption to make.
``That's the whole problem. Unrecognized, undiagnosed,'' Dr. Joseph Brewer said.
Dr. Brewer at St. Luke's Hospital says Lyme disease can be easily cured in its early stage. It is spread by the bite of a tick. ``Clearly people pick it up here,'' Dr. Brewer said.
According to the Lyme Association of Greater Kansas City, there are at least 1,000 cases across the metro.
One tick bite can result in infection spanning three stages.
Early symptoms may include: *A bulls eye rash at the bite *Joint pain and fatigue
Later symptoms include: *Memory Loss *Personality Changes *Organ Failure
In rare cases, like Britteny's, it can result in death. ``There's so much of this around now,'' Dr. Brewer said.
He says people can pick it up at the Lake of the Ozarks, at scout camp, riding horses, playing with dogs or hunting. You can even get it from deer that feed in your backyard.
``It's very difficult to go someplace and mention it and somebody doesn't know someone who has it,'' Dr. Brewer said.
And it's frustrating that doctors often don't even mention it to their patients. ``One of the most common calls I get from other physicians is when their child is bitten by a tick. Then they are worried about it, not worried about it until it comes to their household,'' Dr. Brewer said.
He says patients need to be their own advocates. ``They should be vigilant and not listen to `oh there's none of it around here' because that's simply not true,'' Dr. Brewer said.
``She's always in our hearts and she'll always be there,'' Terry said.
Despite Britteny's extreme suffering, she was grateful for her life and spiritual until the end.
``The lord is my strength and my song. She wrote it on her mirror in lipstick,'' Hattie said.
Her parents want to use her strength to warn others about the disease that claimed their daughter. ``We just want to save another family from going through what we went through. When you see a kid suffer for three years and lose them for no reason its mind boggling, it's frustrating, it's angering,'' Terry said.
The Gallgher's have two other children, T.J. and Lexi. They believe Britteny would have wanted them to speak out.
To learn more about Lyme disease, prevention and cures: Lyme Association of Greater Kansas City, Inc.
[ 01. August 2007, 01:18 PM: Message edited by: Melanie Reber ]
Posted by CaliforniaLyme (Member # 7136) on :
Great, horrible post, Melanie. Lyme scares me. That poor kid. I have begun to believe that a great, great many more people are dying of this than they want to admit- and that THAT may be part of the CDC stance- when I started doing my Lyme Memorial page years back, I got a call from the husband of one of the Lymed dead that I had spoken to months earlier. He wanted me to know he had gotten a call about someone purporting to be a reporter following up on his wifes case, her death. He knew it sounded paranoid but he believed it was someone from the government. They would not give him contact info at the end which was what made him question it all. He had no way of conatct- and that is just not what reporters do!!! Anyway, after that I heard from another Lymed family member about a weird phone call from someone and I began to worry!!! One thing I do believe they do is monitor my page and/or other pages to try and find deaths they can use against us. Treatment related deaths. There are some on the pages. I think I became, without knowing it, before that realization, a tracking tool for THEM, the bad guys, the CDC IDSA clones trying to minimize Lyme and to maximize the bad image of us. Maybe not though- it was my fear!!! So I became even more centered on researching the deaths as much as I could because we need to keep off people who don't belong there because they will work against us.
Things I believe:
AlS is not rare Lyme deaths are not rare (not connected to ALS). I really don't think so- Many people die in their sleep... That scares me, too. Anoxic encephalopathy.
Agh!!! I get afraid. I do. Anyway, Best wishes all, Sarah
Posted by CaliforniaLyme (Member # 7136) on :
Harry Burke died on November 14, 2000 in the VA Hospital in Palo Alto, CA. He was 82. According to his family, the cause of death was complications from Lyme disease, which he had contracted more than ten years ago.
Burke was a Stanford University graduate and a World War II veteran of the submarine service. He became active in the AIDC industry in 1976, when the California company he was working for - Data Pathing Systems (DPS) - was purchased by NCR. DPS was a developer and manufacturer of factory data collection terminals and Burke was then a product manager. Soon after the acquisition, DPS incorporated bar code scanning wands into its devices and Burke received his indoctrination into the newly emerging technology.
During the next 20 years, he remained totally engrossed in bar coding and became one of its most vocal and ardent supporters. After Burke left DPS in 1986, he devoted most of his time to writing and consulting. A native Californian, he was also a prolific poet and a naturalist who loved to explore the national parks and mountains. He authored four books (Automating Management Information, Volumes I & II; Handbook of Bar Coding Systems; Barcodes Galore), and wrote dozens of articles and monographs. These writings concentrated mostly on the factory floor applications of bar coding. Although his books were widely recognized by experts for their excellent coverage of the subject, they did not sell very well.
Dick Meyers (Delta Services), who worked with Burke at NCR and remained a friend, remarked this past week: ``Harry was brilliant, but his writing style was somewhat scholarly and did not lend itself to easy reading.''
I first wrote about Burke in SCAN Newsletter in December 1980. In rereading the 23 SCAN articles that were subsequently published about him through 1994, I found that my reporting demonstrated an unabashed admiration for his unusual intelligence, acerbic wit, and total integrity. He did not abide fools nor tolerate dishonesty. Some considered him to be difficult, irascible and contentious, but he was one of the seminal thinkers of the AIDC industry. He was an honored, charter member of the AIDC 100 organization.
Burke could leave a memorable first impression. George Wright (PIPS, Inc.), who developed the add-on bar code to the UPC symbol to identify magazines and books, still remembers his only meeting with Burke -- at an early SCAN-TECH. ``He seemed to be aware of the role I played with the add-on codes,'' Wright recently recalled. ``His comments were incisive and biting and not particularly complimentary.'' What Wright may not have been aware of, at the time, was that Burke hated the proliferation of different bar code formats. He was a firm believer in the capabilities of just two or three symbologies to handle all applications.
In April 1991, Burke wrote an open letter to the Postmaster General of the U.S. Postal Service about that agency's ``multibillion dollar program...to automate mail-handling by instrumenting the reading of ZIP+4 codes.'' In typical Burkestyle he noted: ``Unfortunately, the postal program...is compromised before it is off the ground....Postnet (a clocked bar code) is demonstrably well behind state-of-the-art; it is numeric only (not able to handle international ZIPs); it is difficult to print; it cannot be read by the inexpensive instruments now used throughout industry; its read-reliability is substandard; and it does not lend itself well for use in automating the sortation of either packages or bulk mail....By choosing its own symbology, the Postal Service is driving a knife into the very heart of one of the most important challenges U.S. industry has ever faced.''
Burke's contempt for the ``establishment'' was legendary. By his own admission, he disliked confrontation at meetings and preferred memos in which he could blast away at will. In September 1985, he wrote a 24-page memo to Roger Palmer (Intermec) attacking the bar code standards that were being established by the Technical Symbology Committee of AIM/US. ``AIM is not a proper standardization forum,'' Burke warned. ``AIM members are responsible for maximizing the sale of their employers' products [resulting in]...a direct conflict of interest.'' Then, focusing his comments directly on Palmer, Burke admonished: ``I do not see how you can perform your position as chairman of the Symbology Committee. You have a legal obligation to the stockholders of Intermec. To perform this duty, your decisions must promote the sale of Intermec's products to the best you are able. As chairman of a key Symbology Committee, you have an obligation to those who are trying to use bar codes. I hold these two tasks to be in direct conflict.''
No one was exempt from Burke's criticisms. In August 1988, in response to an article I wrote about major changes anticipated for bar code scanning in the future, Burke replied: ``You merely recount symptoms rather than outline what is really going on. In actuality, bar coding is breaking out of its labeling shell to become `barcodese'...an instrument-to-instrument communication technique....[that will extend into] every nook and cranny of corporate affairs.''
During the past few weeks, in reviewing my 20-year association and friendship with Harry Burke, I have tried to assess his impact on the AIDC industry. He never invented any scanning device, or developed a successful bar code, or wrote important standards, or even participated in an industry committee. But we all knew that he was watching from the sidelines, ready to spot any inconsistencies, or to slice through the ``baloney.'' (In 1985, Harry actually wrote an essay titled ``Bar Code Baloney''; it was about a curious syndrome that came over him every time he attended a seminar on bar coding and found himself uttering the word ``baloney'' over and over as the speakers attempted to educate their unsuspecting and na�ve audiences.) Every industry - actually every company - should have its own Harry Burke monitoring events with a knowledgeable, irreverent, fearless eye toward preserving the integrity of its activities. The AIDC industry was fortunate to have had the original. We will miss him.
Harry Burke, who was divorced many years ago, is survived by his three children, Kevin, 53, of El Granada, CA, Trina 48, and Jeffrey, 45, of Belmont, CA; and four grandchildren.
Posted by trueblue (Member # 7348) on :
Girl loses life to tick-borne illness By Rajah Maples Posted: Thursday, May 31, 2007 at 9:14 PM
LEWISTOWN, MO -- It's a parent's worst nightmare, and it happened right here in the Tri-States.
You've heard a lot about lyme disease, and its harmful....potentially fatal effects.
But there's *another* tick-borne illness that you should be concerned about, and a local tragedy is the unfortunate proof.
7-year-old Ellen Cary of Lewistown, Missouri got sick around Mother's Day.
Many thought it was just a normal, childhood illness.......but what they didn't know ended up taking her life way too soon.
Her parents agreed to sit down with our Rajah Maples in hopes of preventing this tragedy from happening to someone you love.
When Ellen Cary started coming down with a fever, she was diagnosed with an upper respiratory infection. Her condition got worse, so doctors admitted her to the hospital and was later transferred to St. Louis Children's Hospital.
Rajah-- "You thought you were going to come home with her from St. Louis, didn't you? You never dreamed this would happen?
Eric and Harriet Cary: "No, it never crossed our minds. They diagnosed her with H-L-H and then they turned around the next day and told us that she had ehrlichiosis, which is caused by a tick bite. We had never heard of it before, but they told us the ehrlichiosis had triggered the disease called H-L-H."
A few days after Ellen was admitted to St. Louis Children's Hospital, doctors declared her "brain dead." Her parents were told there was nothing they could do, other than pack up, head home and make funeral arrangements. And it all happened in just *10* days.
Eric: "They say it's a very fast-acting disease, but they don't know too much about it."
Rajah-- "I appreciate you doing this interview, because I would hate for another parent to go through this."
Eric and Harriet: "Definitely not. I mean, what we've been through is a tragedy, and I would hate to see any child go through what Ellen went through.
Rajah---"I never got to meet Ellen, so let's talk about her life. What was she like?"
Eric and Harriet: "She was everybody's girl. Everybody loved her. She always had a hug or smile for somebody. Always thought of other people."
The Cary's want us to remember Ellen's thoughtfulness....and they also have some thoughtfulness of their own to pass along.
Harriet: "Just be careful. You never know."
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention visited the Cary's home this morning to interview them about Ellen's case.
The center plans to test for ticks in every area in which Ellen had spent time.
We talked with a doctor St. Louis Children's Hospital about the illness.
It's treatable if it's caught early, but can be fatal.
Dr. Ericka Hayes says the hospital has already seen about 8 cases so far this year, including Ellen's.
Ehrlichiosis can be tricky to spot because its symptoms can be mild at first, and they can resemble a number of other illnesses.
Symptoms can include fever, headache, joint pain, fatigue and sometimes, a rash.
Dr. Hayes says it's *very* important to tell your doctor if you've pulled a tick off your body.
Thanks Bea, not sure if this was here so copied it over. So, so sad.
[ 01. June 2007, 12:31 PM: Message edited by: trueblue ]
Posted by Melanie Reber (Member # 3707) on :
Bruno C. Malvezzi, 87, New Jersey
Bruno C. Malvezzi
87, jeweler, veteran
Tuesday, July 31, 2007
DENVILLE -- Bruno C. Malvezzi passed away at Morristown Memorial Hospital on Sunday, July 29, 2007. He had suffered and was paralyzed for the last year with Lyme disease. He was 87.
Born and raised in Weehawken, he had summered in Denville since the 1930s and moved there full-time in 1952.
He served in the Navy during World War II and received a Bronze Star and Presidential Citation for "exceptionally meritorious achievement in the performance of outstanding combat service against enemy forces." He had been a jeweler, or "platinum smith" since 1940, and worked his last 25 years at Van Cleef and Arpels Jewelers in Manhattan before retiring in 1982.
He was a member of the Elks Club in the Denville/Rockaway area, and was an avid gardener and farmer.
His wife, Mary (Pont) of 50 years predeceased him in 1995.
His sons, Frank of Emmaus of Pa., Joseph of Guilford of Conn., and Charles Malvezzi of Wallingford, Conn.; and his grandchildren, Matthew, Ben, Alex, Brett and Chloe survive him.
Funeral services will be held at Norman Dean Home for Services, 16 Righter Ave., Denville, N.J., www.normandean.com, on Friday, Aug. 3, at 11 a.m. Visitation will take place prior to the service from 9-11 a.m.
Edward L. (Teddy) McNeil (formerly of Bedford, NY and Cottingham, East Yorkshire, England) passed away peacefully July 11 at his home in Fort Myers, Florida. Survived by his sister, Joyce (John), his four children, Jane (Hugh), Jonathan (Chrissie), Charlie (Dave) and Andrea (Adam) as well as his seven grandchildren, Hannah, Bryn, Joseph, Thomas, Ian, Adam and Addison.
Dr. McNeil was a doctor of emergency medicine at Northern Westchester Hospital, as well as a dedicated volunteer at the Bedford VFD. He was a pioneer of aerospace and hyperbaric medicine. He was also a great advocate in the education and diagnosis of Lyme disease.
Proud of his Scottish heritage and a great lover of Irish music, he was never too far from his guitar, banjo, harmonica, bagpipes or penny whistle and often seen in his kilt for dressy occasions. He is the author of medical texts, poetry and short stories, an avid cartoonist, painter and wood worker. Medicine was his profession and art and music were his passions.
The twinkle of his blue eyes, his smile and laughter will be missed by all.
At Teddy's bequest his friends may commemorate the occasion by buying some flowers and a bottle of their favorite drink and making a toast to his memory or donate to their favorite charity as a remembrance.
Dr. James Alan Yarbrough, 54 of Hendersonville passed away July 25, 2007.
Mr. Yarbrough is survived by his wife, Ladonna Bennett Yarbrough; his son, Chad Yarbrough; his daughter, Cara Yarbrough; his father, J.D. Yarbrough of Judsonia, Ark.; and his sister, Benita Yingling of Judsonia, Ark.
Funeral services were 2 p.m. Saturday, July 28, 2007, at the Hendersonville Church of Christ with Keith Parker officiating. Interment followed in the Hendersonville Memory Gardens.
James Proffitt, Donald McAdams, Chad Yarbrough, Jerry Lea, Scott Thurman, Todd Burwell and Lonnie Edwards served as active pallbearers. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Hendersonville Church of Christ Benevolence Fund.
Arrangements were made by Hendersonville Memory Gardens and Funeral Home.
Alan had a doctorate in psychology. His Lyme presenting as ALS. By the time he was seen by a LLMD and properly diagnosed, his illness had progressed too far for a return to health.
He fought valiantly, and while the antibiotics could not halt the onslaught of his disease, he felt they did slow it up and gave him more time with his family.
While sick he still continued to think of others, even offering his paralyzed body as a research tool for new and different treatment methods.
He will be greatly missed by all who knew and loved him.
Posted by Melanie Reber (Member # 3707) on :
Anne Brown, 70, Alabama
GUIN, Ala. - Anne Brown, 70, died June 3, 2007, at North Mississippi Medical Center-Hamilton, Ala.
Memorial services are today at 4 p.m. at Guin First United Methodist Church with Rev. Art Rowe officiating. Norwood Funeral Homes, Inc. of Guin is in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Brown was born in Montgomery County, Ala., to the late Bird Fuller Dailey Watson and the late James Marvin Dailey II. She was a graduate of Escambia County High School in Atmore, Ala., and attended Huntingdon College in Montgomery, Ala.
She worked for Earthquake Consortium in Memphis and was a member of First United Methodist Church and was a Certified United Methodist Lay Speaker.
In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her stepfather, James Robert Watson; and brother, James Marvin Dailey III. She is survived by her husband, Joel Earl Brown of Guin; daughters, Anne Corinne Hale Broxson of Merryville, La., Alison Leigh Hale Nadeau of Kilauea, Hawaii, and Kelly Elaine Hale Morse of Ballwin, Mo.; sons, Curtis Hale Jr. of Round Rock, Texas, and William Michael Brown, Matthew Allen Brown and Stephen Andrew Brown, all of Meridian; sisters, Carolyn Watson Liley of Pensacola, Fla., and Laura Joe Hataway of Belleville, Ill.; 13 grandchildren and one great-grandson.
Memorials may be made to Guin First United Methodist Church Scholarship Fund.
Posted by CaliforniaLyme (Member # 7136) on :
Possible Lyme related death- ****************************** Staucet, Grace M. "Nanny" View/Sign Guest Book
Staucet, Grace M. "Nanny" SLINGERLANDS Grace M. (Tiernan) Staucet, 79, passed away suddenly, Sunday, July 29, 2007 at her home. Born in Albany, she was the daughter of the late Justin and Loretta (Snyder) Tiernan. Mrs. Staucet was a lifelong communicant of St. Margaret Mary's Church and a graduate of Vincentian Institute. With great appreciation and flair for style, she was a jewelry and handbag buyer for Myer's Department Store during her young adult years. Her heart was captured by the love of her life, "Frankie" Staucet and, for 54 years, she devoted her life to him and their children. Grace loved to travel in their motor home and was an avid sports fan who loved to attend her grandchildren's games and watch her favorite baseball team, the New York Yankees. She loved her home, her flowers, crossword puzzles, mystery novels, going out for treats, but most of all being with her family. She was avidly involved in the parent association of St. Margaret Mary's School, Mercy High School, and Christian Brothers Academy and served as her husband's companion on special service projects to the food pantry. "Nan" Staucet was a strong woman, devoted wife, loving mother and grandmother. She will always be remembered as a special caregiver who had a gift for nurturing and caring for the young and the sick. She is survived by her loving husband of 55 years, Frank P. Staucet; and their children, Susan (David) Doemel, Frank (Monique) Staucet, Mary Serrano and Lori (Lewis) Sharp; grandchildren, Michelle (Andrew) Irons, David (Stefanie) Doemel, Danielle Doemel, Gabrielle Doemel, Michael Doemel, Wesley Staucet, Justin Staucet, Jordan Staucet, Mia Staucet, Justine Brucker-Serrano, Jonathan Brucker-Serrano, Benjamin Serrano, Caitlin Casey and great-grandchildren, Abigail, Ella and Eliza Irons. She is also survived by her sister-in-law, Mary Therese Dybel, brother-in-law, Richard H. Girvin; beloved friends, Fred and Ullie Lanifero; and her canine companion, Corky; as well as several nieces and nephews. She was predeceased by her sister, Joan H. Girvin. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Thursday at 9 a.m. in St. Margaret Mary Church. Relatives and friends are invited and may call at the Daniel Keenan Funeral Home, 490 Delaware Ave., Albany, Wednesday from 4-8 p.m. Entombment, St. Agnes Cemetery, Menands. In lieu of flowers, donations in Mrs. Staucet's memory may be made to Lyme Disease Foundation, P.O. Box 332, Tolland, CT 06084-0332, or Cardiology Fund, c/o St. Peter's Hospital Foundation, 319 So. Manning Blvd. Suite 309, Albany, NY 12208.
Posted by CaliforniaLyme (Member # 7136) on :
Robert Dawson
Robert Dawson, age 55, died Friday, July 27, 2007. Robert was born on March 26, 1952, in Bad Hersfeld, Germany, to Wilbur Clark Dawson and Hildegarde Bischof Dawson. He graduated from the University of South Carolina with a BS and MS in Physics. Robert worked as a Semi-Conductor Engineer at AMD and Spansion in research and development. He is the recipient of over 140 patents. Robert's past-times included reloading and target shooting as well as hunting. He also enjoyed working on computers. He liked to joke about his new "convertible", a bulldozer. Robert was a member of Ducks Unlimited and a Life Member of the American Rifle Association.
In the past four years, Robert faced many challenges and adversities associated with ALS and Lyme Disease.
Robert was preceded in death by his father, Wilbur Clark Dawson. Survivors include his mother, Hildegarde Dawson of Columbia, South Carolina; his wife, Annette Swint Dawson of Austin; one daughter, Amanda Karoline Dawson of Austin; one sister, Charlott Caudle of Columbia, South Carolina; and one brother, Wilbur C. Dawson, Jr. of Columbia, South Carolina, one niece, one nephew and three great-nieces. A memorial service will be held on Tuesday, July 31, 2007, at 11:00 a.m. at Weed-Corley-Fish Funeral Home, 3125 North Lamar, with Fr. Gregory Romanski officiating. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to The ALS Association, Development Department, 27001 Agoura Road, Suite 150, Calabasas Hills, CA 91301 or on-line at www.als.org and choose the Donations tab or to St. Theresa's Choir Camp, c/o Dan Girardot, 4311 Small Drive, Austin, TX 78731. Obituary and guest book online at http://wcfish.comr Published in the Austin American-Statesman on 7/30/2007.
Posted by CaliforniaLyme (Member # 7136) on :
Wicker, Robert Earl View/Sign Guest Book
Robert Earl Wicker, 56, died at home Thursday, August 9, at 11:35 p.m., following a 14 year battle with Lyme Disease, recently complicated by an adverse reaction to neuroleptic drugs. Friends and family are invited to honor his life at a memorial service beginning 6:30 p.m. Monday, August 13, held at home.
Robert is survived by his wife of 26 years, Barbara; son, Noah; father, James Willis Wicker of Loveland, CO; and mother, Lola May Perkins of Tupelo, OK. He is further survived by his sisters, Brenda Roberts of Newport, OR, Connie Martin of Ada, OK, Missy Wicker of Brighton, CO, and Christy Rader of Loveland, CO.
He is preceded in death by his sister, Ceciela Woods, formerly of Tupelo, OK.
Robert received his degree in electrical engineering from the University of Colorado at Boulder, where he graduated fourth in his class in 1972, and where he met his wife, Barbara. He was recruited by Westinghouse Electric Corporation, where he worked for 17 years, including five years in London, England, where his territory included Europe, Africa, and the Middle East. He loved being an engineer and was named District Engineer of the Year for the corporation in the early 1980's. After Westinghouse, he worked for two additional companies before his disease put an end to the career he loved.
He was a wonderful handyman; a tolerant and generous husband; a proud father; and a steadfast and loyal brother and son.
Contributions, to honor his memory, may be made to the NC Lyme Disease Foundation, Hospice of Wake County, or the NC Coastal Federation. Published in The News & Observer on 8/13/2007. Notice * Guest Book * Flowers * Gift Shop * Charities
Posted by Melanie Reber (Member # 3707) on :
Steven F. Wells, 45, Ohio
Sunday, August 12, 2007 Steven F. Wells
SOUTH BERWICK -- Steven F. Wells, 45, of South Berwick, died suddenly on Aug. 9, 2007, at Frisbie Memorial Hospital in Rochester after a valiant battle with lyme disease and ALS.
He was born May 14, 1962, a son of Joseph and Bernice Wells, in Warren, Ohio.
He is survived by his loving wife of 17 years, Jennifer (Arambasick) Wells and their two daughters.
He graduated from Hiram College in Hiram, Ohio, with a degree in business management. He continued his studies throughout his life and earned an M.B.A. from Franklin Pierce College in 2004. For the past 10 years, he has been an executive director for the Cooperative Alliance for Seacoast Transportation (COAST). Previously he had worked in public transportation for the RTA in Dayton, Ohio; for Apple Line Transportation in Gettysburg, Pa.; at the Geauga County Transit System in Chardon, Ohio, and as the county airport manager for Geauga County, located in Middlefield, Ohio.
He was a devoted communicant of St. Mary's Church in Dover. He enjoyed spending time with his family, snowmobiling, flying and working to restore his house.
In addition to his wife, he is survived by two daughters, Stephanie, 16, a student at Marshwood High School, and Alexandra, 8, who will be entering the Great Works School in South Berwick. Also, his parents, Joseph and Bernice Wells; brothers Gary Wells of Burlington, Iowa, and Mike Wells of Cortland, Ohio; sister Nancy Wheelock and her husband Bob of Parkman, Ohio; and sister Susan Wells of Northfield, Ohio; brother-in-law Christopher Arambasick of Portsmouth; mother and father-in-law Ron and JoAnn Arambasick of Garretsville, Ohio; niece Erica Wells, niece and goddaughter Amy Wheelock, nephews Matthew Wheelock and Seth Wells. Also, longtime best friend Tim Sheahan and goddaughter Emily of Gettysburg, Pa.; and uncle, Fr. Dennis Arambasick, whose spiritual support has been invaluable.
The family would like to thank the COAST board of directors and staff for their support and assistance during this difficult time.
Caroline McHardy Elliot GREENSBORO - Caroline Elliot, 61, died at Moses Cone Hospital in Greensboro on Thursday, May 3, 2007, of Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever.
A memorial service will be held 3 p.m. in Greensboro on Sunday, May 6, at New Garden Friends Meeting at 801 New Garden Road.
Caroline was born July 1, 1945, in Charlotte to John Drew and Ann Mauldin Elliot. She graduated from Myers Park High School in Charlotte and earned a BA from UNCG. She attended Columbia University in New York where she received her Physical Therapy degree.
Caroline combined her physical therapy skills and commitment to peace and social justice through her work with the American Friends Service Committee in Africa and South Vietnam where she met David Bailey, her loving husband of 33 years.
She moved with her family to Greensboro in 1979 where she worked in the Greensboro City School System for 25 years. She dedicated her career to helping disabled children and was a much loved member of the Gateway Education Center staff until her retirement last year.
Caroline loved hiking, camping, gardening, and travel - including recent trips to Alaska, Ireland, Brazil and her return to Vietnam in 2002. She was active in Friendship Friends Meeting, continuing her life long commitment to social justice. She was a Girl Scout whose camp songs, outdoor skills and leadership she passed on to many girls in this area. She loved to spend time with her many friends and family, especially her two young grandsons, Robert and Luke.
Caroline was a powerful person who empowered those around her. She accomplished much and helped many throughout a life that was cut way too short.
She is survived by her husband, David Bailey; daughter, Jessica; her husband, Lyn Stimpson; and grandson, Robert of Helena, Mont.; son, Rob; his wife, Annaliese Zeiler; and grandson, Luke of Loveland, Colo.; mother, Ann Elliot of Charlotte; sister, JoAnn Davis of Winston Salem; brothers, John Elliot of Charlotte and Robert "Hoppy" Elliot of Winston Salem; godchildren, Deedee Nachman, Sheldon Currier, and Caroline Elliot; lifelong friend, Barbara Dowd; and so many aunts, cousins, nieces, nephews, great nieces and nephews, and dear, dear friends who will miss her greatly.
She was predeceased by her father, John Drew Elliot of Charlotte.
A reception will follow the memorial service. In lieu of flowers, please send donations to the American Friends Service Committee at www.afsc.org or the Nature Conservancy at www.nature.org. Forbis & Dick Guilford Chapel is serving the family and condolences may be offered at www.forbisanddick.com
RALEIGH -- A Guilford County woman has died from Rocky Mountain spotted fever.
State health officials say the 61-year-old woman died in May. Her doctor diagnosed her with the tick-borne disease. The cause was confirmed recently by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
This is a serious illness, but it can be largely prevented by limiting exposure to tick bites, said State Epidemiologist Dr. Jeffrey Engel. North Carolina and Oklahoma account for the most cases of Rocky Mountain spotted fever in the country, so we need to be particularly vigilant here.
The last death from the fever was in 2005. The state says there were 862 cases of the disease last year and 261 so far this year.
According to the CDC, key symptoms are fever, muscle pain, headache and rash. The majority of patients are hospitalized.
You can limit your exposure to ticks by:
* Wearing light-colored clothing, which allows you to see ticks that are crawling on your clothing.
* Tucking your pants legs into your socks so that ticks cannot crawl up the inside of your pants legs.
* Applying repellents to discourage tick attachment. Repellents containing permethrin can be sprayed on boots and clothing, and will last for several days. Repellents containing DEET can be applied to the skin, but will last only a few hours before reapplication is necessary. Use DEET with caution on children. Application of large amounts of DEET on children has been associated with adverse reactions.
* Conducting a body check upon return from potentially tick-infested areas by searching your entire body for ticks. Use a hand-held or full-length mirror to view all parts of your body. Remove any tick you find on your body.
* Checking children for ticks, especially in the hair, when returning from potentially tick-infested areas. Ticks may also be carried into the household on clothing and pets and only attach later, so both should be examined carefully to exclude ticks.
If you are bitten by a tick, quick removal of the tick reduces the chance of infection. To remove a tick:
* Use fine-tipped tweezers, and protect your fingers with a tissue, paper towel, or latex gloves. Avoid removing ticks with your bare hands.
* Grasp the tick as close to the skin surface as possible and pull upward with steady, even pressure. Do not twist or jerk the tick; this may cause the mouthparts to break off and remain in the skin.
* Wash area with soap and water. Also wash your hands.
* Note date of removal. If you develop symptoms, this could be important information to share with your doctor.
* Tape the tick to a white card, so if you become sick later the species of tick can be identified.
Posted by imanurse (Member # 7022) on :
23 die from tick-borne disease Monday, July 24, 2006
Another person dies from the incurable Crimea-Congo fever
ISTANBUL - Turkish Daily News
Dursun T�ter, 58, of Tokat province died from Crimea-Congo fever over the weekend, bringing the national death toll from this disease to 23.
The deaths have caused public alarm but the government says the country is a long way from an epidemic. "There is a wave of panic which must be overcome," said senior Health Ministry official Turan Buzgan. Buzgan, a medical doctor, said that since 2003, when the disease first surfaced in Turkey, 43 people had died, mainly in central Anatolia, making a death rate of some 5 percent of diagnosed cases. He urged anyone who thought they had been bitten by a tick to consult a doctor, in line with recommendations in the tens of thousands of leaflets distributed by the Health Ministry, mainly in rural areas primarily affected. The disease, related to the deadlier Ebola fever, cannot be cured by treatment but Turkish newspapers carry almost daily articles advising readers on how to deal with ticks. Crimea-Congo fever was first described in 1944 in the Crimean peninsula, but it is not known how it crossed the Black Sea to Turkey. The Congo appellation was added in 1969 when it was realized the same disease had been found in central Africa in 1956.
Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever (CCHF) emerges particularly in the summer months and is spread to humans via the bite of an infected tick.
Dr. G�lsemin G�loğlu from the Vehbi Ko� American Foundation Hospital Pediatric Unit says that in some situations the disease is contagious as a result of contact with the blood or tissue of infected animals. Noting that nearly 30 kinds of ticks can carry the virus, Dr. G�loğlu says Hyalomma ticks are the most prevalent carriers of the Nairovirus. According to information provided by Dr. G�loğlu, the symptoms of the disease take nine days to appear after a tick bite, and infection from contact with infected blood or tissue of an infected animal takes from five to six days to a maximum of 13 days to appear. Early symptoms of the disease are fever, chills, shaking, aching muscles, lack of appetite, dizziness, vomiting and diarrhea. Bleeding under the skin, sore eyes, blood in the urine, nose and intestines are other symptoms of the disease. Pulmonary failure may also develop.
The mortality rate is approximately 30 percent, occurring in the second week of the disease. If a patient makes a recovery, it occurs on the ninth or 10th day after the onset of the disease. G�loğlu says the disease is diagnosed when antibodies are detected in the blood on the sixth day. In other laboratory tests, abnormalities such as a rise in liver enzymes can be seen.
``There is no specific treatment method for the disease. Blood component replacement is a supportive treatment method. It is very important and necessary to receive professional help to remove the tick from the body. The tick should be removed from the body as a whole. It should not be removed by using ether or other anesthetic substances. It is not necessary to take antibiotics right after tick bite, but the person's fever should be carefully followed 10 days after bite. In the case of symptoms like high fever, the person should be taken to a hospital as soon as possible.''
Sheldon Willis "Tex" Stout II, 66, Bull Shoals, Ark., and formerly of Sarasota and Arcadia, died July 25, 2002, in Springfield, Mo., from Ehrlichiosis ...
Published in the Herald Tribune on 7/29/2002
Posted by imanurse (Member # 7022) on :
Possible Lyme related death:
Joseph Vocino
VOCINO JOSEPH, July 1, 2007 of Haddon Heights, NJ. Husband of Wendy Buddine, father of Molly Vocino, step-father of Emily Vasile, brother of Claudia Vocino. Relatives and friends are invited Friday beginning 11:30 A.M. to PLATT MEMORIAL CHAPELS INC., 2001 Berlin Rd., Cherry Hill NJ. where services will begin promptly at 12:00 noon.
The family will return to their residence and respectfully requests contributions in his memory be made to the National Research Foundation for Tick-Borne Diseases, 800-728-7147
Published in the Philadelphia Inquirer & Philadelphia Daily News on 7/3/2007.
Posted by hshbmom (Member # 9478) on :
I wish I had known that Lyme can causes miscarriages and stillbirths.
I would have loved to see the Lyme results from autopsies on my 2 littlest boys...they looked so healthy!
Bet they were teeming with spirochetes...
****************************
I've learned of 3 local deaths here...most likely due to the complications of Lyme disease.
My neice was nearly a statistic numerous times, but thanks to a well known LLMD she is alive... not well, but alive.
Posted by Melanie Reber (Member # 3707) on :
Dearest Mom,
I am so terribly sorry to read of your tragedy. How many more have we lost to these terrible diseases...we may never know.
Please accept my most heartfelt condolences on the loss of your precious little ones.
And know...your work now to share accurate information for others is such a gift in their remembrance.
Much love, Melanie
Posted by Melanie Reber (Member # 3707) on :
Lloyd Ebert, 101, Minnesota
Lloyd Ebert brought history alive for many
The former railroad worker shared his personal anecdotes using a wealth of detail and storytelling skill.
By Ben Cohen, Star Tribune August 26, 2007 - 9:18 PM
Lloyd Ebert, who helped historical groups such as the Minneapolis Parks Legacy Society clearly picture early 20th-century Minneapolis, died of a deer tick-borne illness, babesiosis, in Minneapolis on Aug. 9.
The former builder and railroad worker, who lived in Minnetonka, was 101.
Ebert built 12 homes and several of the buildings in the Linden Hills neighborhood, doing much of the work himself.
Whether describing his upbringing in Linden Hills or his construction work there, Ebert insisted on accurate presentations, but he brought them alive with plenty of detail and storytelling skill, said Joan Berthiaume of Minneapolis, cofounder of the Minneapolis Parks Legacy Society.
"Lloyd became a fascinating wellspring of local history in the oral tradition," said Berthiaume, who added that Ebert had a photographic memory. "He brought the stories to life, complete with the details about the personal characteristics of the people he was describing."
He told stories of the dredging of the once-swampy lakes and stories of boyhood shenanigans. He and his friends used the dredging equipment as a diving platform after the workers went home.
Ebert could recall the names of the lamplighters of street gaslights, how the lights were built and their exact locations.
And he told of the 1914 wiring of his parents' Linden Hills home for electricity. His family forgot to buy light bulbs and stores were closed, so he "liberated" some from the Lake Harriet Pavilion, he said.
As a teenager, he recalled riding the rails out West, picking fruit in Washington state.
Ebert provided his oral history lessons to libraries and historical groups in several communities, including Edina, Eden Prairie, Linden Hills and Gull Lake.
He also gave accounts of the Twin Cities' history handed down from his maternal grandfather, Ebenezer Hodsdon who farmed near Lake Nokomis starting in the mid-1800s.
Hodsdon participated in meetings about naming the city at Col. John Stevens' house. Several names were suggested, but Ebenezer favored "Minneahapolis," the initial spelling of the city, said Berthiaume, who found Ebert's account verified in a history of the city.
Ebert, a 1924 graduate of Minneapolis' West High School, became so enamored of trains that he became a fireman on steam-powered engines in the 1920s, a task he performed with the Navy during World War II in the Pacific Theater.
Beginning in 1926, he and other family members built several of the buildings that house shops in Linden Hills.
After World War II, he built a cabin near Gull Lake, where he and his wife, Caroline, lived off the land for five years, doing a little carpentry on the side.
He worked for the Great Northern Railway for 25 years, retiring in 1977, enjoying gardening and stone polishing. He recently restored his decades-old wooden rowboat.
Ebert lived in the home he built in 1959 on Glen Lake in Minnetonka until he died. He remained healthy until he contracted the parasitic infection, said his daughter.
Caroline, his wife of 50 years, died in 1996.
He is survived by daughters Melanie of Minnetonka and Ramona of Shorewood; a son, Scott, of Minnetonka, and a granddaughter.
CENTRALIA, Mo. | A 15-year-old girl has died from a rare but treatable tick-borne disease, officials said Thursday.
The Boone County medical examiners office identified the victim as Emily Powell, a Centralia High School freshman. The cause of death was erlichiosis, a bacterial illness. She died Wednesday, two days after being admitted to University Hospital in Columbia.
Symptoms of ehrlichiosis include fever, headache, fatigue and muscle aches, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control. Other signs and symptoms can include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, cough, joint pains, confusion and rashes.
Symptoms generally appear after an incubation period of five to 10 days following a tick bite. The disease, if detected early, can be treated with antibiotics.
State officials reported 117 cases of ehrlichiosis through mid-August, nearly three times the annual average. Higher-than usual rates of Rocky Mountain spotted fever, tularemia and lyme disease are also being reported.
Posted by jazzygal (Member # 9145) on :
The PHA is also publishing obiituaries in the newspaper.
All entries must be verifiable by a local newspaper obituarty.
Thanks, Dawn
Posted by Cobweb (Member # 10053) on :
Bringing this to the top for those interested in the terminal side of lyme.
Posted by Melanie Reber (Member # 3707) on :
Gregory Joseph Deneault, 45, Canada
It is with great sadness the family announce the passing of Gregory at home on Friday September 14, 2007.
Beloved wife of Rosa for 9 years. Much loved son of Francis and Norm Deneault. Dear brother of Paul, Delphine, and Angela. Gregory will be lovingly remembered by many family and close friends.
Friends may call at the Turner & Porter ``Peel'' Chapel, 2180 Hurontario St., Mississauga (Hwy 10, N. of the QEW) from 2-9 p.m. Sunday. Funeral Mass will be held at S. Salvador do Mundo Church, 1212 Melton Dr., Mississauga on Monday September 17, 2007 at 10:30 a.m. Interment Glen Oaks Memorial Gardens.
If desired, donations to Canadian Lyme Disease Foundation of Canada, 2495 Reece Rd. Westbank, BC., V4T 1N1, www.canlyme.com would be appreciated.
Posted by firsttwin (Member # 5529) on :
I would like to send my thoughts and prayers to all the family and friends of all the names listed and I pray that God be with all of his children that suffered throughout their misery. There couldn't be any doubt they are in heaven sitting with God at his feet and thank the Lord they are in NO MORE pain. That is the only good thing that comes out of this. They will all be missed dearly I'm sure.
With Lots of Love and Humbleness,
Maria firsttwin Posted by Melanie Reber (Member # 3707) on :
Arda Manoukian, 50, California
Arda Manoukian, a nutritionist, from Newbury Park in Southern California, passed away today. Arda was removed from life support at the wishes of her medical directive which also detailed her Lyme disease and co-infections diagnosis. Arda chose not to be treated with antibiotics. Last Friday, on her 50th birthday, Arda suffered a major heart attack.
Arda cared about people, and she was an expert at preparing healthy recipes and would take the time to explain the intricate details of ingredients, and preparation. In fact, Arda wrote an article in the Lyme Times on nutrition.
She was a warm and generous person and will be missed by her family, friends and the Lyme community.
Posted by Melanie Reber (Member # 3707) on :
Susan Starchuk, 62, Canada
I'm sorry to report that Susan Starchuk of BC passed away yesterday, Sept 19, 2007, from a massive heart attack. She died in the arms of her husband.
Susan was a long-time Lyme sufferer and she was very active in the Lyme community arranging seminars and getting the word out. She'll be deeply missed by many. (Mary J.) ................
STARCHUK SUSAN It is with great sadness that the family of Susan Starchuk (nee McLennan) announce her passing on September 19th, 2007 at 62 years old.
She was predeceased by her father Donald McLennan and survived by her mother, Laurie McLennan and the love of her life, husband, John Starchuk. Also missed by her 2 adored sons, Darrin and Jeff (Lonnie); granddaughters, Sophia and Chloe; and her three sisters, Nancy McEachern (Blaine), Donna McLennan and Julie Goertzen; and her faithful companion, Daisy.
In lieu of flowers, donations to the Kidney Foundation are gratefully appreciated. For service information, please contact Fraser Heights Chapel at 604-589-2559.
Published in the Vancouver Sun and/or The Province on 9/22/2007.
Posted by trueblue (Member # 7348) on :
Michael "Mike" Wilnau, 53, NY?
death from Babesiosis Friday, September 27, 2007 Southampton Press
Michael Wilnau Michael "Mike" Wilnau of Remsenberg and Eastport died at Stony Brook University Medical Center On Friday August 31, of complications from babesiosis incurred as a result of a tick bite. He was 53. Born to Roger and Florence Wilnau on July 12, 1954, he was honorably discharged from the United States Army after serving in Vietnam. Well known for his guitar playing, he was a painter and a jack of all trades. According to his family, he will be remembered by all who knew him for his compassion, wit, sensitivity, and his love for children and animals . .
(copied over from the other threads. Thank you Sarah and savebabe)
Posted by Melanie Reber (Member # 3707) on :
LOMA LINDA, Calif. - Lothar Bachmann of Auburn, born on June 10, 1942, in Ahlhorn, Germany, passed gently away to heaven at 2:48 p.m. on Oct. 8, at Loma Linda University Medical Center. At his bedside were with his wife, Holly, daughter, Susie, brother Ekkehard, and sister-in-law Massie, singing and praying for him.
Lothar had battled for 41/2 years of miraculous effort a long illness from causes still being researched, but with two types of confirmed Lyme disease. Symptoms were medically classified as myelodysplastic syndrome, which then transitioned in June of 2007, to acute myeloid leukemia. Both medical classifications have no confirmed causes in Lothar's case (typically chemotherapy, radiation, diesel exhaust and/or benzene poisoning can cause these conditions but Lothar had mostly no prior exposure to these). Symptoms are typically severe anemia and resultant affects.
He and his wife, Holly, worked heavily into researching his health condition, and eventually found Lyme disease as a possible issue. Unbeknownst to them at the time, 70% of tick bites do not produce the "rash" and even up to 10 different types of infection can come from one tick bite. The Bachmanns have since pushed for grass roots activism against Lyme disease and to promote the education, prevention and thorough treatment in the field.
It was also discovered later in the process of Lothar's disease that "gram positive cocci in clusters" (a name given to the old "staph" infection, staphylococcus aureus, the microbe lately all over the news) was a common issue for Lothar, as effective white blood counts degenerated and his ability to fight off opportunistic diseases waned.
Injections of "G-CSF" Neupogen were used as medicine and helped give Lothar continued life extension, but because it is typically not used for leukemia, once the MDS transitioned into leukemia, the Bachmanns had to push for the right and amount of this medicine to be used. Possibly similar to how a diabetic needs insulin, in Lothar's case, his leukemia needed G-CSF and EPO, which are growth factors to help him produce the necessary blood count levels to stay alive.
He was originally given 6 to 9 months to live but through determination, courage and inventive integrative medicine with research from all over the world, especially in Germany, he was able to live an excellent quality of life for a remarkable 4 additional years. He enjoyed travel and was an avid explorer and hiker of his beloved European Alps and native White Mountains.
Lothar's mother was Hermine Schumacher, born in northern Germany, and father, Ernst Otto Max Bachmann born in Kiel, Germany. Lothar had four brothers, two deceased, Otto and Werner, and two surviving, Guenter of Ahlhorn, Germany, and Ekkehard of Montreal, Canada. Lothar had 3 sisters, Marie Louise Schwott, deceased and Erika Hattensaur, residing in Langweid, Germany, and Hildegard, residing in Troisdorf, Germany.
After graduating from Oldenburg Technical Schools in the 1950s, he was sponsored by his oldest sister, Marie Lousie, to immigrate to Canada, where career opportunities were much better than in Germany at the time. In 1960, he immigrated to Canada and continued engineering and language studies in Montreal. He also married, Lise Jette, in 1962, and had his first dear daughter, Susanne Bachmann, on June 6, 1963.
In the 1960s, he worked in mechanical engineering and design in the custom engineered metal fabrication field as well as for major mining companies in Canada. One of his favorite custom engineered projects was a complicated manned diving bell; one of the first with the ability to stay submerged for lengthy periods of time. He excelled in whatever he did and soon became the works manager of Stemac Ltd, a custom engineered products fabrication facility in Montreal.
Stemac was partially owned by a resident of the state of Maine, USA, who also owned another factory in Auburn, Maine. The management decided to move Lothar to the U.S. to work with the U.S. division.
Lothar moved to Maine in the early 1970s and proceeded to travel around New England coming up with solution oriented custom designed products for pulp and paper plants and other custom metal fabrications. He was also involved in the formation of Tuboflex when he signed license agreements with an expansion joint company in Germany. Soon supply to Allis Chalmers of Milwaukee for their steam turbine expansion joint systems and to other expansion joint customers commenced adding to the product line. A product line of non-metallic expansion joints was also added as well as a complete product line of dampers and large valve systems. It was also around this time that Lothar's brother, Ekkehard, from Montreal, joined him in his efforts and a factory in Montreal was added to the corporations.
Eventually factories and facilities in the Twin Cities of Lewiston and Auburn resulted in an expanded and comprehensive product line into custom engineered expansion joints and dampers, and other flow control devices for industrial and utility plants worldwide.
Lothar was named to the "Who's Who of American Inventors" of 1991 and had past membership activities in Maine Association of Engineers, Technical Association of Pulp and Paper Institute, American Iron and Steel Engineering Association and other technical associations.
Lothar married Holly Lynn Smith, the daughter of David W. Smith and Christine A. Smith of Mechanic Falls, Maine, on February 11, 1984, and was married for 231/2 wonderful years. They shared the joy of working together and loving life in Maine, while traveling extensively on business to globally expand the operations as well as for the sheer pleasure of exploring different cultures and lands. Lothar was an avid, life-long student of history and humanities as well.
Lothar's inventive ideas and ability to solve problems for customers gained him a world renowned reputation of an industrious and creative inventor. Eventually he achieved 22 patents in his lifetime, mostly related to flow control in air pollution abatement projects for utility and industrial plants.
Lothar's patent awards include: "Double Louver Damper," "Dampers with Leaf Spring Seals," "Composite Blade for Dampers for Ducts of Large Cross Sectional Areas," "Gas Flow Diverter," "Valves for Use in Controlling the Flow of a Gas Stream Through Ducts of Large Cross Sectional Areas," "Guillotine Damper," "Flap Gate Assembly," "Vertically Reciprocable Gates for the Control of a Liquid Media," "Single Louver Damper with Double Seal," "Expansion Joint" (captive angle type), "Fabric Expansion Joint for Exhaust Systems of Gas Turbines," "Device for Sealing a Conduit Against the Flow of Liquid," "Guillotine Dampers with Blade Sealing Means Accommodative of Thermal Expansion Forces."
Lothar won the Small Business Administration's Maine Businessman of the Year Award for the state of Maine in 1986 and went to Washington, D.C., to receive the honored award.
Lothar was an entrepreneurial force behind several companies in his career and the Bachmanns sold the first companies to San Diego Gas and Electric in 1990 and then retired for a brief period of time. During this first retirement, Lothar continued to travel with Holly, and generally enjoyed his life. Also during this time, the second dear daughter, Annalyn, was born on August 14, 1994.
Other business ventures were initiated over time and quickly became very successful, Phoenix Holdings, renamed later to Bachmann Industries Inc. This time, even larger engineered components and comprehensive full-scope systems, were supplied for utility and industrial flow control applications. This company also did very well and resulted in an acquisition by an Austrian engineering group, which then was re-acquired by a German company. Lothar became the director of several of the group's companies.
Lothar's talent for innovation and problem-solving saves millions of dollars for utility and industrial plants around the world still to this day, helping the earth in air pollution control and flow control applications. Bachmann (trademark held by Bachmann Industries Inc.) equipment is recognized worldwide for its quality and efficiency of operation.
He was always one to mentor and shepherd other individuals and helped support many individuals and their families in Maine and around the world. He was always very thankful of the efforts of the individual person, and promoted and mentored many individuals in the global community, including his dear and fun brother, Ekkehard Bachmann of Montreal, Canada, his future wife, Holly Smith of Mechanic Falls, Maine, his friends and colleagues, W. Fred Koch of Auburn, Maine, Michael Sellinger of Auburn, Maine, Luis Pino of Spain and Montreal, Walter Muzyka (deceased) of Lisbon Falls, Maine, and his entire family who all worked for Bachmann at one time or another, Alberto Salvato of Melbourne, Australia, John Honka of Montreal, Canada, Alfred Hassdenteufel of Kettwig, Germany, Priya Misra of Atlanta, Ga., Valerie Harmon of Brunswick, Maine, Roger Woodward of Dubai, Barry Pomerleau of Maine, Dan Kates of Manchester, Maine, and Ed Chan of Portland, Maine, Brad Hilton of Auburn, Maine, Reginald Gammon of Turner, Maine, Helen Zhao of Shanghai, China, Mr. Ubhi of India, as well as numerous others.
Lothar was a very loving father, husband, brother, uncle, colleague and friend to many. His hobbies included all outdoor sports and cooking, which the family gatherings truly enjoyed. One of his favorite relatives was Aunt Evie, Evangeline Smith of Auburn, who helped the Bachmanns with the kitties, home and details while traveling. During his illness, the efforts of Valerie Harmon, Pauline Quimby and Veronika Rodrigues as well as Aunt Robin, Uncle Bruce, Aunt Ann and Uncle Tom and Mimi (grandmother) enabled the Bachmanns to work and travel on Lothar's health program. Neighbors Celine and Gerry Nadeau, Ed and Charlene Chapman, Sharon and Paul Raczynski, Sharon Moses were all great support and help through the battle. Special friends, Dr. Ray and nurse Janet Psonak also helped Lothar with his struggle. Bernd and Sabine Poppel of Hamburg, Germany, also helped with support during the struggle. Close friends Randy, Kim and Olivia Jackson of Auburn, and Laura and Rebekah Jett of Norway were great support for the Bachmanns.
The Bachmann family sincerely thanks these people and numerous others for their kindness, compassion and care. Special thanks also to Paul Brower and John King and the dedicated teachers and staff at Hebron Academy.
Lothar's oldest daughter, Susie, was also so instrumental in his end-of-life care through her deep love and dedication for Dad while in California and helped enable the youngest daughter to stay in school in Maine, which was one of Lothar's last and dearest wishes. Youngest daughter, Annie, continued to maintain her maturity and great attitude which was a huge support and source of happiness for Dad.
In his career, Lothar's sacrifice of time and his extreme hard-working effort, his dedication to innovative technology in his field, and his attention to detail and quality, led to him being recognized and respected in the top of his field and as an industry leader.
However, it was very sad to note that his career was cut short starting in July of 2003, when he was found to have severe anemia and was diagnosed with myelodysplastic syndrome and later discovered his Lyme disease. He did well fighting his illness by being open to new integrative medicine, including hyperthermia and innovative immune boosting programs from the St. Georg Klinik, and Dr. Friedrich Douwes of Bad Aibling, Germany, who the family dearly thanks and loves. Lothar's health program also used targeted nutrition to fight off the disease.
Lothar had honor and courage to the very end. His patience toward the end for the long duration of hospital stay of 14 weeks at the Loma Linda University Medical Center under the care of world renowned, Dr. Chen, was remarkable. Lothar loved to discuss history, politics and world events with his dear extended family at the hospital.
His innovative contributions to humanity will continue to live on as his legacy and the family takes true comfort in his "majestic soul," healthy and hiking again in the trails in heaven.
Lothar Bachmann's legacy lives on also in the memories of all who knew this remarkable person. His life was a tribute to the idea of what one person can do to help the world and his memory, ideas and accomplishments will continue to inspire and influence current and future generations across the globe.
Posted by Melanie Reber (Member # 3707) on :
John Thomas Pitner, 28, Tennessee
Commercial Appeal, The (Memphis, TN) - October 2, 1992 -------- - Deceased Name: JOHN THOMAS 'TOMMY' PITNER
JOHN THOMAS 'TOMMY' PITNER, 28, of Knoxville, formerly of Memphis, vice president for First Tennessee Bank bond department, died Thursday at Baptist Memorial Hospital in Knoxville of complications from viral meningitis and Lyme disease.
Services will be at 2:30 p.m. Saturday at Memorial Park Funeral Home with burial in Memorial Park.
He was a member of Knoxville First Presbyterian Church and a graduate of Memphis State University and Briarcrest Christian High School. He was a member of Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity and was an Eagle Scout.
Mr. Pitner, the husband of Mollie Smithhart Pitner, also leaves his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Shannon P. Pitner, and a brother, Shannon F. Pitner, all of Memphis.
------------------------------------------------- Commercial Appeal, The (Memphis, TN) Date: October 2, 1992 Edition: Final Page: B3 Record Number: 00276165 Copyright (c) 1992 The Commercial Appeal, Memphis, TN
Posted by CaliforniaLyme (Member # 7136) on :
of Taos, NM, passed away September 6, 2007, after a valiant struggle against Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (Lou Gehrig's Disease) complicated by Lyme disease.
Born in Abilene, Texas, he graduated from Abilene High School in 1961. He graduated from Texas Tech University in 1964 with a BS degree in Business and Distribution Management. He served in the US Navy in DaNang, Viet Nam, where he was admiral's aide and flag lieutenant. He achieved the rank of 1st Lieutenant. In 2000, after 27 years with Xerox Corporation, he and his wife, Olivia, moved to Taos, NM, where they founded Aspen Business Systems, Inc., a Xerox sales agency serving seven counties in Northern New Mexico. He was a member of Good News Christian Fellowship and Taos Milagro Rotary Club.
He enjoyed fishing, hiking and woodworking. He was preceded in death by his father, Roscoe Powell. He is survived by his wife, Olivia Pinion Powell of Taos, his mother Rebecca Powell of Abilene, Texas, a sister, Patty Williams and her husband Joe, also of Abilene, two nieces, 5 great nieces and one great nephew. He is also survived by his cousin and friend Paul Ungerer and his wife Cheryl of Denver. Interment will be held on Friday September 14, 2007 at 3 PM at the Santa Fe National Cemetery. Memorial Services were held on Saturday September 15, 2007 at 10 AM at the Rio Bravo picnic area in Pilar. In lieu of flowers, please consider donations to the ALS Association, P.O. Box 16495 Albuquerque, NM 87191-6495 or The Lyme Disease Association, P.O. Box 1438, Jackson, NJ 08527. Arrangements by Rivera�Hanlon Funeral Home.
[ 31. December 2007, 02:21 PM: Message edited by: CaliforniaLyme ]
Posted by CaliforniaLyme (Member # 7136) on :
Possible Lyme-related death- *******************************
Gianetto, Joseph F.
November 7, 2007 Joseph F. Gianetto, 81, a resident of 1872 Co. Rt. 7, town of Oswego, passed away November 7, 2007, at his home. Born in Oswego, he was a son of the late Dominick and Rose Carmella (Barbera) Gianetto. He was a United States Army veteran, serving during WWII, where he obtained the grade of technician 5th grade. He was later sent to Fort Dix, NJ, where he eventually served as a field lineman for 17 months in the European Theater. His military awards include the Good Conduct Medal, WWII Victory Medal, Army of Occupation Medal with Germany Clasp, European-Africa-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal, with two bronze service stars for participation in the Rhineland and central Europe campaigns. He also received the Bronze Star Medal for heroic achievement on the 16th of May 1945, and he received the New York State Conspicuous Service Cross from Gov. Mario Cuomo. After he separated from the Army on 4 June 1946, he returned to Oswego, where he purchased a 25-acre farm located at 1872 County Route 7, about 2 1/2 miles south of Oswego Center, and raised onions and lettuce. In 1979 he purchased the old 480-acre DeHolander farm of Furniss Station Road. Mr. Gianetto was a member of the V.F.W Post 5885, the 102 Infantry District Association, and the 1st Division Big Red One. Surviving are his wife, Joyce (Knight) Gianetto; three daughters, Ann Marie (Rev. William) King of Oswego, Marian (Jeff) Wallace of Oswego and Betty Jo (Kent) Woodward of Oswego; two sons, SMSgt. Joseph F. Gianetto II of Oswego and Dominick "Nick" (Diana) Gianetto of Oswego; one brother, Anthony (Joanne) Gianetto of California; two sisters, Connie Pauldine of Oswego and Mary L. (Richard) Moshier of California; grandchildren, Eric M. King, Christina M. Gianetto, Janelle M. King, Angela D. Cross, Jennifer L. Gianetto, Alissa J. Evans, Jodi R. Woodward, Dawn Wardard, Amy Cook, Sher (Oly) Sharki, Havka (Kristina) Gurung, Ashok (Kavita) Lamchhane, Kellye M. Buckalew, Brandon J. Gianetto, Matthew J. Gianetto, Richard J. Wallace, Loren Wallace and Joseph W. Wallace; nine great-grandchildren; and several nieces and nephews. Services: 11 a.m. Monday at St. Joseph's Church, Oswego. Burial will be in St. Peter's Cemetery. Calling Hours: 2 to 6 p.m. Sunday at Nelson funeral home, 11 West Albany Street, Oswego. Donations: Lyme Disease Assoc. of Southern Eastern PA, PO Box 944, Chaddsfords, PA 19317. www.nelson-funeralhome.com Published in the Syracuse Post Standard on 11/9/2007.
Posted by DJP (Member # 5893) on :
Charlene L. (Strade) Kaijala, 52, of Massachusetts died suddenly in her home, on Saturday, February 24, 2007.
She leaves her husband of 29 years, Kraig M. Kaijala; four sons, Jared M. Kaijala of Long Island, New York, Joshua E., Micah J. and Joel J. Kaijala all of Hubbardston; her parents, Russell L. and Leta ``Joan'' (Edwards) Strade of Hubbardston; her grandfather, Edward Waicul of Hubbardston; two brothers, Russell L. ``Rock'' Strade of Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, and Clifford Strade of Stow; many aunts, uncles, cousins, nephews and nieces. A brother, Rodney Strade, predeceased her. Char was born in Annapolis, MD and lived in Lancaster before moving to Hubbardston in 1997. She graduated from Nashoba Regional High School. She was co-owner, with her husband, of Wide Angle Marketing in Hubbardston.
Char loved the Lord Jesus Christ, her personal Savior. She was an active member of the Heritage Bible Chapel where she taught Children's Church. She was a Co-committee Chair of Central Mass Young Life, a Christian youth outreach program. She loved being with her family, cooking, gardening, animals and vacationing in Canada. Her home was always open to family and friends. She recently received her Algonquin Indian Card.
The funeral service for Char will be held at 11 a.m. on Thursday, March 1, in the Heritage Bible Chapel, 182 Brook Station Road, Princeton. Burial will be in the spring. Family and friends are invited to calling hours from 5 to 8 p.m. on Wednesday, February 28, in the Miles-Sterling Funeral Home, 100 Worcester Road (Rte. 12), Sterling. Memorial donations may be made to Central Mass Young Life MA-50, P.O. Box 265, South Barre, MA 01074; or the Heritage Bible Chapel, Attn: Missions Trips, P.O. Box 1096, Princeton, MA 01541.
Posted by dontlikeliver (Member # 4749) on :
Gregory has lost his brave battle against illness Former Great Britain captain Mike Gregory has died after a four-year battle with a neurological disease, a family spokesman has announced. Gregory, who was just 43-years-old, had been suffering from a form of motor neurone disease.
In 2004, the illness forced Gregory to leave his job as Wigan coach.
During a distinguished playing career, Gregory captained Warrington and Great Britain, including on a tour to New Zealand, and won 20 Lions caps.
The Wigan-born former Warrington loose forward, who had been confined to a wheelchair for the last 12 months, lost consciousness on Sunday and died on Monday.
It is believed Gregory's illness was the result of an insect bite while he was on tour of Australia with Great Britain's academy team in 2003.
606: COMMENT Your tributes to Mike Gregory
It is thought the bite caused him to develop progressive muscular atrophy.
Gregory, who leaves a widow and two sons, played virtually his entire career with Warrington and also captained GB to two Test series victories over New Zealand.
The highlights of his international career included a long-range try in Sydney in 1988 to clinch the first British victory over Australia in a decade.
Warrington chairman Lord Hoyle paid tribute to Gregory, saying: "I was deeply saddened to hear the news of Mike's death and my thoughts go out to his family and friends.
"Mike served our club with distinction as a player for 12 years, including captaining Warrington in their last Challenge Cup Final appearance in 1990.
"His brave battle against illness and his efforts to raise awareness of progressive muscular atrophy has been an inspiration to us all. He will be greatly missed."
After his playing career, Gregory began the Super League era as assistant to coach Shaun McRae at St Helens, who lifted the inaugural title and twice won the Challenge Cup during his time on the staff.
Gregory then coached Swinton before joining the backroom staff at Wigan, initially as academy coach and then as assistant to Stuart Raper.
Mike set a shining example with the character, bravery and determination
RFL executive chairman Richard Lewis
He succeeded Raper at his hometown club in July 2004 and, after guiding the Warriors to a an 11-match unbeaten run culminating in a Grand Final appearance, was given the job full time on a two-year contract.
In the following May, he guided Wigan to the Challenge Cup final but that was to prove his last match as he was forced to step down because of illness.
Gregory took Wigan to a tribunal in March 2006 over his departure and the club made an ex gratia payment of �17,500 to him.
In September of the same year, more than 5,000 fans turned up at Wigan St Pat's amateur rugby league club for a testimonial match which raised more than �25,000 for Gregory.
Former Wigan and Great Britain centre Joe Lydon said: "Anyone who played with him or against him or watched him play would have respected Mike for his courage.
"He brought that same courage to his fight against an appalling illness. We are all lucky to have known him."
Rugby Football League executive chairman Richard Lewis said: "Mike was among the best players of his generation.
"He set a shining example with the character, bravery and determination that he showed on the field of play."
Wigan chairman Maurice Lindsay also sent his condolences to Gregory's family, saying: "Mike's death is a sad loss.
"I was fortunate to be the Great Britain tour manager in 1990 when Mike was our captain. He was a leader in every way and was our most inspirational player during the Test series win against New Zealand.
"Sadly, illness prevented Mike from spending more than a year as Wigan head coach but we will all have great memories of him as an outstanding player."
Here's an earlier article, which mentions his Lyme disease.
Stars turn out for Gregory
Gregory is battling Lyme Disease Borreliosis More than 5,000 fans turned up at Wigan St Pat's amateur rugby league club for a testimonial match to raise money for rugby league legend Mike Gregory. The former Warrington and Great Britain captain is battling a muscle wasting disease which has left him confined to a wheelchair.
The match was contested by a team of Wigan legends versus a select team from St Pat's, one of Gregory's former clubs.
Turning out for the Wigan team were ex-Great Britain stars Andy Farrell, Andy Gregory and Jonathan Davies.
Henry Paul, Brett Dallas and Bobbie Goulding also played to show their support for Gregory.
A game of touch, the brainwave of former Wigan great Joe Lydon, ended in a spirited draw.
The event raised over �25,000 for Gregory as he battles Lyme Disease Borreliosis, a tick-borne disease that blocks signals from the brain getting to muscles.
Posted by CaliforniaLyme (Member # 7136) on :
Russell Paul Reach Greenville
Russell Paul Reach, 49, of 214 Imperial Drive, died peacefully in his sleep early in the morning of November 11 after a long battle with Lyme disease.
Born October 19, 1958 in Sudbury, Mass., Russell went on to attend Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, to receive his B.A. from Bob Jones University in 1982, and his J.D. from Harvard Law School in 1985.
Russell moved to Greenville in 1993 to practice law at Wyche, Burgess, Freeman & Parham, P.A. before going into private practice in 1995.
Survivors include his wife of 29 years, Beth Brennan Reach; his six children, Emily Beth Reach, Roy Philip Reach, William Daniel Reach, Rebekah Ashley Reach, Sarah Brennan Reach, and Patricia Abigail Reach; his mother, Marjorie Lee Reach; his five brothers, Stephen Reach and wife Marianne, Bob Reach and wife Julie, David Reach, Tom Reach and wife Maggie, and Ronald Reach; and numerous nieces, nephews, aunts, uncles, and cousins.
He was predeceased by his sister-in-law, Lauren Reach; and by his father, Roy Wheeler Reach.
The family will receive friends from 7 to 9 p.m. Friday at Faith Baptist Church in Taylors. Funeral Services will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday at Faith Baptist Church, conducted by Pastor Dave Shumate. Burial will follow at Woodlawn Memorial Park.
Woodlawn Funeral Home, Greenville, SC
Published in The Greenville News: 11-15-2007 Printer friendly version
Posted by CaliforniaLyme (Member # 7136) on :
HARRY WAECHTER
Harry E. Waechter, 90, Mount Healthy, died Nov. 18.
He was an Army veteran of World War II, and a member of Wesley Werner American Legion Post 513 and the Church of the Assumption.
Survived by wife Rosemary Waechter; children Tim, Tom Waechter, Tamara Pater; siblings Gil, Dorothy, Florence, Myra, Mildred, Rita; five grandchildren; nine great-grandchildren.
Services were Nov. 24 at the Church of the Assumption. Arrangements by Paul R. Young Funeral Home. Memorials to: Lyme Disease Association, P.O. Box 1438, Jackson, NJ 08527 or Hospice of Cincinnati, P.O. Box 633597, Cincinnati, OH 45263.
Posted by imanurse (Member # 7022) on :
Buck R Benoist , 66, -- Rhode Island
Buck Roy Benoist, 66, of Exeter, RI passed away at 2:40 p.m. on Thursday, August 30 at Miriam Hospital in Providence, RI. He died of complications following a 2 week battle with a severe systemic Babesia infection (tick-borne disease), pneumonia and finally two massive strokes, which took away hope of recovery. His son and daughter-in-law, Phillip and Cyndi Dunham, and his wife, Carla Neubert Benoist, were with him when he died. He also leaves four grandchildren, Willow, Ali, Nikki and Tyler Dunham of Tulsa, Oklahoma, three sisters: Sally Hardy of Pierre, SD, Lynda Nuttall of Denver, CO and Constance Benoist of Seattle, WA, two nieces, a nephew and numerous friends and former students (he worked as a substitute teacher.)
Buck and Carla Benoist married on January 9, 2000. He was an enrolled member of the Cheyenne River Lakota Tribe of South Dakota, the son of the late Roy and Constance Benoist, a Marine Corps veteran and a graduate of Western Washington State University, with a degree in Watershed Science.
Buck loved his family and often told stories of growing up on his father's cattle Ranch near the Moreau and Missouri Rivers. He valued and respected his Lakota heritage and was a loving and compassionate husband and friend. Our years together were too short and he will live in my heart forever. Walk in Beauty my beloved husband.
A Celebration of his life and scattering of ashes will take place in South Dakota, near where he grew up, in the summer of 2008. Donations in lieu of flowers may be made to any of the following:
This organization works with young people on both the Cheyenne River (where Buck grew up) and the Pine Ridge Reservations. Because Buck cared a great deal about his parents and his cultural heritage -- even though the Cattle Ranch he grew up on was flooded for a hydro-electric project in the late 50's, AND because the job he loved the most, which he did for the last 4.5 years of his life, was substitute teaching -- this charity is a perfect place for some of the contributions in his memory to go.
2. Hope for Hounds raises money for Dr. Couto at Ohio State University and his work with cancer in Greyhounds (and his unstinting help for many of us and our hounds!) Because Buck always loved dogs, and after meeting me "because I had 4 big dogs and could be trusted", came to love our favorite breed almost as much as I do, this seems like a good choice for donations in his memory for those who choose to.
PayPal: [email protected] Mailing address : Hope For Hounds, 242 Beatrice Drive, Nepean, ON, Canada K2J 4P1
3. And finally: Pitbull Rescue Central, http://www.pbrc.net/donate/html Because our rescued American Pitbull Terrier, Samson (Sammy) was very much loved by Buck. Mailing Address: Pit Bull Rescue Central, P.O. Box 335, Fulton Missouri 65251
Buck Benoist Looking at one of the last photos taken of Buck Roy Benoist, one gets the impression he was a fit man, not rugged in statute but rugged in looks, with a demeanor that implied he was a man of the American West.
In fact he was-hailing from South Dakota and a member of the Lakota Indian Tribe, with a last name that hints he was partly a descendent of a one of the many French-Canadian trappers who helped settle that rugged part of the country. How he ended up in Exeter, RI is a story that started out in happiness for two people who found a late-in-life relationship and ended last August in tragedy, the latter caused by a tick carrying a disease.
His widow, Carla Neubert Benoist, still breaks down when she describes her husband's ordeal. Her only company in her Exeter home these days are three dogs which were part of the story as to how they met.
Carla has always loved dogs and she loved to write poetry. Several years ago, she posted some poetry on the Internet and she got a reply from Buck Roy Benoist who happened to be visiting someone in Pennsylvania.
In the Internet chat she let him know that she lived with four big dogs--Carla has long been involved with greyhound adoption agencies. "His reply was that he wanted to meet me because he felt he could trust a woman who had four big dogs," recalls Carla.
Buck Roy Benoist was raised on his father's cattle ranch on the Cheyenne River Sioux Reservation. The ranch is now underwater, thanks to a hydroelectric project. Buck Roy eventually got a degree in watershed science from Western Washington University and spent a lot of time outdoors.
Buck and Carla were married in 2000 in a small ceremony conducted at URI where Carla was an office worker.
In 2001, Buck withstood a liver cancer attack and partly through a healthy diet rebounded. "He had lowered his blood pressure and cholesterol levels and we were eating a healthy diet with little red meat and much fish," she says. He enjoyed working outdoors in the yard of their modest Exeter home but what he really enjoyed, relates Carla, was substitute teaching in South Kingstown schools.
Buck was always careful when he worked outdoors, always conscious of ticks, says Carla. "He always checked himself and wore white socks," in order to spot any ticks. "I checked him too," she adds.
But then a couple years ago Buck started complaining that he would get tired easily. "He would go out in the yard and get tired from nothing," she said noting that Buck was not a big complainer. "He is one who would have covered up a broken leg-he had that western stoicism," she says.
Buck visited the Narragansett Indian Tribe clinic (the Native Americans have reciprocal arrangements between tribes) saying he was feeling bad and could not explain it. The clinic referred him to the Veterans Administration Hospital in Providence (Buck was a Marine in the early days of the Vietnam War). Carla drove Buck up to the VA Hospital.
Buck's own theory was that he was having an angina spell and the VA doctors thought so too, said Carla. "His blood pressure was good, his cholesterol was down and all of his organs were good including his liver," she says. They decided to keep him overnight. She left him at the hospital at 2:30 in the afternoon.
"At 8:30 that night, he called and said they were keeping an eye on him and that he would see me tomorrow. That was the last time I talked to him."
At 2:30 in the morning, Carla got a call from the VA Hospital that they were transferring him to Miriam Hospital for a whole blood transfusion "because he had a severe systemic babesia infection which they were unable to treat effectively."
"I got a lot of prayer chains going," says Carla who went right up to Miriam.
Buck was put on a respirator and medication to keep his blood pressure up and was kept in a drug-induced coma. He had two full blood transfusions-according to Buck's doctor "that's practically unheard of," Carla said.
After about a week and a half, Buck suffered two strokes-they were not detected until two days later by CAT scan.
When Carla got the phone call about Buck's strokes, she was informed that 2/3rds of the left side of his brain was lost. She went into a room and screamed "No!" repeatedly for 10 minutes.
She called Buck's son and daughter-in-law in Oklahoma and they came to Rhode Island. The three of them were at Buck's side when life support was disconnected. He died on August 30 at 2:40 p.m., two weeks to the day after he was admitted to the VA Hospital. He was 66.
To this day, Carla does not know where Buck contacted the infected tick that gave him babesia. It could have been in Washington State but when she contacted Dr. Thomas Mather, director of URI's Center for Vector-Borne Disease, he doubted that theory. The tick encounter could have been in their own backyard. "There was no tell-tale bulls-eye indicating a tick bite," she says. But with babesiosis, there wouldn't be.
Carla believes the struggle Buck had fighting the massive babesia infection triggered the strokes. "The burden of the treatment was just too much for his system." If he had survived he would have needed a trachea tube, would have lost the use of one arm and be confined to a wheelchair, says Carla. "He wouldn't want that."
Carla is quite familiar with tick-borne diseases through all her work rescuing dogs, especially greyhounds. She herself has had Lyme disease which she feels has left her with severe rheumatoid arthritis.
"It's sad-if it had been caught two months earlier, he might have survived. It strikes me that it was never detected," she says. "Someday, someone will come up with a good diagnostic system."
"I am also extremely determined that people should stop taking tick-borne diseases for granted or acting as if they were treatable and non-life threatening,"
Next spring, Carla plans to travel to South Dakota and visit Buck's favorite place to spread his ashes. In the meantime, she has nothing but praise for Mather's work in pushing the message that tick-borne diseases are preventable. "His is kind of a crusade. This is not a trivial disease-it is one that can happen to anybody."
She admits it has taken her time to be in a frame of mind to be interviewed. But Buck's story may help people, she says. "I intend to do something and I am willing to talk to people. Buck would want me to."
Posted by CaliforniaLyme (Member # 7136) on :
From Washington Jewish Week Online Edition
12/5/2007 8:59:00 PM
Joan Friedenberg, Web consultant, 53 Joan Maura Friedenberg of Bethesda, who owned a new media consulting firm, died Nov. 29 from the effects of a number of ailments, including Lyme disease. She was 53.
Born in Richmond, Friedenberg earned a bachelor's degree in communications from Ohio University in Athens, Ohio, and a master's degree, also in communications, from Boston University.
She worked for a number of media organizations including McNeil/Lehrer Productions, ABC News and National Public Radio.
In 1995, she became the founding editor of the Online NewsHour, the Web site for The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer. In 2003, she started her own new media consulting firm, Joan M. Friedenberg LLC, in Bethesda.
Friedenberg was a member of Congregation B'nai Israel in Rockville and the Ashburton Elementary School Parent-Teacher Association.
She is survived by her husband, Jonathan Salant; her son, Isaac Salant; and her mother, Lorraine Friedenberg of Rockville.
Posted by Melanie Reber (Member # 3707) on :
Ginette Ellen Jones, 39, Tenessee
Jones, Ginette Ellen posted February 1, 2007
Ginette Ellen Jones, 39, of East Brainerd, died Monday, Jan. 29, 2007, at her home.
A native of Pittsburg, Pa., Mrs. Jones had lived in Chattanooga for the past four years. She was a member of Concord Baptist Church and an avid supporter of the AAA Women's Services.
She was the daughter of the late Edward and Bernie Molek. She is survived by her husband, Nigel Jones; son, Jeff Creely; mother-in-law, Betty Jones; brothers, Greg and Gordon Molek; sisters, Gloria Molek and Georgia Paul.
Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday in the chapel with the Rev. David King officiating. Condolences may be sent at www.heritagefh.com. The family requests that in lieu of flowers please make memorial contributions to the Lyme Disease Association, Inc., P.O. Box 1438, Jackson, NJ 08527. The family will receive friends from 6-7 p.m. Friday at Heritage Funeral Home, 7454 East Brainerd Road.
Posted by CaliforniaLyme (Member # 7136) on :
Print this story WILLIAM WOOD Published on October 18, 2007
� 2007- The Press Democrat
Thirty years ago William ``Wayne'' Wood turned part of an old Petaluma ranch into a KOA campground, hoping to start a successful family business.
He succeeded, said his son, Chris Wood of Sebastopol.
``In 2001 we were named by KOA the No. 1 (KOA) campground in the nation,'' Chris Wood said. ``It was an extreme honor for dad.''
Wayne Wood, 66, died unexpectedly Oct. 9 at a local hospital. He suffered a rare, fatal reaction to a parasite in his blood caused by a tick bite, said his son. Public health officials are investigating where he might have gotten the bite.
Wood was born on Christmas Day, 1940, in Port Monmouth, N.J., where he was raised.
In the early 1960s he served in the United States Army as a first lieutenant and adjutant. He was stationed at the Presidio in San Francisco.
After the Army he returned to school. In 1966 he finished his master's degree in education at Rutgers University. That same year he met and married Judy Nelson.
The couple returned to California in 1967, living in Marin County for about seven years while he taught history and was an administrator in the Novato Unified School District.
In the summer of 1973, the Wood family travelled in a camper up the West Coast to Alaska. Along the way, an idea came to him:
``We stayed at all these great campgrounds. He thought, `This would be a great thing to do, a great family business,''' said his son.
The Woods bought 60 acres in northwest Petaluma, part of the old Gale ranch. In 1974 the family of four moved to Petaluma.
Although a KOA representative warned him Petaluma was ``the sticks'' and a camp there would never be successful, Wayne Wood was determined, Chris Wood recounted.
The family opened the Petaluma KOA camping resort in 1975. In the early years he kept teaching, with Judy Wood running the camp by day and he ran it by night, their son said.
The original 66 sites grew over 30 years to 312 sites with cabins and tours to San Francisco.
``It was a full-time-plus job. Dad worked very hard at it,'' he said. It also was a family effort, just as Wayne Wood had hoped it would be.
Wayne Wood retired in May and his family continues to run the business.
Over the years Wayne Wood participated on many boards for campground associations. He also served on the board of the Liberty School District.
Chris Wood called his father a dedicated family man, generous and with great integrity. He was the patriarch of three generations.
In addition to his wife and son, he is survived by a daughter, Jennifer Hundley of San Rafael, mother Marion Wood and sister Donna Bisgrove of Monmouth Township, N.J.; and two grandchildren.
A memorial service will be at 11 a.m. Saturday at Hessel Union Church in Sebastopol. Viewing will be from 3-7 p.m. Friday at Adobe Creek Funeral Home in Petaluma.
Following Saturday's service will be a reception at the French Garden Restaurant in Sebastopol.
Memorial donations may be made to the KOA Care Camps for children with cancer, P.O. Box 361064, Birmingham, AL 35236.
-- Randi Rossmann
Keywords: OBITUARY
Posted by CaliforniaLyme (Member # 7136) on :
Delicia Gay Pevytoe- Butler of Midlothian, TX went to be with her heavenly Father on Wednesday, May 2, 2007, at the age of 48.
Gay fought a good battle to defeat Lyme disease and ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease. The funeral was held at the Cowboy Church of Ellis County and burial at Little Bethel Memorial Park in Duncanville.
Gay was born July 27, 1958, in Dallas, the beloved daughter of Leroy and Frances Pevytoe. She was an "Oak Cliff" girl, graduating from Sunset High School in 1976. Gay's heart was broken when she lost her sweet girl, Maggie, but Maggie is now in her arms once again. Survivors include her husband of 16 years, Wes Butler; her son, Jordan Hansen, who was her pride and joy; stepson, Brady Butler and his wife, Kelley; sister, Kelly McCaskill and her husband, Pat, and nephews Sam and Matt McCaskill and Nicholas Vela; brother, Jeff Pevytoe and his wife, Liz, and nieces; grandmother, Lillie May Farmer; mother- and father-in-law, Pat and Jo Beth Butler; sister-in-law, Brenda and Darrel Hobbs and Debbie and David Simonton; brother-in-law, James Butler; many aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces and nephews; and her beloved pets, Babs, Annie and her donkeys, Jennie, Jesus, Applejack and Rowdy. Gay was a member of the DFW Lyme disease support group. She began attending the meetings in November 2005 after receiving her Lyme diagnosis.
Possible Lyme related- *************************** Junie Nicol (Mrs. Robert)
NEW AUBURN/TOMAH, Wis. -- Junie Nicol, 84, of New Auburn and formerly of Tomah, died Friday, Dec. 7, 2007, at home.
She was born Georgia Junior Falkner on Feb. 24, 1923, to George and Myrtle (Bigelow) Falkner in the town of Adrian, Monroe County, Wis. She graduated from Tomah High School in 1940. She married Robert S. Nicol on Oct. 25, 1942, in San Diego, where he was serving with the U.S. Marine Corps during World War II. After the war ended, they returned to Tomah, where they raised their family.
Junie was employed by First Bank of Tomah for many years, retiring as cashier in 1981. She belonged to the Business and Professional Women, Tomah Toastmasters and served on the Tomah Park Board. She was especially proud of her part in getting the Little Red School House established in Gillett Park. She also served on the board of directors of the Hiawatha Golf Course.
In retirement, Junie and Bob enjoyed winters in Bradenton, Fla., and summers on Long Lake near New Auburn. She was always busy and enjoyed biking, golfing and canoeing, in addition to her volunteer work at schools and Roser Church in Anna Maria, Fla., and the Ice Age Center and New Auburn School in Wisconsin. She pursued her lifelong love of beauty through her flowers, drawing, sketching and photography. Grammy Junie's picture books were the center of many visits and memories for her family and friends.
When lyme disease curtailed her physical activities, Junie continued to expand her world and her friendships through her computer, staying in touch with family and friends and following their travels and activities around the world.
Junie is survived by Bob, her husband of 65 years, and their four children, Bonnie (Karl) Peterson of Green Bay, Wis., Blaine (Rosanne) Nicol of Brea, Calif., B. Scott (Dorothy) Nicol of Tomah and Brent (Donna), also of Tomah; 11 grandchildren and their families, Sara (Ben) Ehrets and Odin of Stoughton, Wis., Joshua Peterson of Green Bay, Emily (Rob) Robinson and Travis, Alyssa and Hailey of Placentia, Calif., Jenny Nicol (Charlie Visnic) of Fullerton, Calif., Stacy Nicol (Guilliame Tessier) of France; Brian (Marie) Nicol and William of Green Bay, Melissa (Brian) Olson and Caitlin, Sadie and Rylie of Tomah, Brett (Kim) Nicol and Emily of Milwaukee, Mandy Nicol (Adam Lange) and Kaya Lange of Milwaukee, Jason Nicol of Eau Claire, Wis., and Joe Nicol of Tomah. She is further survived by her sister, Orlou Daniels, formerly of Tomah, and now of Janesville, Wis.; many nieces and nephews; and other relatives and friends
She was preceded in death by her parents; and her sister, Arllys Schumann.
Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. Tuesday, Dec. 11, at the Gloria Dei Lutheran Church in Tomah. Pastor William Rice will officiate. Burial will follow in the La Grange Cemetery, Tomah. Family and friends are invited for visitation from 4 until 7 p.m. Monday, Dec. 10, at the Torkelson Funeral Home in Tomah. Family and friends are also invited for visitation from 10 a.m. until the time of service Tuesday at the church.
The Torkelson Funeral Home of Tomah is assisting the family with arrangements. Online condolences may be offered at www.torkelsonfuneralhome.com. Posted by CaliforniaLyme (Member # 7136) on :
RMSF death- *************** Caroline McHardy Elliot GREENSBORO - Caroline Elliot, 61, died at Moses Cone Hospital in Greensboro on Thursday, May 3, 2007, of Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever.
A memorial service will be held 3 p.m. in Greensboro on Sunday, May 6, at New Garden Friends Meeting at 801 New Garden Road.
Caroline was born July 1, 1945, in Charlotte to John Drew and Ann Mauldin Elliot. She graduated from Myers Park High School in Charlotte and earned a BA from UNCG. She attended Columbia University in New York where she received her Physical Therapy degree.
Caroline combined her physical therapy skills and commitment to peace and social justice through her work with the American Friends Service Committee in Africa and South Vietnam where she met David Bailey, her loving husband of 33 years.
She moved with her family to Greensboro in 1979 where she worked in the Greensboro City School System for 25 years. She dedicated her career to helping disabled children and was a much loved member of the Gateway Education Center staff until her retirement last year.
Caroline loved hiking, camping, gardening, and travel - including recent trips to Alaska, Ireland, Brazil and her return to Vietnam in 2002. She was active in Friendship Friends Meeting, continuing her life long commitment to social justice. She was a Girl Scout whose camp songs, outdoor skills and leadership she passed on to many girls in this area. She loved to spend time with her many friends and family, especially her two young grandsons, Robert and Luke.
Caroline was a powerful person who empowered those around her. She accomplished much and helped many throughout a life that was cut way too short.
She is survived by her husband, David Bailey; daughter, Jessica; her husband, Lyn Stimpson; and grandson, Robert of Helena, Mont.; son, Rob; his wife, Annaliese Zeiler; and grandson, Luke of Loveland, Colo.; mother, Ann Elliot of Charlotte; sister, JoAnn Davis of Winston Salem; brothers, John Elliot of Charlotte and Robert "Hoppy" Elliot of Winston Salem; godchildren, Deedee Nachman, Sheldon Currier, and Caroline Elliot; lifelong friend, Barbara Dowd; and so many aunts, cousins, nieces, nephews, great nieces and nephews, and dear, dear friends who will miss her greatly.
She was predeceased by her father, John Drew Elliot of Charlotte.
A reception will follow the memorial service.
In lieu of flowers, please send donations to the American Friends Service Committee at www.afsc.org or the Nature Conservancy at www.nature.org.
Forbis & Dick Guilford Chapel is serving the family and condolences may be offered at www.forbisanddick.com
She is already on the page with a diffferent Obit but I had never seen this Obit before- it names her cats!!! **************** Rebecca `Becky' Marie Jarrell Nichols
Rebecca ``Becky'' Marie Jarrell Nichols, 50, of Bedford, died Sunday, Dec. 18, 2005, at her residence. She was born April 2, 1955, in South Charleston, W.Va.
She was a member of Staunton Baptist Church. Becky had a passion for working with flowers and had a great love for the ocean and her three cats, Jackson, Tiger and Blackie.
She is survived by her husband, John B. Nichols of Bedford; a son, John David Nichols of Bedford; her mother, Alice Mae Boyle Carroll and her husband, David of Roanoke; a sister, Roberta Parrett of South Charleston, W.Va.; a sister-in-law, Vickie Nichols Sherertz of Roanoke; and a niece, Julia Crawford Sherertz of Roanoke.
Memorial contributions may be made to Lyme Disease Association, P.O. Box 1438, Jackson, N.J. 08527, or Feed The Children, P.O. Box 36, Oklahoma City, OK 73101-0036. A funeral service will be conducted at 11 a.m., Thursday, Dec. 22, 2005, at Staunton Baptist Church, with the Rev. Chris Smith officiating. The family will receive friends from 6 to 8 p.m., Wednesday, Dec. 21, 2005, at Tharp Funeral Home & Crematory, Bedford, 586-3443. To send condolences, please visit www.tharpfuneralhome.com. Posted by CaliforniaLyme (Member # 7136) on :
Died of ovarian cancer but had lyme- **************************************** Carole Tegnander, 60 Homemaker
Carole Ann Tegnander (nee Ramsey) died at her "home on the Lake" on Friday, February 17, following a long and courageous battle against ovarian cancer. She was 60 years old. The daughter of the late Frank "Jack" and Marguerite Ramsey, she was born January 29, 1946 and raised in Valley Stream. There she met and married her husband, Richard J. Tegnander. They continued to live and work on Long Island until 2002 when, after retiring, they moved to Rock Hill to be closer to their son and his family. A family statement said, ``People who knew Carole saw she had an easy smile, was always up beat regardless of the pain she endured from two crushing illnesses. She lived her life by the motto, `NEVER QUIT.' In 1990, after 10 years of undiagnosed suffering, she was found to have late stage Lyme Disease. She found the strength to co-found the Long Island Lyme Association (LILA). She helped run support groups meetings, gave educational seminars, and even testified before the U.S. Senate Health Commission in Washington D.C. and various NYS committees to help raise awareness of Lyme Disease. She was compassionate toward those with Lyme and a staunch advocate for reform of our health insurance system, which was often at odds with those needing treatment. ``When Carole was first diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 2001 she met it head on, seeking aggressive treatment. As with Lyme Disease, she became outspoken in her attempt to raise public awareness and funding for research into this `silent killer,' which takes the lives of thousands of women each year. In spite of her health issues she managed to enjoy life. She and her husband often traveled with a small group of friends she called the Cruise Crew. An avid animal lover, she was known to stop traffic on busy roads to rescue a stray dog or cat giving them shelter and a chance for a better life. At one point she had as many as three dogs and five cats in their small cape-style home on Long Island. However, in the 60 years of her life she will be remembered as a loyal and loving wife, a joyful and caring friend, and devoted mother and grandmother. While dealing with the pain of countless surgeries and chemotherapies she found great joy and satisfaction in having seen her son successful in his career, married to a beautiful and loving wife, whom Carole loved as if she were her own daughter, and most especially being a doting grandmother.'' She is survived by her husband of 38 years, Richard J. Tegnander; a son, Brian Joseph and his wife, Lynn Tegnander, of Jeffersonville; grandchildren Allison, Sean and Morgan; and several cousins. Her Mass of Christian burial was celebrated on Monday, February 20, at St. George's Church in Jeffersonville. Fr. Ignatius Vu officiated. Internment followed at Calvary Cemetery, Youngsville. In lieu of flowers, donations in her memory may be made to Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, 1275 York Avenue, New York, NY 10021. Arrangements were under the direction of the VanInwegen-Kenny, Inc. Funeral Home of Monticello.
Posted by Melanie Reber (Member # 3707) on :
lymeladyinNY Frequent Contributor Member # 10235
Icon 9 posted 06 January, 2008 04:05 PM Profile for lymeladyinNY Send New Private Message Edit/Delete Post Reply With Quote Joseph Theodore Zunic, 33, was a man who lived near me. I never met him but he, his family, and friends put on a benefit each year called "Zooneyfest". He was the first beneficiary, but insisted that if the fest was to go on each year it would have to benefit others in need.
His obituary is listed at Pressconnects.com, click on Obituaries at top.
I'm sorry, I'm not internet savvy and don't know how to put it on the list we have here on Lymenet.
There is no mention of Lyme disease in the obituary - it says he died of ALS. However, I read a big story about him in our local paper a couple of years ago in which it said he had Lyme disease/ ALS. He was an avid outdoorsman.
It seems he was highly regarded by those who knew him.
-------------------- I want to be free ................................ ...................................
Joseph Theodore Zunic, 33, New York
Joseph Theodore Zunic of Endwell and Maine, N.Y.
Joseph Theodore Zunic, of Endwell and Maine, N.Y., died January 4, 2008. Joe lived life to the fullest for 33 years, especially for the last 41/2 years after being diagnosed with ALS (Lou Gehrig's Disease).
He was predeceased by his maternal grandmother, Betty Jane Touhey; and paternal grandparents, Stephen F. and Edna T. Zunic. He is survived by his parents, John and Diane Zunic, Maine, N.Y.; his brother and sister-in-law, Jay and Beth Ann Zunic, Endicott; his adored triplet nieces, Julianne, Jenna, and Rylee Zunic; beloved nephew, Sean Michael Zunic; maternal grandfather, Robert J. Touhey, Endwell; uncles and aunts, Stephen Zunic, Binghamton, Richard and Kerri Lee Zunic, Maine, N.Y., Kathleen Zunic, Hellertown, Pa., Kenneth and Debbie Zunic, Maine, N.Y., Jack and Kathy Touhey, Endwell, Tom and Katie Touhey, Shelly and Dave Enfield, all of Maine, N.Y., Terry Touhey, Springfield, Mo.; his cousins, Kenny, Danny and Mickey Zunic, Aimee, Bruce, Avery and Olivia Swisshelm, Ryan and Kari Touhey, Ali Touhey, JP, Katelyn, and Megan Touhey, Josh, Rob, Mikki and Thomas Enfield.
He graduated from Maine Endwell High School, received his Bachelor's Degree in Construction Management from Central Connecticut State University, and worked with his father in the family excavation business. He was a member of Most Holy Rosary Church, Maine, N.Y., and also attended the weekly Healing Mass at St. Mary's of Assumption Church, Binghamton. Joe enjoyed the outdoors (especially Alaska), his Harley, hunting, snowmobiling, the New York Yankees, and entertaining in his "Garage Mahal." Joe loved and was loved in return by his extended family of friends, caregivers, "best buds" and the "Zooneyfest" staff. He felt truly blessed to be surrounded by such loving and caring people throughout his life and his illness.
A Funeral Mass will be celebrated Tuesday, January 8, 10:30 a.m. from Most Holy Rosary Church, Route 26, Maine, N.Y. The family will receive friends at the Allen Memorial Home, 511-513 East Maine St., Endicott, N.Y., Monday, January 7, from 4-7 p.m. In lieu of flowers, expressions of sympathy in Joe's memory may be made to the ALS Association, Upstate N.Y. Chapter, 323 Rte. 5 West, Elbridge, N.Y. 13060, or The Muscular Dystrophy Association, ALS Division, 1249 Front St., #106, Binghamton, N.Y. 13905.
Possible Lyme related death- ***************************** Byers, Dale W.
BYERS DALE W., on Dec. 26, 2007, age 89. Beloved husband of Eleanor (nee Corey) of Newtown Square. Devoted father of Richard D. (Linda), Philip G. (Beverly) and Linda Grogan (Bernard); also survived by his sister Mildred Harris (Oscar), his 7 grand-children and his 6 great grandchildren. Memorial Service, Saturday, January. 12th at 11 A.M. in The Newtown Square Presbyterian Church, 3600 Goshen Rd. Newtown Square, PA 19073. In lieu of flowers memorial may be sent to The Lyme Disease Assoc., Inc., P.O. Box 1438, Jackson, NJ 08527. Interment private.
Published in the Philadelphia Inquirer & Philadelphia Daily News on 1/6/2008. Notice * Guest Book * Flowers * Gift Shop
Posted by CaliforniaLyme (Member # 7136) on :
Author Topic: My Son Adam has died Aries327 Frequent Contributor Member # 3757
posted 12 January, 2008 12:24 AM -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- for my friends who remember mgh lyme chat TOFU and NY and washington it is with great sadness that I have to write you and say yet another victom of lyme disease has fallen Adam Rowett 18 years old has dealt with lyme disease from 1997 along with myslf he was a brave little trooper who hardly ever complained even the weeks and months of anbxs that we had to mix into his frozen yougert kept smileing but from that time untill now it kept comeing causeing severe mood swings and as he became a young adult it became more then he could deal with takeing more and more medications untill it finaly won I found him thismorning dead we have to wait for the official death report and as always they are going to blame the pills the person but not this dam disease I cant saymore tonight through my tears and sadness I doent know how i,m going to go on myself -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Posts: 49 | From: vernon,nj | Registered: Mar 2003 | IP: Logged
Posted by DakotasMom01 (Member # 14141) on :
VERNON -- Adam C. Rowett, 18, died unexpectedly at home on Friday, Jan. 11, 2007.
Born to Timothy and Susan Rowett in Pequannock, he lived most of his life in the Highland Lakes section of Vernon.
Mr. Rowett was a graduate of Vernon High School and had been working as a lift attendant at Mountain Creek Ski Resort in Vernon for the season. He was a former Boy Scout with Troop 404 in Highland Lakes, played soccer and basketball, and was an avid snowboarder. He had a great interest in sports cars, four-wheelers and dirt biking.
Mr. Rowett was predeceased by his paternal grandparents, Robert and Lillian Rowett, and his maternal grandmother, Betty Block.
He was the beloved son of Timothy and Susan Rowett of Highland Lakes; the dear brother of Joe Curran of Rhode Island, Lauren Montanaro of Stockholm, Kristen Montanaro of Highland Lakes, and Peter Montanaro of Sussex; grandson of Phillip Block of North Carolina; uncle of Paige and Eric Montanaro; and nephew of Steve Block of Flanders, Jeff Block of North Carolina, Judy Hardick of Ogdensburg and Ellen Chiosie of Monroe, N.Y.
The family will receive their friends at Ferguson-Vernon Funeral Home, 241 Route 94, Vernon, on Tuesday, Jan. 15, from 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 p.m. A funeral service will be held at the funeral home on Wednesday, Jan. 16, at 11 a.m. Interment will follow at Glenwood Cemetery, Vernon.
Memorial gifts to Caring Hearts Fund, C/O Vernon United Methodist Church, P.O. Box 345, Vernon, NJ 07462 would be appreciated.
Posted by CaliforniaLyme (Member # 7136) on :
Kenneth R. Ethier
Kenneth R. Ethier, 53, of Coopersburg, died Saturday, Jan. 12, 2008 in Grand View Hospital, Sellersville.
He was the husband of Ann (Richardson) Ethier. They celebrated their 22nd wedding anniversary last May. Born in Niagara Falls, N.Y., he was the son of Roger and Lucille (Montpetit) Ethier of Quakertown. He was last employed as a maintenance man for LEM Products, Doylestown. Previously, he worked in the maintenance department of Fasson, Quakertown. Ken enjoyed working and anything mechanical. He also enjoyed monster trucks.
Survivors: Wife; parents; two sons, Kerry, Aaron; sisters, Joyce, Claudette, Lynette; brother, Richard. He was predeceased by a son, Ryan.
Services: 1:30 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 16, in C.R. Strunk Funeral Home Inc. (www.crstrunk.com), 821 W. Broad St., Quakertown. Call from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. Wednesday in the funeral home.
Contributions: Can be made to Grand View Hospital, the Lyme Disease Research Association or the American Cancer Society.
Published in the Morning Call on 1/14/2008. Guest Book * Flowers * Charities
Posted by dharmacleaning (Member # 2114) on :
I just got word today DREW HYDE, formerly of the Boston area, died of Lyme disease yesterday. I have no obit yet, but will post it when I get it. He struggled painfully for years with Lyme disease. Drew, as I remember him from the 70's, was a man filled with zest and passion for the arts, and at one time headed the ICA in Boston.
Posted by Melanie Reber (Member # 3707) on :
Gary D. Norbut, 53, Pennsylvania
Gary D. Norbut, 53, of Upper Black Eddy, Pa, passed away Wednesday, March 5, 2008 at St. Luke's Hospice House of the VNA, Lower Saucon Township, Pa.
Born: He was a son of the late Edward R., Sr. and Alice D. Leichliter Norbut of Upper Black Eddy, Pa. Survivors: Gary is survived by a son and daughter; two brothers; three sisters; a granddaughter, and several nieces and nephews.
Services: Graveside services will be held Saturday at 2 p.m. in the Upper Tinicum Cemetery, Upper Tinicum Church Road, Tinicum Township, Pa. Arrangements are under the care of the Johnson-Walton Funeral Home, Milford, NJ.
WELLS -- Harold G. Anderson, 66, of 6740 E. Oak Park 0.1 Dr., Wells, passed away Saturday evening, March 8, 2008, at Marquette General Hospital following a lengthy illness with Lyme disease.
Harold was born in Escanaba on Dec. 10, 1941, the son of Lars and Anna (Erlandsen) Anderson. He graduated from Escanaba High School, Class of 1960. He was a lifelong resident of the area. He enjoyed hunting and at one time was involved with hockey.
He served in the Navy from 1960 to 1964.
He was employed at Mead Paper as a papermaker for 38 years, retiring in 2005.
Harold G. Anderson married Mildred Mihalic on Sept. 2, 1967, at St. Anne's Church.
He was a member of St. Joseph and St. Patrick's Parish.
Harold is survived by: his wife, Mildred of Wells; son, Scott of Wells; daughter, Stephane (Derek) Anderson of Marquette; three grandchildren, Jacob, Lars and Bjorn Anderson; brother, Glenn (Sandy) Anderson of Rhinelander, Wis.; and five nieces and nephews of Norway (Europe).
He was preceded in death by his parents and two step-brothers.
Private funeral services will be held at the convenience of the family with Rev. Eric Olson officiating.
Burial will be held in Gardens of Rest Cemetery.
The Crawford Funeral Homes of Escanaba and Bark River are assisting the Anderson Family with arrangements.
Nancy L. (Scully) Strayer, 61, Hollidaysburg RR 3, died Wednesday at home.
She was born in Hollidaysburg, daughter of James E. and Marie M. (Seymour) Scully. She married John D. Mummert Sr. July 22, 1967, in Steelton. He died Oct. 11, 1998. She married Ivan Scott Strayer Sept. 4, 2007, in Hollidaysburg.
Mrs. Strayer was preceded in death by her parents; and sisters: Janet and Beverly.
She is survived by a son, John D. Mummert Jr. of Middletown; sister, Patricia Wees and husband, Robert, in Florida; and brother, James E. and wife, Suzanne, of Coral Springs, Fla.; three grandchildren: Johnnessa, John III and Trinity Mummert; two nieces: Martha ``Marty'' and Elizabeth ``Betsy'' Wees; and stepchildren: Lynn Mehrer and husband Chris, of Rozette, Wyo., Cary Shaw and husband, Wade, of Martinsburg, Heather Malesky and husband Sam, of Summerhill, Jennifer Sell of Claysburg, Anna Strayer of Hollidaysburg and Ivan Scott Strayer II of Martinsburg.
Mrs. Strayer also is survived by her first and last love, Ivan Scott Strayer of Hollidaysburg. They went together in high school and after 37 years without contact were brought back together again in 2000.
She attended St. Michael's Catholic School and graduated from Hollidaysburg High School in 1963. She worked with her first husband in family-owned businesses, including an Amoco service station, then a Texaco station, both in Highspire, Pa., from 1967-94. In 1993, they moved to Driftwood, Cameron County, where they owned and operated the The Hunter's and Angler's Pub until 2000. She enjoyed hunting and fishing in Canada.
In keeping with her generous and giving spirit, Mrs. Strayer has donated her body to research for cancer and Lyme disease.
At the request of the deceased, there will be no public viewing. A memorial service will be scheduled at the convenience of the family.
Woman commits suicide after insect bite led her to suffer paranoid delusions Last updated at 17:48pm on 10th April 2008
A wealthy woman plunged to her death from her million-pound flat after suffering paranoid delusions caused by an insect bite she received while on holiday in France.
Jan Linton, 56, had been acting ``very strangely'' and claimed police were ``out to get her'' in the days before her death, falling three storeys from a window in her West Brompton flat in January.
Six months earlier she had been bitten by a tick in the French countryside and had returned to London in December to seek medical help for debilitating joint pains.
Her GP suspected Lyme disease, a tick-borne illness that can cause psychosis and delusions. Her mental state rapidly deteriorated, Westminster coroner's court heard.
Rhian Bradley, Miss Linton's friend of 20 years who lived with her in Redcliffe Gardens, said: ``Jan began to have doubts and questioned the whole meaning of her life.
``She was a person of high integrity and high moral character so it was absolute mental torture to her.''
Coroner Dr Paul Knapman said Miss Linton was ``clearly not herself '' at the time of her death. He recorded a verdict of death by misadventure.
KNOXVILLE, Md. -- Pamela Truscott Byrne, 57, died Saturday, June 7th, 2008, at her home in Knoxville, Md., from complications of Lyme disease.
She was born March 19, 1951, in Newport News, Va. She grew up in Birmingham; lived in Maryland for 24 years and wintered in Cape Coral, Fla. At an early age, she was fascinated by plants and animals and was also a talented artist. She graduated from Ohio State University.
She worked as an agriculturalist for the United States Department of Agriculture for 33 years and retired in 2006. She was one of the first women hired by the USDA in 1973 and worked in Florida, North Carolina, Hawaii, Africa, Holland, and for the USDA training center in Frederick, Maryland as an instructor for many years. She enjoyed gardening and had seven flower gardens and a large vegetable garden.
Survivors include her husband of 22 years, Tom Byrne, her mother, Estelle Truscott; sisters Gail Truscott, Page Wichman, Helen Miller; one niece and three nephews; step daughters, Jennifer Keim of North Hampton, PA, Elizabeth Smith of Odell, IL, Emily Johnson of Clifton Park, NY; and 8 grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her father, Starr Truscott in 2007.
Friends may call Wednesday June 18th from 12:00 until the time of a memorial service at 1 p.m. at the Riddle Funeral Home, 5345 South Street, Vermilion. Reverend Carol Rettew, pastor of the Bay Presbyterian Church, will officiate. Interment will be in Birmingham Cemetery, Ohio.
Private funeral Monday for former student shot by Ohio National Guard
Published on Sunday, Jun 15, 2008 Beacon Journal staff report
Robert ''Robby'' Stamps, one of 13 students shot by Ohio National Guardsmen during a Vietnam War protest May 4, 1970, at Kent State University, has died of complications from pneumonia.
Mr. Stamps, 58, died Wednesday in Tallahassee, Fla. A private funeral is scheduled for Monday at a friend's house. A memorial service is planned in San Diego.
Although the random bullet that struck him in the lower back colored his life for decades to come, Mr. Stamps lived an active professional life as a counselor, author, musician and inventor.
The residue of May 4 remained with him. And he often reflected on it.
''The guardsmen who killed four students and wounded nine others have neither told the truth nor been held accountable for their actions,'' he wrote in a guest editorial for the Akron Beacon Journal in March 1996.
Mr. Stamps grew up in a white-collar neighborhood in the Cleveland suburb of South Euclid. His father was a career military man who would have ''rather seen me go to jail than go to Vietnam to fight, and he told me so,'' Mr. Stamps was quoted as saying.
Fateful decision
Because Mr. Stamps suffered from Crohn's disease, his doctor advised him to attend a college within a 45-minute radius of home. He chose Kent State.
His goals were simple.
''I wasn't even thinking about my future,'' he was quoted as saying in Kent State's Burr magazine in 2000. ''I just wanted to graduate because I was used to spending every summer in the hospital.'' He double-majored in Spanish and sociology during an exciting time, he said: ''Students felt as if they had the power to change the world.''
He was in the wrong place at the wrong time when the Ohio National Guard opened fire on the crowd at an anti-war rally at Kent State.
''Instinctively, I turned around and started to run away,'' he told the magazine. ''I took about three or four steps, and that's when it got me in the back.''
Mr. Stamps recalled sitting in the front seat of the ambulance for the ride to Robinson Memorial Hospital in nearby Ravenna. Behind him were Allison Krause and Jeffrey Miller, both of whom died from their wounds.
The next day, Mr. Stamps' parents took him to University Hospitals in Cleveland for care of the bullet wound that entered through his back, went down into his leg and broke his femur bone.
Eventually, Mr. Stamps returned to Kent State to finish his bachelor's degree, graduating magna cum laude.
Professional life
He continued his studies at KSU, earning a master's degree in sociology in 1975 and a master's degree in journalism and mass communication in 1999.
Mr. Stamps wore many hats in his professional life. He was a teacher and a counselor treating the alcohol and drug-addicted. He wrote three nonfiction books, including No Risk Used Car Buying in 2001. He also was a songwriter.
He ran a business calledauthorswanted.com to help others write manuscripts, find agents and publish their work.
In 2000, Mr. Stamps spoke out against plans to include a taped speech by convicted cop killer Mumia Abu-Jamal in the May 4 commemoration, fearing his comments would shift the focus of the annual event.
Toward the end of his life, Mr. Stamps was beset by Lyme disease. He and his wife, Teresa Sumrall, set up a Web site that asked for donations.
''The medical and associated costs to treat this illness are staggering,'' the Web site read.
Mr. Stamps never forgot about what happened at Kent State.
''What I thought about then is that we had a military industrial complex in charge of things, profiting handsomely from making war. And I think the same thing today,'' he told the Burr.
Mr. Stamps is survived by his wife.
Arrangements were being handled by Beggs Funeral Home in Madison, Fla.
Kent St. student wounded in Nat'l Guard shootings dies at 58
(Published June 15, 2008)
AKRON, Ohio -- Robert Stamps, one of nine Kent State students wounded in the Ohio National Guard shootings that killed four other students 38 years ago, died in Tallahassee, Fla., of complications from pneumonia, his wife said.
Stamps, an observer who was sympathetic to anti-war demonstrators, was struck in the lower back on May 4, 1970 while fleeing tear gas and gunfire during a protest against the U.S. invasion of Cambodia. He rode in the same ambulance as Allison Krause and Jeffrey Miller, both of whom died from their wounds.
Stamps, 58, passed away Wednesday night, Teresa Sumrall said in an e-mail. He's the second of the nine wounded students to die. James Russell died last year at the age of 60, said Alan Canfora, another student who was wounded.
Stamps grew up in the Cleveland suburb of South Euclid. He continued his studies at Kent State after the shootings, earning a master's degree in sociology in 1975 and a master's in journalism and mass communication in 1999. He worked as a counselor, author and musician and repeatedly called for the Guard shooters to be held accountable.
Stamps returned often to the Kent State campus for memorial ceremonies, Canfora said. He contracted Lyme disease at one event at Mohican State Park and had been bedridden for the last several years, he said.
Tallahassee resident hurt in Kent State shooting dies
By Patrick O'Donnell CLEVELAND PLAIN DEALER
Robert Stamps, 58, one of the 13 students shot on the Kent State University campus by the National Guard on May 4, 1970, died Wednesday.
Stamps, who died in Madison just east of Tallahassee, was an observer sympathetic to the anti-war protests the day of the shootings and was shot in the buttocks while fleeing the tear gas gunfire.
Alan Canfora, another of the shot students who now runs Kent's May 4 Center, said Stamps had protested other times and always believed the Guard shooters should be tried for murder.
Stamps, 57, of Tallahassee, died of pneumonia, according to an e-mail his wife Teresa Sumrall sent to friends. Canfora said Stamps had contracted Lyme disease years ago at a May 4 event at Mohican State Park and had been bedridden with it the last few years.
He was the second of the nine students injured that day to die. James Russell, the oldest of the nine, died at his Oregon home last year at the age of 60.
After the shootings, Stamps graduated with degrees in sociology and Spanish. He lived for a while in Lakewood as an author and college teacher. Canfora said Stamps moved several times between Ohio, California and Florida, and frequently returned to the Kent campus for May 4 remembrances.
"It helps and it hurts," Stamps told The Plain Dealer at one of those events in 2000. "It heals old stuff and brings up old stuff at the same time."
Just a year ago, when students shot in the incident spoke against the current war in Iraq, Stamps told The Plain Dealer that his illness was "the only thing stopping me from actively going around to college campuses, protesting and talking to people about the war."
Killed that day were students Allison Krause, Jeffrey Miller, Sandra Scheuer and William Schroeder. Scheuer and Schroeder were passers-by. Canfora said Stamps rode to the hospital in the same ambulance as Krause before joining him in a waiting room, where they learned students had died.
In addition to Stamps, Canfora and Russell, the wounded students were John Cleary, Thomas Grace, Dean Kahler, Joseph Lewis, Donald MacKenzie, James Russell and Douglas Wrentmore.
A private ceremony was set for Monday. Another ceremony is set for July in San Diego, Calif.
melanie, what is criteria for posting an obit here?
local woman died last fall; i just found out about it when i saw her husband. i've NOT seen her obit so don't know if it mentioned lyme and/or co-infection as being the cause.
how do you handle something like this? thx Posted by Melanie Reber (Member # 3707) on :
Hello Betty,
My opinion on the matter is that if a person was known to have had Tickborne diseases, they qualify.
M
Posted by bettyg (Member # 6147) on :
mel, thx for replying!
i looked on your site and did not see LOIS HEINS listed there; so since her name is NOT there; it would NOT be shown on this link of obituaries post .... would it? ********************************
i'll email her hubby since i send my LAUGHTER stuff to him since he really needs them he said!
Posted by Melanie Reber (Member # 3707) on :
Hi Betty,
You are correct in that I do not have Lois on the Memorial site. It could possibly be listed here though, I would have to go through each page to know for certain.
Sometimes, Sarah or others will list here a 'possible' lyme fatality, that I don't list on the Memorial site until it can be verified.
Once you hear back from her husband, please do post your information so Lois can be remembered.
Thanks, M
Posted by Melanie Reber (Member # 3707) on :
seibertneurolyme Frequent Contributor Member # 6416
posted 25 June, 2008 02:41 PM
...
Ethan Robinson, 17, North Carolina
NEWS 13 TOP STORIES
Mitchell County Teen Dies From Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever (06/20/08)
The Mitchell Community of Estatoe is mourning the loss of a teenager who died of Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever.
17 year old Ethan Robinson died Sunday June 15th.
The family says the illness spread quickly after they took him to the emergency room on Friday the 13th. He was given antibiotics and sent home. On Saturday, Ethan complained of pain, a sore throat and severe rash.
His family says they believe doctors did all they could to save their son.
Philip A. Bresten, of Nantucket and Lynn, died August 3, 1998 at Massachusetts General Hospital from Babesiosis. He was 39.
He was born in Lynn, the son of Louis and Margaret (Gardner) Bresten, both of Lynn. He was raised in Lynn and graduated from Lynn Vocational Technical School in 1976.
He has lived on Nantucket for the past 13 years, working as a master plumber. He was an avid sports fan and enjoyed fishing and playing darts.
Mr. Bresten is survived by his parents; two brothers, Paul of Reading and Robert of Wareham; a sister, Elizabeth Bresten of Lynn; four uncles, Richard Gardner of Lynn, Arthur Gardner of Lynn, Robert Briestensky of New Kensington, Pa and Philip Gardner of Las Vega;
and three aunts, Jean Dube of Maine, Kathleen Murphy of Oriental, N.C., and Josephine Warych of Gipsonia, Pa. He is also survived by several cousins.
A funeral service will be held on at 8 a.m. on Saturday, Aug. 8 at Solimine, Landergan & Rhodes Funeral Home, 426, Broadway in Lynn, followed by a funeral Mass in the Sacred Heart Church at 9 a.m. Burial will be in St. Joseph Cemetery in Lynn. Visiting hours are Friday from 2 to 4 p.m. and 7 to 9 p.m.
Posted by seibertneurolyme (Member # 6416) on :
Wrongful Death . Misdiagnosis Of Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever
. Confidential Settlement
Brief statement of claim: Thomas Collins, age 19, was married to Sonya Collins for four months. He was a resident of Macon County, lived in a rural area, and was employed by a fence company installing security fences outdoors.
In late April, Mr. Collins became ill with a severe headache and fever. On the second and third days of his illness, when he had a severe headache and myalgias, he went to the emergency department at Angel Hospital in Franklin and was treated, improved and released.
During his second emergency room visit, on the third day of his illness, he was noted as having red spots on his arms, hands and body.
On the fifth day of his illness, and third emergency department visit, he was seen by Dr. Jimmy Lee Rodden at Harris Regional Hospital in Sylva. Dr. Rodden thought Collins had a viral illness or a flare-up of his hepatitis B.
By this time, although Collins' white blood cell count remained normal, his band count . the percentage of immature white blood cells that are released to fight acute infection . had risen over this four-day period from 10 percent on his first visit to 57 percent on his second, and was now 73 percent. Additionally, Collins' platelet count had dropped over the four days from 225,000 to 140,000 to 54,600.
Although he had never before seen a band count of 73 percent, Dr. Rodden was unaware that it almost certainly indicated a bacterial, not viral, infection, and that the 75 percent drop in Collins' platelet count over the four days was inconsistent with a flare-up of chronic hepatitis B.
Dr.Rodden did not know that a person could get Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever in late April in the mountains of North Carolina, and did not include it in his differential diagnosis, according to the plaintiff's counsel.
Dr. Rodden provided Collins with 400 mg of Motrin in the emergency department, a prescription for Phenergan, instructions to follow up with a gastroenterologist the following week, and released him.
The following night, Collins returned to the emergency department at Angel Medical Center, where he began seizing, and was provided Doxycycline for suspected Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever. He was transferred to Memorial Mission Hospital where he died four days later.
The Center for Disease Control in Atlanta later confirmed that he died of Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever.
Principal injuries (in order of severity): Death of 19-year-old male, Thomas Collins, who had been married for four months to Sonya Collins. The couple had dated for 17 months before the marriage.
Special damages: Medical expenses after discharge by Dr. Rodden until death: $38,165; funeral expenses: $5,787; lost earnings: between January 1997 and April 22, 1997, Mr. Collins earned $3,160 with Franklin Fence; lost earnings to work life expectancy: $381,127; loss of services: based on 19 hours per week at $6.50 per hour and involved chopping wood for heat, car maintenance, house maintenance .$462,653
Tried or settled: Bifurcated trial; confidential settlement after defendant found liable
Date concluded: Tried July 31 to Aug. 6, 2001; confidential settlement with Dr. Rodden on Aug. 6, 2001 after jury found his negligence proximately caused the decedent's death
Other useful info: The plaintiff contended that Dr. Rodden should have known that a person could get the disease in late April in the mountains of North Carolina, should have included it in his differential diagnosis, and should have treated him with doxycycline. The plaintiff also contended that Dr. Rodden should have recognized how sick Collins was and admitted him to the hospital.
Before trial, the plaintiff resolved her claims against the doctor who saw Collins on his second visit to Angel. Dr. Rodden, the remaining defendant, withdrew his consent to settle during trial.
Judge Payne from Asheville presided over the trial and bifurcated liability and damages. After the jury returned a "yes" on liability, the parties reached a confidential settlement with Dr. Rodden.
The verdict is believed to be the first medical malpractice jury verdict in Jackson County, according to the plaintiff's counsel.
I thought this was especially interesting because I am sure many of you have heard that you got sick at the wrong time of the year. Hubby had an infectious disease neurologist give a written list of half a dozen reasons why he could not have Lyme disease. One reason was because he got sick at the wrong time of the year.
The other critical point is that the longer the time delay in treating RMSF the worse the potential outcome.
Bea Seibert
Posted by seibertneurolyme (Member # 6416) on :
Cailean Walker Sheeran, student, talented musician, proud American and beloved family member, passed away on May 12, 2004. He is survived by his father John, mother Maureen, sisters Brittany and Mariel, nephew Dexter and dog Emma.
He is further survived by his grandmothers Marie Miller and Jean Sheeran; aunts Claire Levin, Bernadette Miller, Carol Miller, Dolores Norton and Patricia Sheeran; uncles Dale Levin, Richard Miller and Peter Sheeran; cousins John Levin, Jennifer Miller, Pete Sheeran, Rebecca Stokes and Willem Van Bergen.
He is preceded in death by his two grandfathers, Richard V. Miller and John D. Sheeran Sr. He also left behind many wonderful friends. Cailean would have been eighteen on June 20th and intended to graduate from James I. O?Neill High School in Highland Falls, NY and to continue his education in Boston, MA.
He was born in Manhattan and lived his early years in Jeffersonville, NY until he moved to Garrision, NY at the age of five. Through the years, Cailean adopted many nicknames including KK, Buddy, Cato and KayMan.
Cailean had many interests including playing tennis and basketball and faithfully rooting for the Boston Celtics. His greatest pleasure and the interest that he took so much pride in, was his love of the guitar and song writing.
He also enjoyed listening to music and attending concerts. Some of his favorite bands and artists included Dave Matthews Band, Coldplay and Mike Doughty of Soul Coughing.
If you wish you can make a donation in Cailean?s memory to one of the following:
1) Neurological Lyme Disease Research: please mail to: NYS Psychiatric Institute c/o Dr. Brian Fallon 1051 Riverside Drive Unit 69 New York, NY 10032.
The check should be made out to the Research Foundation for Mental Hygiene. In the lower left hand corner of the check, please indicate that the proceeds should be used for Neurological Lyme Disease research
2)Young Concert Artists Inc., an organization dedicated to discovering and launching the careers of extraordinary young musicians. For more information, please visit
Cailean was a loving, caring person with a contagious, mischievous smile and quirky sense of humor who will be missed tremendously. We ask that everyone that knew Cailean remember him fondly and smile when they think of ?Our Buddy? ? a unique and thoughtful young man. He was the best. ------------------------------------------------------- This is an email I sent out today to a bunch of Lymes Groups I had subscribed to
Hi, My name is Mariel and I\'ve been a member of the yahoogroup for Lyme a little longer than a year now.
I\'ve never sent out a message, but I would read all of yours and try to learn a little more about Lymes and its affect on its victims.
My 17 year old brother Cailean Sheeran killed himself last Wednesday. He was struggling with neuropsychiatric Lymes for a long time. Last Monday he also found out he two other tick-bourne diseases in his system. He had just put back on high dose antibiotics a few weeks ago.
I write to all of you to ask that you take care of yourselves. Cailean was delusional, paranoid, and felt alone. None of you are alone in your fight, and I understand that sometimes it really can feel that way.
This is a frustrating disease; Cailean was put on and taken off antibiotics and the diagnosis was being thrown around all over the place. Reading yourstories I\'ve heard that many of your expeirences are similar.
On Cailean\'s behalf, all of our friends and family are making donations to Dr. Fallon\'s Neurological Lymes Research as well as another charity, Young Concert Artists, Inc because Cailean was an amazing guitar player.
I\'ve put together a tribute page for my brother, so if any of you would like to get to know him here is the link.
Born in Rockwood, Tennessee on Jun. 25, 1973 Departed on Mar. 8, 2008 and resided in Oak Ridge, TN.
Cemetery: Oak Ridge Memorial Park
Meredith Ruth Roberts, 34, of Oak Ridge, passed away on March 8, 2008. She was born on June 25, 1973 in Rockwood, Tennessee to parents William Joseph Roberts and Brenda Helen Meredith Roberts.
Meredith was a registered nurse, but has been battling Lyme Disease for the past 8 years and unable to work.
She graduated from Oak Ridge High School in 1991, graduated from Simmons College in Boston Massachusetts and was accepted at NYU Nurse Practioners School.
Her survivors include: William J. Roberts, father; Amy E. Roberts, sister; Barbara Sands, aunt; Bliss Gonzalez, cousin & nurse; Betty Brooks, aunt; Marilyn Bartlett, aunt; Ted Meredith, uncle; Billy Boyd, cousin; Jay Brooks, cousin; Drew Meredith, cousin, and Seth Meredith, cousin.
A private graveside service will be held on Tuesday, March 11, 2008, 10 AM at Oak Ridge Memorial Park. The family requests that memorials be in the form of donations to Lyme Disease Research Efforts at
Passion. It's what makes most of HighEnd audio tick. In the Hollywood flick Serendipity, the hero's best man and comic relief writes the obituary column for the NY Times.
In a memorable address to his bumbling leading man friend, he claims that the Greeks didn't have obituaries. All they wanted to know when a man died was whether he'd lived with passion.
If so, he had done well and was worth remembering and celebrating. Otherwise, he didn't merit a speech, just the shovel and the dirt.
Even if that's pure Hollywood mystique, it should be true. Hell, even in criminal court, a crime of passion is regarded somewhat differently than cold-blooded murder.
When passion goes wrong, we still sympathize with it as though it were motivated by higher reason than - well, mere calculation and scheming. Passion. It's the glue that holds things together when they want to fall apart.
Terry Cain of Cain & Cain loudspeakers recently passed away after battling a debilitating combination of Lyme and Lou Gehrig disease.
He even knew when he'd contracted Lyme. He'd been on his way to a show and had pulled over on the side of a road for a break. Taking his socks off, he'd walked around the grass, stretched out and had a sandwich and a nap.
Then he got tweaked by a tick, unscrewed its little head and went to the show thinking no more of it. The spot discolored a week later and less than two years later, it's the shovel and the dirt. It can be the smallest of things.
Here in Cyprus, this year's rainy season was uncommonly ferocious. On a coastal road nearby where I drive to the grocery store every week, a retainer broke and a massive flash flood emptied down the hill on its way to the sea like an avalanche.
While crossing the road, it wiped out a 4x4 that just happened to synchronize going into that bend at the precise moment. It got taken aloft and thrown down a cliff. A helicopter was looking for days to find the body of the man.
His wife had drowned strapped in the car. You're driving down a road minding your own business. Then your time's up and a freak flash flood takes your life. Passion. Without it, you're just marking time.
I didn't know Terry Cain very well but had met him at numerous shows. From all accounts of those who remember him, he was fiercely driven by passion.
If we were ancient Greeks and not 21st century creatures glued to the telly, we'd applaud him loudly for having lived a meaningful and memorable life.
His creations survive him outside his circle of friends and family, by how much joy and pleasure they give to their owners. If we could all live lives that didn't end in mere disappearance but continued on in a similar fashion to Terry's, the world would be a better place.
Would that we'd all be so lucky as to discover what we're truly passionate about. That we'd have the courage to build our lives around that and not security and convenience and comfort.
And that we'd employ the discipline and commitment necessary to mine our passion as deeply as possible and burn our candle from both ends.
It surely is true that we've all been given gifts and talents. Once we step into them, we get empowered. Something greater than us gets activated and expressed.
Passion is the key to unlock that mystery and a memorable and creative life becomes the outcome. Memorable in the ancient Greek and serendipitous sense of the word.
To hell with fame and fortune - though in appropriate ways, they often do follow passion, eventually. Saludos to Terry Cain for reminding us how all of that is done in style...
PS: Our Terry Cain Memorial Fund is ongoing to help Terry's widow Leslie cope with his medical and funeral expenses. Many many people have contributed gear to sell and agreed to leave it up on our list to benefit Leslie in the current circumstance.
However, we won't leave this page up indefinitely. Once the family informs us of its needs and wishes, the offer could go away overnight. At best, it'll stay up until the end of January. If you're inclined to help, don't wait. Act now. It really is for a good cause. Passion does come in many forms.
Posted by seibertneurolyme (Member # 6416) on :
Frank Battisti, 72, Federal Judge Presiding Over Demjanjuk Case
By WOLFGANG SAXON
Published: October 21, 1994
Frank Joseph Battisti, the Federal judge who presided over several important cases in Cleveland, including the deportation of John Demjanjuk, died on Wednesday at the Cleveland Clinic. He was 72 and lived in Cleveland.
The cause was typhus and Rocky Mountain spotted fever, said Faye Kaufman, his secretary at the United States District Court for the Northern District of Ohio.
Among the nationally prominent cases before Judge Battisti were that of Mr. Demjanjuk, the automobile worker accused of war crimes in Nazi-occupied Eastern Europe and stripped of his American citizenship, and the 1974 trial of eight members of the Ohio National
Guard accused of violating the civil rights of four students shot dead at Kent State University in 1970. He also gained national attention in 1976 for ordering the Cleveland school district to start busing students to achieve racial integration.
In the 1980's, Judge Battisti was at the center of a power struggle that pitted him against nine colleagues on the 11-member court in Cleveland. The nine had set up a system in which the majority decided court policy in May 1985, but Judge Battisti conceded that he ignored it on the ground that "the chief judge must make the decisions."
The matter went to a panel of Federal appellate judges, which found in September that he had indeed assumed too much power and ordered him to share it with his peers.
Judge Battisti was appointed by President John F. Kennedy in 1961 at the age of 38, which made him the youngest Federal judge in the country at the time. He was chief judge in Cleveland from 1969 to 1990 and became a senior judge of the court in April.
Ms. Kaufman said he stepped down as chief judge because he resented sentencing guidelines set by Congress and argued that judges should have leeway when passing sentence.
At his death, scores of cases remained on his docket, including a rehearing of the Demjanjuk case ordered by the United States Supreme Court; Mr. Demjanjuk, whose conviction on charges of war crimes was overturned by an Israeli court, is seeking to regain his American citizenship.
Born in Youngstown, Ohio, Judge Battisti graduated from Ohio University and Harvard University Law School. He was in private practice and taught at Youngstown University Law School in the 1950's and was elected a Common Pleas judge in 1958.
As chief judge, he was regarded as one of the most powerful men in Cleveland, particularly after 1976 when he ordered the integration of the city's school system. He found the system deliberately segregated and prescribed crosstown busing as the remedy.
The Kent State case came to an abrupt halt when he dismissed it on the ground that Government prosecutors had failed to prove "beyond a reasonable doubt" that the guardsmen had willfully intended to deprive the students of their rights. The students were slain during a campus demonstration against American military involvement in Indochina.
Judge Battisti is survived by his wife of 31 years, Gloria Karpinski Battisti; his brother, Leo, of Florida; and his sisters, Lillian and Jeanne Battisti, both of Cleveland. -------------------------------------------------
Found another reference from 10/7 which stated that he was being treated at the CLeveland Clinic for a tickbite received while fishing in Montana. Actual cause of death reported elsewhere was Adult Respiratory Distress Syndrome -- a complication of either typhus or RMSP.
Bea Seibert
Posted by seibertneurolyme (Member # 6416) on :
Just posted on the Philadelphia Ceili Group Membership list:
Kathleen Gambon Erdei passed away Tuesday evening, July 31, after a two-week battle with what was diagnosed "raging cancer" at the Central Montgomery Medical Center in Lansdale, one month shy of her 72nd birthday. She had come down with Lyme disease two years earlier, and her system suffered greatly as a result.
Beloved in Philadelphia's Irish-American community for her work toward peace in Northern Ireland since the 1970s, Kathleen turned on two generations of young folks to the music of Ireland, and often partied with people a third her age in places like Fergie's or The Plough and the Stars. Her friend and Oak Lane neighbor Maryanne Devine said, "With the British troops beginning to leave Northern Ireland right now, Kathleen's work here is done."
Before his own death, Philadelphia Daily News columnist Jack McKinney once said of Kathleen, "Spending an afternoon with her is like stepping into a James Joyce novel - fascinating, deep, and layered with complicated characters".
Raised on farmland in Camden County, NJ, Kathleen attended Camden Catholic High School, then explored California and the West Coast as a young woman, before settling down to raise a family in the 1960s.
A former parishioner of St. Genevieve's Parish in Flourtown, PA,Kathleen's home there overlooked the sheep farm of Fitz Eugene Dixon.
She was a devout Catholic who never toed the party line, which was manifested in her many demonstrations against the Vietnam War, protests for clean air, water and lower utility fees for poor and working people, for peace in Northern Ireland, and against the closing of poor parishes in Philadelphia.
She once participated in a public rite of exorcism in front of the Basilica of Sts. Peter and Paul to root out, she said, "the corrupt practices of the Archdiocese's policy regarding those parish closings."
But her public persona belied her gentle touch with everyone she met. In her neighborhood of Philly's Oak Lane, to which she moved in the 1980s, she helped organize neighbors in their Arbor Day celebrations and tree-plantings.
She gathered local children to treat them to outings they might not otherwise afford, she volunteered at radio station WXPN, and was an exceptional afficionado of culture and literature.
"Kathleen knew the lyrics to 100-year old operettas, to songs of the Great Depression, folk tunes from here to Europe and South Africa. Her mind was all-encompassing, and she never stopped learning. And as big as her brain was, her heart was even bigger. She read several newspapers daily, and listened to people with their problems the whole world over, whether face-to-face, on the BBC or NPR", said close friend Marybeth Phillips.
For the past dozen years, Kathleen lived in Center City Philadelphia (Wash-West), and rode a bike all over town while working for PennPIRG, the Pennsylvania Public Interest Research Group. With them, she found a career already in line with her causes, and fought hard from Philly's City Council to Harrisburg to D.C.
She often had her bicycle stolen when she parked it at a trainstation, but taking a Zen approach to everything, refused to worry.She would find it on another occasion and steal it back.
She was an avid urban gardener, planting in every inch of soil she could find on Lombard or South Streets, and once turned down a week's vacation in Florida so as "not to miss anything that begins to bud in Philly".
In addition to PennPIRG, Kathleen also worked for the DominicanSisters in Elkins Park, helping sick nuns recover or pass through to the next life, at St. Katherine's Hall.
Ms. Erdei is survived by her former husband Abdon Erdei, daughter Stephanie Scintilla, and sons A. Andrew, Daniel, and James, and her first grandchild, Daphne Erdei.
In her always-altruistic fashion, Kathleen donated her body toJefferson Medical College. A memorial service is scheduled for her at The Irish Center/Commodore Barry Club, Carpenter Lane and Emlen Streets, Philadelphia, on Saturday, September 15, at 5 p.m.
Donations in her memory may be sent to the non-profit Heart of Camden Housing Corporation, Broadway and Ferry, Camden, NJ 08104.
For more information, please call daughter Stephanie Erdei Scintilla at 215-350-5412, or Marybeth Phillips at 610-436-4134.
Posted by Melanie Reber (Member # 3707) on :
Three more die from tick bites Wednesday, July 9, 2008
BURSA (Turkey) - Doğan News Agency
Three people were pronounced dead at hospitals Monday in the provinces of Bursa, �anakkale and Samsun, taking the death toll from tick bites to 37 in the past two months.
According to Doğan news agency, Mustafa Kayrı from the western province of Bursa went camping 10 days ago and was bitten by a tick. He was hospitalized and diagnosed with the deadly Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever, or CCHF, and moved to the intensive care unit.
In the western province of �anakkale, İbrahim G�ven died in hospital after being treated for suspected CCHF infection. He had told relatives that he had seen a tick on his body. He was buried in a zinc casket with lime spread over the grave as a precaution. Another person had died from CCHF in the same province last month.
Another man, Cafer Sağlam, died from CCHF Monday in the northern province of Samsun after he was bitten by a tick and removed it with his hand.
The Health Ministry also issued a statement to warn people against tick bite cases. In case of a tick bite the skin should be covered with the proper medicine. The tick should be removed by doctors using tweezers with great care and iodine should be applied to the bite. Health Ministry officials said ticks should never be killed by hand.
Moreover, those people, touched by any tick, should be kept under medical observation for 10 days, and go to the nearest hospital if they have symptoms such as fever, headache, nausea, vomiting or diarrhea, officials from the Health Ministry said.
Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever mainly affects animals. Ticks, which live on sheep and cattle, can sometimes pass the virus to people.
It is an Ebola-like fever where patients can bleed to death if they are not treated quickly. Those infected can transmit the virus through their blood or saliva. The disease is endemic in parts of Africa, Asia and Europe. Health authorities said a warmer climate, which Turkey has experienced in recent years, could mean a larger tick population that could in turn infect more people with the disease.
Donald L. McGee, 40, of 5819 Rawls Church Road died Friday, July 25, 2008.
Donald was a native of Fuquay-Varina his entire life and was a Nuclear Engineer for Progress Energy for 14 years. Donald was a graduate of Appalachian State and was also a veteran of the United States Navy.
Funeral services will be held Thursday at 2:00 p.m., at New Hope Presbyterian Church in Willow Spring, with Rev. Thomas Westfall and Rev. Warren Bock officiating, Burial services will follow at Greenlawn Memorial Gardens in Fuquay- Varina.
Donald is survived by his wife, Lisa Griffin McGee; son, Peyton (age 10); and daughter, Sydney (age 5); mother, Barbara Johnson Porter and husband, Gene of Fuquay-Varina; brother, David McGee and wife, Gina of King, NC; father-in- law, Sammy Griffin and wife, Pat of Fuquay-Varina; mother-in-law, Jane Griffin of Fuquay-Varina; nieces and nephews, Jacob McGee, Casey Booth, Hannah Booth and Dave Wood.
Donald was predeceased by his father, Thomas McGee and nephew, Matthew McGee.
Donald was an active member of New Hope Presbyterian Church and served as an Elder of the church. Donald was a loving husband, father, son, uncle and brother. Donald loved his family and was an inspiration to all who knew him.
A trust fund has been set up for the college fund for Peyton and Sydney McGee. Contributions may be made by contacting Mr. John Adcock, (919) 552-2929, ext. 201 or memorials may be made to the North Carolina Lyme Disease Foundation, Inc., 7405 Louisburg Road, Raleigh, NC 27616.
Condolences may be sent to the family at www.bryan-leefuneralhome.com Arrangements by Bryan-Lee Funeral Home, Angier.
BY JOE ROSSITER * FREE PRESS STAFF WRITER * August 19, 2008
Lida Mattman, a professor of microbiology at Wayne State University for more than three decades, whose contributions as a researcher and author earned her a spot in the Michigan Women's Hall of Fame, died Aug. 6 at the Golden Years Retreat in Essexville.
The cause of death was a form of liver failure. She was 96.
Mrs. Mattman was recognized for her work with diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, Lou Gehrig's disease, scleroderma and Parkinson's. Her book, "Cell Wall Deficient Forms," written in 1974, was regarded as an invaluable education tool among researchers, students and physicians in the field of microbiology.
"Like the ripple effect upon the water, the influence of a great teacher never ceases, and that basically defines the type of positive effect she had upon me and countless other students," said James Gray, a former pupil and current microbiology professor at Wayne County Community College. "If you were willing to be there she would work with you in the lab all night long as an adviser."
Born Lida Holmes in Denver, she earned bachelor's and master's degrees in microbiology and virology respectively from the University of Kansas and a doctorate in immunology from Yale University in 1940.
In addition to doing research at the universities of Iowa and Pennsylvania, she served as director of clinical laboratories for the United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Commission and was an instructor at the Harvard School of Public Health.
After she married Dr. Paul E. Mattman in 1944, the couple moved to Detroit.
Mrs. Mattman joined the Wayne State faculty in 1949 and is credited with ushering thousands of would-be doctors and nurses into the medical profession. She was awarded the university's President's Award for Outstanding Teaching and Research in 1977. She retired in 1982, and was inducted into the Michigan Women's Hall of Fame in 2005.
Survivors include a daughter, Sandra Augustine; a son, Dr. Paul H. Mattman, and five grandchildren.
A memorial service is set for 1 p.m. Aug. 31 in the Grosse Pointe Memorial Church, 16 Lakeshore Drive, Grosse Pointe.
9.05.2008 Multidyne Video & Fiber Optic Systems founder Vincent Jachetta died on Sept. 2 at the age of 70 of complications from Lyme disease.
Jachetta's career in broadcasting began in the late 1960s as chief engineer for Lewron, a mobile production company. He also worked for several major networks, including NBC, where he spent most of his career before establishing his own business. Jachetta was a member of the NBC team that produced a number of remote telecasts, including the Miss America Pageant, The Game of The Week in Major League Baseball, NFL games, as well as coverage of presidential conventions and elections.
He left NBC in 1977 to establish Multidyne, offering as his first product a portable test signal and identification generator. During the next three decades, Jachetta made numerous contributions to the broadcast industry in the areas of video transmission and testing. He held several patents, and was recognized for his development of long-haul video transmission equipment and A/V test gear, among other items. His two sons, James and Frank are executives with the company.
``Our father was a friend, colleague and mentor to many people in the broadcast industry,'' said Jim Jachetta, senior vice president of engineering and product development. ``He was very thankful that we all worked in a prosperous industry with such great people and friends. Many former NBC employees followed in his footsteps to form their own companies to serve the broadcast industry. He will be greatly missed by all who knew him.''
``My father was very proud that Jim and I are carrying on the MultiDyne tradition. A great void will be left by the loss of our father, friend and mentor'' said Frank Jachetta, senior vice president of sales and operations.
Jachetta made his home in Locust Valley, N.Y.
Survivors also include his widow, Joan. A funeral mass is scheduled this Saturday, Sept. 6, at the St. Patrick Roman Catholic Church in Glen Cove, N.Y.
McHoyle's family is a family run funeral business, and does an awesome job!
Posted by lymeloco (Member # 7192) on :
I spelled the name wrong. Sorry
Posted by Melanie Reber (Member # 3707) on :
MaryAnne Charlish, 60, Canada
CHARLISH, MaryAnne (nee Bohaichuk) October 20, 1947 - October 19, 2008 MaryAnne Charlish of Edmonton passed away peacefully with her family by her side at the age of 60 years.
MaryAnne is survived by her mother, Olga Bohaichuk; two sons and one daughter, David (Grace) Berry, Raena (Doug) Williams and Robert Berry; four grandchildren, Elise, Madison, Michael and Evan; three sisters and one brother, Pat Timmins, Janice (Mike) Sabourin, Cheryl (James) Carlson and Terry (Dianne) Bohaichuk; numerous nieces, nephews and other relatives. Predeceased by her father, Peter and sister, Victoria.
Memorial Service Thursday, October 23 at 1:30 p.m. at Park Memorial Chapel, 9709 - 111 Avenue. Cremation has taken place. In lieu of other tributes, donations may be made to the Canadian Lyme Disease Foundation, 2495 Reece Road, Westbank, British Columbia V4T 1N1. To send condolences, visit www.parkmemorial.com Park Memorial Edmonton 780-426-0050 Family Owned Funeral Home, Crematorium, Reception Centre
Posted by Melanie Reber (Member # 3707) on :
Leslie Rea Wermers, 41, Minnesota
Leslie Wermers, age 41, of Hopkins, Minnesota and formerly of Burt died on Sunday, November 2, 2008 at her home. Visitation will be 4:00 - 6:00 pm Friday at the Lentz Funeral Home in Burt. There will be a private celebration of Leslie's life for close friends and family from 6:00 - 7:30 pm Friday at the funeral home. Burial will be at Burt Township Cemetery at a later date.
Leslie Rae Wermers, the daughter of William and Lee (Sankey) Wermers, was born on July 7, 1967, in Algona, Iowa. She was raised in Burt and graduated from Burt High School in 1985 and Ellsworth Community College in 1987. She received a Mortuary Science Degree from the Dallas Institute of Funeral Service and worked as a funeral director in Houston, Texas. She then became a jailor for Crow Wing County and the Ramsey County Sheriff's Department. She was a camp counselor in Brainerd. When her illness became too much, she was a patient advocate and co-founder with her sister, Tracie, of "Minnesota Lymefighter's Advocacy".
Left to cherish her memory is her life partner, Paula Claussen and her daughter Jayde of Hopkins, MN; parents, Bill Wermers of Burt and Lee Sankey of Brainerd, MN; a sister, Tracie Schissel of Brainerd, MN; a brother, Josh Wermers of Brainerd, MN; two nephews, Erik Schissel and Judah Wermers both of Brainer, MN.
[ 19. November 2008, 03:11 PM: Message edited by: Melanie Reber ]
Posted by Melanie Reber (Member # 3707) on :
Manuel P�rez S�nchez, Costa Rica
Worker at Costa Rica hotel site died of tick-borne disease By Devon Magee Special to The Tico Times | [email protected]
GUANACASTE - A Nicaraguan construction worker who died Nov. 6 at a resort construction site on Matapalo Beach in the northwestern province of Guanacaste (Costa Rica) succumbed to a tick-borne infection, health officials said this week.
The death of Manuel P�rez S�nchez, who suffered diarrhea and vomiting, coincided with the illnesses of hundreds of other workers, initially fueling a scare of a large-scale outbreak at the site, possibly caused by the drinking water.
Authorities have since determined that S�nchez died of Ehrlichiosis, a bacterial disease spread by ticks.
On Monday, Health Minister Mar�a Luisa Avila and other government officials, including Nicaraguan Ambassador Harold Rivas, visited the site and found no signs of potable water contamination.
Avila, however, issued sanitary orders to clean up the distribution of food for the workers and to limit the number of workers per dormitory. Most of the construction project's 1,500 workers were crammed into bunks stacked three high up to the dorm room ceilings.
According to the daily La Naci�n, more than 300 of S�nchez's fellow workers visited clinics over the weekend, but most suffered from respiratory infections and showed no symptoms of diarrhea or tick-borne illness.
``It was more collective hysteria than anything else,'' said Enrique Jim�nez, Guanacaste director of the Health Ministry. ``There was no outbreak. This was normal pathology for a (dense) group of 1,500 people.''
Avila requested that a clinic be erected on the construction site, and that a doctor and nurse be present eight hours a day.
The workers are building the 701-room, $125 million Hotel RIU Guanacaste, part of the Spanish hotel chain RIU hotels. The hotel is half complete and on target to be finished by November 2009.
Prolific journalist, Local writer dies at age 44 By MARTA HEPLER DRAHOS [email protected] November 20, 2008 10:52 am
-- TRAVERSE CITY -- A local writer whose struggles with a paralyzing neurological condition and subsequent inability to work launched a fund-raising campaign to help save her home has died at the age of 44.
Lori Hall Steele died Wednesday in Howell, after a mystifying illness that was diagnosed as either Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS or Lou Gehrig's Disease), a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and the spinal cord, or Lyme disease.
A self-employed single mother and prolific writer whose nearly 3,000 features, essays and news stories have appeared in print and online publications nationwide, Hall Steele lost feeling in her feet in 2007 and eventually became completely paralyzed. She had been unable to work since mid-March, prompting friends to mobilize to help pay her mortgage and medical bills, which topped $100,000.
Her plight and the chance to help resonated with writers, artists, musicians and other self-employed creative people both in the region and beyond, who raised about $70,000 through grants, a silent auction and an online campaign called savelorishouse.com.
Contributors included online writers groups, the American Society of Journalists and Authors and pop star Ben Lee.
A graduate of Michigan State University with a bachelor's degree in journalism, Hall Steele came to the area as a young reporter from the Albion Recorder. From 1989 through 1993 she was a reporter, columnist and editor at the Record-Eagle, where she covered the cherry industry among other beats.
Early in her career she contributed to a Record-Eagle series on poverty in the region that earned the paper a Robert F. Kennedy Journalism Award citation for distinguished reporting, alongside such news organizations as The Boston Globe, ABC News and National Public Radio. She also received awards from the Inland Daily Press and the Associated Press.
Former Record-Eagle City Editor Loraine Anderson recalls Hall Steele as a gifted and versatile writer who always searched for creative ways to get and tell a story, and whose sense of humor often showed up in her work.
"She was a great writer, a great researcher and also a really fine editor, and she always worked to tell the story through people," Anderson said. "She had that tenacity you have to have to be a hard news reporter and was very much concerned about First Amendment rights.
"She loved to write, and she loved this work," Anderson added.
Longtime friend Kristen Hains said Hall Steele was curious and passionate about her wide-ranging interests, from gardening to film to the area's history. She was instrumental in helping get the Traverse City Film Festival off the ground as a member of the festival's founding committee, and became a champion of the Grand Traverse Commons redevelopment project after co-writing "The Beauty of Therapy" with Earle Steele, grounds keeper at the former Traverse City State Hospital.
"She had a passion for everything she did, whether it was her writing, her son, her friends or a cause she got behind," Hains said. "If she put herself behind something she put herself behind it 100 percent. I think what made her so special as a writer also made her special as a person, and that is that Lori never stopped asking questions. And she was always looking forward, even when she was struck with this. She never stopped believing that if she acted independently and asked enough questions she could change the outcome."
Hall Steele was instrumental in calling attention to the historic Traverse City State Hospital and the efforts to preserve it as The Village at Grand Traverse Commons, said Mini Minervini of the preservation and redevelopment Minervini Group.
And she involved others in writing about the project too.
"Lori has always been a passionate advocate for the preservation and renovation of Building 50 and the whole complex," Minervini said. "She paid attention to the details. And anything she wrote was always stellar."
After leaving the Record-Eagle, Hall Steele moved on to staff positions with Traverse Magazine and Northern Home and, farther afield, with the Prague Post. Most recently she was a freelance writer and editor who shepherded publications from conception to printing press, edited stories and books including Michael Moore's "Dude, Where's My Country?" and designed newspapers, magazines and books. She was the author of "Sweet and Snappy Cherry Drinks," a small-press selection of the Publishers Marketing Association.
As a freelance writer, she specialized in stories about the home, food, parenting, travel and the environment for publications ranging from the Detroit Free Press, the Chicago Tribune and the Washington Post to Brides, SmartMoney and Woman's Day. Shortly before she died, she learned that the national magazine Parenting was interested in buying one of her essays.
"It was such a sweet moment," said Hains, also a freelance writer. "I thought, 'You can take away her voice, you can take away her ability to walk, but you can't take away her ability to affect people with her thoughts.'"
Those thoughts reached a discriminating audience in June, when the prestigious Washington Post published one of Hall Steele's essays in which she explored her responsibility to her son, Jackson, 7. Although it was written before she became ill, it proved to be prophetic.
"I tell him I'll always be here for him, one way or another," she wrote. "Always always always. Just like my mother is here for me ... It is an impossible promise, a gamble with his trust. I secretly pray I don't let him down, not on this." Funeral arrangements are pending.
Linda Flory was a long-time Lyme disease patient and worked long and hard to help educate people about Lyme disease. She was a board member of the Lyme Disease Association of Ohio and gave her time and energies to many meetings, events and conferences. She will be sadly missed by all who knew her.
FLORY, Linda K. (Jones) Age 63 of Springboro went home on November 18, 2008. She was proceded in death by her son Darin, 3 brothers, 2 sisters and her Mom & Dad.
Survived by her husband Robert Flory, father-in-law Joe Flory, 3 children Tammy (Tim) Garland, Bryan (Jennifer) Long, and Shannon (Jason) Centers, 3 step-children Rob (Peggy) Flory, Robin (Tony) Gearhart, & Andrea Flory, 17 grand-children, 4 great-grandchildren, sister Carol (Doug) Paxton & many nieces and nephews.
She also leaves to mourn many wonderful friends.
Family will receive friends from 4-7PM Friday Nov 21 with services Saturday Nov. 22, 2008 at 10:00 am at the Schlientz and Moore Funeral Home 820 Miamisburg-Centerville Rd.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Schlientz & Moore Funeral Home. Internment will be at the Miami Valley Memory Gardens.
Published in the Dayton Daily News on 11/21/2008
Posted by Melanie Reber (Member # 3707) on :
William Charles Erasmus, 53, Brazil
Brazil identifies disease that killed South African
14 hours ago
RIO DE JANEIRO (AFP) -- Brazilian authorities said Monday they have identified a mysterious disease that killed a visiting South African businessman last week as spotted fever, a tick-borne malady.
The diagnosis capped a health scare triggered by the death Tuesday of the 53-year-old man, who is believed to have contracted the illness in his home country.
Initially, it was feared he might have succumbed to an arenavirus, a highly contagious, often deadly group of hemorrhagic diseases endemic to parts of Africa.
One arenavirus was present in a Johannesburg hospital where the man had undergone an October operation, weeks before his arrival in Brazil on November 23. He was admitted to hospital two days later suffering vomiting, rashes and fever.
Medical staff who treated the man in Rio de Janeiro had been put under observation and South African authorities were contacted to help identify the illness.
The body of the man, identified in Brazilian media as William Charles Erasmus, was cremated as a precaution last Thursday by a special decontamination team wearing sealed suits.
Authorities at the health ministry in the state of Rio de Janeiro said tests at a lab specializing in viruses, the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, determined the bacteria from its genome contained in blood samples.
"There is no risk of person-to-person infection. The Rickettsia bacteria is only transmitted by ticks," the deputy head of the lab, Ary Carvalho de Miranda, told reporters.
Brazil itself has registered 641 cases of spotted fever in the past decade. The disease is fatal in 30 percent of cases.
Dr. Joseph R. Bellesorte, D.O., 63, of Morton, a family-practice physician, died Jan. 16 at Riddle Memorial Hospital.
Born in Philadelphia, Dr. Bellesorte graduated from West Catholic High School for Boys in 1963 and from St. Joseph's College in 1967. In 1976, he received his master's degree from Drexel University's College of Biomedical Engineering. In 1978, he received his medical degree from the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine.
Dr. Bellesorte was a family-practice physician in Springfield for most of his career. For 20 years, he was a consulting physician to the Delaware County CFIDS/ME support group.
He was a longtime member of the YMCA Indian Guides and Indian Princesses.
Dr. Bellesorte served in the U.S. Army.
He was son of the late Michael A. and Mary T. Rovito Bellesorte.
Survivors: Wife, Magdalena Colliton Bellesorte; daughter, Marianne Bellesorte of Swarthmore; son, Joseph M. Bellesorte of Prospect Park; one grandson.
Service: Mass, 10 a.m. Wednesday, Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church, 2130 Franklin Ave., Morton.
Visitation: 9-10 a.m. Wednesday at the church.
Burial: Private.
Arrangements: James F. Knoetgen Funeral Home, Morton.
Published in The Delaware County Daily Times Sunday, January 18, 2009 6:30 AM EST
Posted by TerryK (Member # 8552) on :
Dr. JoAnne Whitaker 81, Florida
Dr. Whitaker developed the Q-RIBb (Quantitative Rapid Identification of Borrelia burgdorferi) test.
She was a lyme disease victim from childhood. She was a presenter at a number of lyme conferences. I saw one of her presentations where she had conducted research on lyme and ALS.
Born 1961 Hay River, Northwest Territories. Died 2009 Colton, Oregon. She grew up and lived in Saanichton and Victoria, and spent 13 years on Gabriola Island, where I met and fell in love with her and coaxed her down to Beaverton and finally Colton, Oregon. She was a flame that burned very brightly and inspired her communities, which included wild animal rescue, middle eastern dance, feline asthma education, Wiccan/pagan advocacy, Lyme Disease advocacy, and the Storm Large ballzboard. She was an artist, musician, dancer, teacher, writer, and leader.
She naturally collaborated with the brightest and the movers and shakers, but made everyone feel heard and included. Her sense of humor constantly surprised and delighted people. She worked so hard to please others often to the detriment of herself. She suffered from Lyme Disease, babesia and erlichiosis, depression, and other conditions and these contributed to her decline and death at age 47.
Posted by Melanie Reber (Member # 3707) on :
Kurt Hilding Billing, 47, New York
Swim instructor Kurt Billing dies at 47 By Brendan O'Reilly
Kurt Hilding Billing, a fixture in Southampton who gave swimming lessons at Big Fresh Pond, Wyandanch Beach and in backyard pools to hundreds--perhaps thousands--of local children over the years, took his own life on February 3 at his home in North Sea. He was 47.
Mr. Billing suffered from Lyme disease for the past 10 years, the symptoms of which include depression and confusion. He had been symptom free for years, but late last fall he had a relapse, his family said.
Born on January 24, 1962, Mr. Billing was known by many as ``Nature,'' a nickname picked up during his high school years that followed him throughout life. He graduated from Southampton High School in 1980 and went on to earn a business degree from the University of Richmond in Virginia.
After college, Mr. Billing spent a couple years traveling the country and did a stint as a computer salesman in Washington. When he returned home to Southampton in 1986, he took over the family swimming instruction business from his sister, Donna Billing, who had taken it over from their mother, Florence, who started it more than 40 years ago. Florence Binning passed the business to her children so she could open four women's clothing stores--Billing's Lingerie Shop, Billing's Country Shop, Billing's Bridal Salon and Lady Billing, all in Southampton Village--which Mr. Billing helped manage.
Mr. Billing learned to swim while tagging along at his mother's swimming classes. He could swim all the way across Big Fresh Pond when he was just 6 years old, his sister, Diane McGann, recalled on Monday.
``You could tell it was a passion, and he was just good at it,'' Ms. McGann said. ``He knew how to read a student, and he knew just how far to push to get results. ... It built up their self-esteem.''
Most of the swimming classes were held at the same Billing-family lake-front property on Big Fresh Pond where his mother had first given lessons.
``He was a strong believer in teaching at the lake,'' Ms. McGann said. She explained that he wanted new swimmers to learn to be comfortable swimming long distances in open water.
``He was more than a `swim instructor.''' Donna Billing's husband, Alex Oliva, said. ``He took it to the highest degree.''
Mr. Billing's catch phrase was ``Keep up the good work,'' and he didn't just say it to his students. Ms. Billing said he would say that to her every time he got off the telephone with her.
Their brother had a ``big kid'' personality, which he got from their late father, Hilding ``Hank'' Kurt Billing, the sisters said.
``He had this huge enthusiasm and excitement for life,'' Ms. Billing said of her brother. She said every outing with Mr. Billing, whether it be hiking or ice skating, was a grand event. ``He just made it like the biggest adventure in the world,'' she said.
Mr. Billing had a passion for travel. He has been to all 50 states, South Africa, Australia, Nepal and the Scandinavian countries, including Sweden, where he visited distant relatives. He was also an avid photographer and documented his journeys. ``He has a huge collection of slides,'' Ms. Billing said.
Mr. Billing was also a preservationist. He got his start at 24 years old, when he took out a $25,000 personal loan to help preserve an $85,000 1-acre parcel on Big Fresh Pond that he brought to the attention of the Peconic Land Trust.
``That was really inspiring for a young person to devote that kind of money,'' Peconic Land Trust President John v.H. Halsey said Monday.
Mr. Billing became a member of the Peconic Land Trust's stewardship committee and fought to preserve Tuckahoe Woods in North Sea.
``He knew that part of North Sea like the back of his hand,'' Mr. Halsey said. ``He spent a lot of time as a boy running through those woods.''
On top of swimming lessons and his traveling, Mr. Billing was a caddy at National Golf Links of America in Southampton, a motocross rider and a volunteer forest-fire fighter.
According to his family, Mr. Billing bought a home in Oregon two years ago, with plans to start a business as a trail guide when he wasn't in Southampton giving swimming lessons. Many of Mr. Billing's plans had been put on hold though, so he could care for his mother, who had a stroke in January 2007.
Mr. Billing is survived by his four sisters, Donna Billing and husband Alex Oliva of Delray Beach, Florida; Diane McGann and husband Anthony McGann of Port Washington; Lin White and husband William White of Southampton; and Lorri Billing and husband Joseph Walker of Southampton. He is also survived by his mother, Florence, and his nieces and nephews, Joseph, Morgan, Ashley, Brittan, Sandro, Elizabeth and Katherine.
A wake was held on Friday, February 6, at Brockett Funeral Home in Southampton. A funeral service was held the next day at Southampton United Methodist Church, followed by interment at Southampton Cemetery.
Letters of condolence may be sent to Kurt Billing Remembered, 101 Big Fresh Pond Road, Southampton, New York 11968. A memorial website is located at kurtbilling.com.
In lieu of flowers, the family said it would appreciate donations in Mr. Billing's memory to Peconic Land Trust, 296 Hampton Road, P.O. Box 1776, Southampton, New York 11969, peconiclandtrust.org, or to Lyme disease research. Last Updated Feb 9, 09 6:59 PM
Born in Portland, ME on Jun. 14, 1950 Departed on Mar. 11, 2009 and resided in Elkton, MD.
Thayer Libby Cole, of Elkton, MD, died Wednesday, March 11, 2009 in the Christiana Hospital, Newark, DE.
Born in Portland, ME, on June 14, 1950, she was the daughter of the late Ralph G. Libby, II and the late Vivian (Blauvelt) Libby.
She was a Disc Jockey. She started her career at WAMD in Aberdeen, MD then moved to WCEM in Cambridge, MD. From there she worked at WPOC in Baltimore, MD, returned to WAMD, then on to WXCY in Havre de Grace, MD where she retired.
Libby was a member of the National Sky Patrol, a competitive down hill snow skier and was a water skier. She was the first female Station Master for Amtrak. She loved people and remote broadcasting.
Survivors include her loving husband: Hubert M. Cole of Elkton, MD; stepson, Col. William E. Cole, his wife, Midge and their children, Elizabeth, William Jr., Joshua and Michelle, all of Burke, VA; and also by her brother Ralph G. Libby, III and his wife Brenda of Lyman, ME.
Visitation for family and friends will be held at Crouch Funeral Home, 127 south Main Street, North East, MD, on Saturday, March 14, 2009 from 6:00 PM until 8:00 PM and again Sunday, at 1:00 om before the funeral service.
Funeral service will be held Sunday, March 15, 2009 at 2:00 PM at the funeral home.
Rev. Karen Bunnell will officiate. Interment will be in Limington Cemetery, Limington, ME.
(see photo at link below) Sue Baiata, shown dancing with her brother, John, at his 2001 wedding, developed advanced Lyme disease in the years after being bitten by a tick. One of the side effects she experienced was hyperacusis, a sensitivity to sound so severe that she tried to find a doctor willing to surgically deafen her.
Courtesy of the Baiata family
The phone had not even finished its first ring before my wife, Anna, snatched it from its cradle. Concern was etched in her face as she handed me the receiver: ``It's the police. It's about Sue.''
My stomach dropped. My older sister had disappeared the day before and my family feared for her safety. ``I'm sorry to have to tell you this,'' the police lieutenant said in an even voice, ``but we found your sister dead this afternoon. We have reason to believe it was a suicide. We're here with your mother now.''
I fought the urge to scream as my mind went in a million directions. ``Do not leave my mother by herself,'' I urged the lieutenant over the phone. ``I'll be there in a little more than an hour.''
I lurched outside and clung tightly to the deck railing, while everything else seemed to spin violently around me. Anna grabbed me with both hands. ``What happened?!''
``She really did it this time,`` I said. ``She killed herself.''
In the decade or so before Sue took her own life at age 46 on August 21, 2005, my sister Dawn, my mother and I had become all too familiar with advanced Lyme disease, which had slowly, inexorably diminished Sue's life.
Sometime in the mid 1990s, my sister contracted Lyme disease, likely through being bitten by a deer tick or black-legged tick. The bacterium that had introduced itself to Sue's bloodstream went undetected, and then was misdiagnosed for the better part of two years.
Identified early, a short course of oral antibiotics will cure the majority of cases of Lyme disease -- more than 27,000 cases were reported in the U.S. in 2007 -- and wipe out the typical symptoms of headaches, fatigue and a circular rash near the area of the bite. But left untreated, the disease can affect the heart and nervous system, causing joint pain. Sue faced a parade of symptoms including migraines, severe pain in her neck and major joints and staggering exhaustion.
Each one narrowed the prism through which she lived her life. Sue had to leave her job as a facilities manager to go on disability, and lived with my mother in the Long Island home where we were raised. On her good days, she would spend hours in the gardens she had lovingly cultivated in the expanse of the backyard. More than likely it was there too where the tick which bore the disease that would seal her fate attached itself to her.
On her bad days, she would stay in bed with the shades drawn, cuddled with the dog she loved unconditionally, her beloved Chihuahua, Katie. She would emerge only briefly to have some tea and a bite to eat, and a few words with our mom.
Still, she had accepted what her life had become. On those good days she could still fill the room with laughter. She would mine the late-night comedians for material but never really needed to. Making people laugh came naturally to her.
Her life became more attuned to the seasons than ever. She knew instinctively how to grow just about anything. She kept a pair of pruners in her car in case she happened across something that would make its way into one of her many centerpieces. One fall while driving through a rural part of northern New Jersey, she forced me to pull over to the side of the road, disappearing into a thicket of brush and trees. She emerged moments later holding a fistful of exotic-looking flowers over her head, grinning ear to ear like she'd just been handed an Oscar. One Christmas season, in a burst of energy, she decorated the entire house while my mom was at work. The memory of walking through the front door that day still lights up my mother's face.
The agony of sound
Despite what Lyme disease had already taken, it was not done with her. A crueler, more insidious phase awaited. She began to develop an aversion to noises that had never bothered her before. Everyday sounds like the closing of a door or the cry of a child would cause her to cringe. A passing lawn mower or motorcycle would send her running for her room. The disease's attack on her central nervous system had brought on hyperacusis, a severe sensitivity to sound. And it became progressively worse.
It was as if a volume dial, set on high, had broken off, and everything in her aural experience was overmodulated. Softer sounds were tolerable. Sharper sounds were not, and painfully so for her.
Hyperacusis, which can be brought on by trauma to the inner ear, is also thought to be a processing problem with the way the brain perceives sound, which seems much more likely in my sister's case.
Dr. Paul Auwaerter, clinical director of infectious diseases at John Hopkins University School of Medicine and a leading specialist on Lyme disease, describes hyperacusis as ``a bit like the old fashioned AM radios. When you turn the ``gain'' button up you get more stations, but you get a lot more static, too.''
One of the enduring frustrations for my sister, and for those of us who loved her, was the failure of her doctors to recognize what was wrong. She was misdiagnosed twice in the early stages of the disease -- once with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, the second time with Epstein-Barr virus. She was accused of exaggerating her symptoms to avoid work, or inventing them in order to get pain medication. By the time anyone thought to give her a definitive blood test for Lyme, the disease was on the march.
Patients treated in the early stages -- within about two to four weeks after the onset of symptoms -- usually make a complete recovery. Not everyone is so fortunate.
``It's hard to put a number on how common misdiagnoses are, but early detection can be difficult," says Auwaerter. "It takes the body some time to generate enough antibodies to show up in testing, and the symptoms are common to many other ailments. There's a general sense that if you have the infection longer, you'll have extended symptoms.''
For those who are diagnosed late and have persistent symptoms, some doctors will prescribe an extended antibiotic regimen. That is a controversial approach, however, as several studies have shown it not to be an effective strategy.
There is also considerable debate in the medical community and with advocacy groups over some of the symptoms of ``advanced'' or ``persistent'' Lyme disease, like Sue had, and how to treat them. One theory, based on research studies, suggests that people who suffer from post-Lyme disease symptoms ``may be genetically predisposed to develop an autoimmune response that contributes to their symptoms.''
'It's like they're screaming'
Sue was determined to deal with the progression of the disease -- and especially the hyperacusis -- on her own terms. She went on the Internet and did exhaustive research. She kept in contact with another sufferer of advanced Lyme who lived in New Jersey, comparing notes on their progressive symptoms. And she ping-ponged from specialist to specialist, desperate to find someone who could help, someone who believed her. She took to wearing ear-plugs, then sound-proof headphones. But it was akin to spitting in the ocean. It made no discernible difference.
``Sometimes,'' she told me, ``when people are talking to me, even if they're whispering ... it's like they're screaming.''
My mother found her one day in her room, unresponsive and foam coming from her mouth. A long suicide note was tucked in a dresser drawer. She'd taken a bunch of pain pills from two prescription medications, but would live. When I arrived at the hospital my mother was outside stealing a cigarette, crying and ashen. When Sue came to, she was enraged that my mother had intervened. In the days after, an uncomfortable dynamic followed: Dawn and I were naturally supportive of my mother, and yet entirely empathetic to my sister's situation. A common enemy soon emerged, however. Her doctors wanted her committed to the psychiatric ward.
We argued vehemently that she was not crazy. She was suffering from the advanced stages of a debilitating disease, and had left behind a reasoned, lucid note explaining her actions.
We eventually got her home and struck a wary truce: we would redouble our efforts to help her navigate the maze of health-care providers in search of some relief, and she would simply not give up. She was sent to a therapist, and placed on medication for depression -- something she had struggled with even before contracting Lyme disease.
In search of a quieter neighborhood without the noises that were agony for Sue, my mom reluctantly put the house up for sale -- the one that held so many memories for all of us, and Sue tore herself away from the gardens she loved. They moved, and then moved again, finally settling in a 55 and older community that they thought offered the quiet my sister so desperately sought. The first day the landscapers came by with their torturous weed-wackers, it became clear there would be no silent refuge.
Asking to be made deaf
Sue came to a drastic, but, given the circumstances, reasonable conclusion: she wanted to be surgically deafened. My sister -- the same one who turned me on to all manner of wonderful music, who liked nothing better than lying on the beach listening to the sounds of the waves and seagulls, for whom peals of laughter were a siren's song -- would rather go deaf than endure any more pain. Now all she had to do was find a doctor who would do it.
No doctor would. They either did not believe the extent of her pain, felt it was too drastic a measure, or cited the ``do no harm'' tenet of the Hippocratic oath.
The last time I saw my sister alive was on one of her good days, in the summer of 2005. I had driven out to Long Island on a Saturday, and we spent the day together. We took a drive, and she asked me what music I was listening to. She could barely stand listening to music anymore, but she still wanted to know what was out there. I played a few tracks for her at the softest volume possible, and she laid her head back and smiled. Later, we went for a swim and she cracked a few jokes about sharing a pool with a bunch of people 20 and 30 years her senior. Looking back, the day seems impossible. A mirage.
Later that week, I called to see if it was OK to come out that weekend with my family. Sue was godmother to my oldest, Alexa, but had yet to meet my son Luke, who at the time was 3 months old. She wanted desperately to see him -- and I to show him off -- but she was fearful of the noise a crying baby would make. She urged me to come, and offered to leave the house in order to avoid the noise. I put the visit off again -- a decision I regret to this day.
When my sister attempted suicide the second time, she was determined that there would be no intervention. Sue was up and dressed early that day in August, and told my mom she was going to the mall. She called later that day to say she had met a friend and would be home late, not to worry. Instead, she checked herself into a motel along a busy stretch of New York highway, affixed a bunch of morphine patches to her body, and lay down to die in an empty motel room. There was no note. I think, in Sue's mind, her actions no longer required an explanation.
In the days following her death, my sister Dawn and I did our best to simultaneously deal with our grief and to support my mother, whose own grief had turned her near catatonic. The thought of never seeing Sue again, of never touching her or hearing the sound of her voice, was overwhelming. What was most painful for me was the knowledge that she would not be around to see my children grow. She'd never again get to spoil her goddaughter. And she had never met my son, Luke.
The day of her funeral, the visitation room was closed to all but immediate family just before her body was to be moved to the church. I walked in with Luke in my arms, and closed the door behind me. I placed his tiny hands in mine, and pressed them against my sister's casket. ``Sue, this is my beautiful boy, Luke,'' I whispered.
``Luke, meet your wonderful Aunt Sue.''
I have a favorite picture I keep on my dresser of Sue with her arms wrapped around me on my wedding day. Her face is lit with undiluted joy. Joy for me. Joy for the moment. There are times still when my longing to have her back hurts as deeply as the day she left us. But mostly when I think of her now, I think of all the times, and all of the little ways she expressed that same unbridled passion for life.
My sister fought valiantly against a disease that had diminished the quality of that life to a level that was no longer acceptable to her. It never once diminished her spirit. Through it all, all she really wanted was relief to her pain, and for someone to believe her story.
MSN Privacy . Legal � 2009 MSNBC.com
Posted by Melanie Reber (Member # 3707) on :
Unknown male, 62, New York
Man Dies of Brain Inflammation Caused by Deer Tick Virus 05.13.09, 05:00 PM EDT Scientists believe the case could be the first of its kind
WEDNESDAY, May 13 (HealthDay News) -- In what scientists say might be the first case of its kind, a new report details the story of a 62-year-old man in New York state who died last year of meningoencephalitis, apparently after being bitten by a deer tick infected with deer tick virus.
This appears to be the first reported human illness from the virus, although the organism was isolated in the brain of a person in Ontario, Canada. In this instance, there was no description of illness associated with that infection, said Norma P. Tavakoli, lead author of the paper appearing in the May 14 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
"Deer tick virus encephalitis [inflammation of the brain] is rare, but diagnostic testing is not routinely performed, so there could be cases out there we're actually missing," said Tavakoli, who is a research scientist with the Wadsworth Center, New York State Department of Health in Albany. "Certainly, during early spring to fall in areas where infected ticks have been reported, testing should be done."
"It is quite a rare virus," said Dr. Geoffrey Weinberg, a professor of pediatrics in the division of pediatric infectious diseases at the University of Rochester Medical Center. "I would advise people not to be overly concerned. Ticks are less commonly infected with this than with Lyme disease and, even in Lyme, Conn., a minority of ticks are infected with Lyme disease. Also, the odds are 300-to-one that someone infected with the virus will develop encephalitis. The vast majority have no symptoms at all."
For the average outdoorsman, precautions already recommended to avoid contracting Lyme disease -- also transmitted via deer ticks -- should decrease the odds of getting the deer tick virus as well, according to the study.
"Whether or not this will become a real problem, I don't think anybody knows. Obviously, there is no treatment for the virus so, really, prevention is the only thing you can do," said Dr. Peter Welch, an infectious disease specialist with Northern Westchester Hospital in Mt. Kisco, N.Y. "We should always be cautious to do our best to not be bitten by ticks. Check for ticks when you come out of the woods or anywhere there are ticks. Wear insect repellant which contains DEET."
Wearing light-colored clothing, removing any ticks as soon as they are found and keeping pets free of ticks can also reduce the risk, Tavakoli added.
Deer tick virus is closely related to Powassan virus, which can also cause encephalitis and is also transmitted by way of the deer tick, according to background information in the study. Both are flaviviruses, a group that includes West Nile virus, St. Louis encephalitis virus, dengue and yellow fever viruses, all of which are transmitted by mosquitoes.
Infection with one of these viruses sometimes causes severe illness, some combination of milder symptoms, or no illness at all. Deer ticks also transmit Lyme disease, which is now widespread in the United States.
In the New York case, a 62-year-old man from Putnam County, N.Y., arrived at a local hospital in spring of 2008 complaining of fatigue, fever, rash and muscle weakness.
Doctors first suspected West Nile virus, but analysis of tissue samples eventually came up positive for deer tick virus only.
The patient spent a good deal of time outdoors, owned horses and lived in a county with many reports of Lyme disease, indicating a large tick population. Although the man had not reported any tick bites, the time of the year was right for such an event, and many deer ticks are so small as to remain undetected.
Unfortunately, the man's condition continued to deteriorate, life support was withdrawn, and the man, who also had leukemia and therefore possibly a weakened immune system, died 17 days after he fell ill.
In general, Welch said, encephalitis cases of any sort are few, and labs are not usually able to identify the source, unless it is the herpes simplex virus.
"Since no one has been testing, we really don't know the incidence of deer tick virus, but it can't be very high, because we don't have many cases of encephalitis," he said. "What happens in the future will depend on how many ticks get infected, how easy it is to transmit to people and what percent of people infected get severe disease. It could be that people with normal immune systems are relatively resistant."
At 28 years old, Adan 'Juancho' Quezada-Lopez was strong and healthy and looking forward to celebrating his daughter's first birthday on July 8 with his wife, Autumn Lee Quezada-Grant. But instead of it being a happy time for the couple, Autumn found herself having to say goodbye to her husband who died on July 9 from Rocky Mountain spotted fever.
A landscaper with the University of Mississippi, Adan started to run a 103 degree fever on June 29. The next day he went to the doctor who suspected Adan might have swine flu since Autumn had just recently returned from a trip to Mexico.
"By Wednesday (July 1), he couldn't eat and he started having pain in his legs and terrible headaches," Autumn Lee Quezada-Grant said. "We went back to the doctor on Thursday."
Tests showed Adan's platelet count was very low. He was given more antibiotics and anti-viral medications.
"Nothing was working," Autumn said.
Autumn took her husband to the emergency room at Baptist Memorial Hospital-North Mississippi in Oxford on Saturday. A battery of tests were performed, but Adan's illness was still a mystery.
By Sunday, Adan was in the intensive care unit. On Tuesday, his body was covered in a rash and Autumn alerted the attending physician.
"Once the doctor saw the rash, he said, 'Rocky Mountain spotted fever'," Autumn said.
After receiving the usual treatment for Rocky Mountain spotted fever, some of Adan's symptoms improved. He was able to tell Autumn that one day after work a week prior, he had several ticks on him. Two swollen tick bites were found on Adan's knee.
Adan died shortly after midnight. "He was so young and strong," Autumn said.
Occurrences of Rocky Mountain spotted fever are rare in Mississippi. So far this year, five cases have been reported in the state. There were five cases in all of 2008.
Three cases of lyme disease - another tick-borne disease - have been reported in Mississippi since March, according to the Mississippi Department of Health.
Rocky Mountain spotted fever is a seasonal disease and occurs throughout the United States during the months of April through September, according to Christopher Cox with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
"The highest incidence rates have been found in North Carolina and Oklahoma," Cox said. "Although this disease was first discovered and recognized in the Rocky Mountain area, relatively few cases are reported from that area today."
...
Mr. Adan "Juancho" Quezada-L�pez July 7, 1981 - July 9, 2009
Mr. Adan "Juancho" Quezada-L�pez, 28, a landscaper with the University of Mississippi, died Thursday, July 9, 2009 at Baptist Memorial Hospital North MS. Funeral services will be Tuesday, July 14, 2009 at 11:00 A.M. at Waller Funeral Home Chapel with Dr. Douglass Sullivan-Gonz�lez officiating. Burial will be held at a later date in Villa Comaltitlan, Chiapas, Mexico. Visitation will be Monday, July 13, 2009 from 5:00 P.M. until 7:00 P.M. at the funeral home.
Adan is survived by his wife, Autumn Lee Quezada-Grant of Oxford; a daughter, Natalia Xochitl Quezada-Grant and a step-daughter, Lila Dharma Saye both of Oxford; his parents, Jesus Quezada and Angela L�pez de Quezada of Comaltitlan, Chiapas, Mexico; four sisters, Gloria Quezada L�pez and Marlyne Quezada L�pez both of Tonal�, Chiapas, Mexico and Amanda Quezada L�pez and Monica Quezada L�pez of Comaltitlan, Chiapas, Mexico; two brothers, Fernando Quezada L�pez and Fabian Quezada L�pez both of Comaltitlan, Chiapas, Mexico and by a grandmother, Angela L�pez of Comaltitlan, Chiapas, Mexico.
Adan was an immigrant to Mississippi and married Autumn in March of 2007.
The family has asked that memorial contributions in Adan's memory be made to Mr. Adan "Juancho" Quezada-L�pez, c/o Autumn Lee Quezada-Grant, 315 Blair Cove, Oxford, MS 38655.
[ 07-20-2009, 08:09 PM: Message edited by: Melanie Reber ]
Posted by Melanie Reber (Member # 3707) on :
Tick-Borne Disease Claims Buncombe Co. Man's Life
BUNCOMBE COUNTY, N.C. -- A Buncombe County, N.C. man who died in mid-May died from Rocky Mountain spotted fever (RMSF).
Test results were confirmed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Health officials made the request for tissue testing because it wasn't clear how the man died. At one point, flu had been considered as a possible cause of death.
RMSF is caused by a bacterial organism and is transmitted by the bite of an infected tick. The American dog tick is the main transmitter of this disease.
An average of 675 cases of RMSF have been reported annually in North Carolina in recent years, according to North Carolina health officials.
RMSF can usually be treated with antibiotics, but 3 to 5 percent of cases can be fatal.
The best prevention for RMSF is to avoid ticks and be aware of symptoms, which can include a sudden onset high fever, muscle pains and headache, followed by a rash that starts on the wrists, forearms and ankles. This kind of rash then spreads from the extremities in toward the trunk. But it's important to note the rash doesn't develop in every patient. Ten to 15 percent of all patients never develop a rash.
Andrea Ortiz Peterson 1981-2009 "The light that burns twice as bright burns half as long." While she was healthy, her light burned long and strong!
Andrea Ortiz Peterson, 27, of Graham, WA, passed away from complications of Lyme Disease on September 1, 2009.
She was born December 31, 1981 in Renton, WA. She grew up in the Renton Federal Way area, graduating from Thomas Jefferson High School, where she was an award-winning golfer and played the violin. During her short life she also resided in Richmond Beach, VA and New Orleans, LA.
Andrea loved the sea, securing a job following her passion as a Merchant Marine Able Bodied Seaman, and sailed the waters of the world for Military Sealift Command. Her travels of the world included the Seychelles, where she contracted Lyme Disease.
She remained strong of will and optimistic until the end of her life, in spite of her overwhelming medical issues. Her love of the sea encompassed her life so much that she had purchased a sailboat and planned to live aboard.
Surviving Andrea are her parents, Sherry (Clark) and Dean Peterson, her sister Erin Moon, and many others who will miss her intelligence, love, warmth, and energy. Family and friends will celebrate Andrea's life promptly at 1300 Hours (1:00PM) on Monday, September 7, 2009, aboard the Virginia V, 860 Terry Ave. N., Lake Union, Seattle, WA.
Condolences may be left online for the family at www.funeralalternatives.org . Arrangements with Funeral Alternatives of Washington, (360)753-1065
Published in News Tribune (Tacoma) on September 6, 2009
CRESTLINE: Jamie Lee (Stewart) Wynne, 53, went home to be with her Lord & Savior Jesus Christ on November 19, 2009 at home, under Hospice care, with her husband and son at her bedside. Jamie battled Lyme Disease for the past 11 years.
Jamie was born February 25, 1956 in New Kensington, PA to Sandra L. Spencer, Crestline and Wayne Stewart, Lexington.
Jamie was blessed with a very caring, loving and compassionate spirit her entire life, always thinking of others and never having a bad word to say about anyone. On Sundays her mom, dad and grandma Alberta always got their phone call from Jamie checking on how everyone was, even though she was so ill herself.
Jamie grew up in Crestline and graduated in 1974 from Crestline High School. Along with her sisters, they all grew up going to Calvary United Church of Christ. Jamie loved cooking and collecting recipes. When she visited home in Ohio, she always made her famous corn beef, cabbage and potatoes for dinner, the following day we had her wonderful Reuben sandwiches. She enjoyed music, especially country western and Christian and enjoyed funny TV shows. One of her favorite singing groups as a teenager was "BREAD". Jamie was a lover of nature; beautiful trees, wildflowers and the changing of the fall leaves. Her mom would take pictures of the fall splendor and send them to her.
During Jamie's junior and senior years of high school, she worked at Crestline Memorial Hospital in Admitting. Following graduation she went on to L.P.N. school in Mansfield. Jamie was the winner of "Best Nurse Contest" of the Tampa Bay area. She was the subject of an article published in the Florida Nursing News, where Dr. J. Giglio with whom she was employed had this to say: "Jaime was a dedicated nurse and is always ready to assist in any way she can. She has a palliative effect on patients, instilling in them the confidence they required when faced with medical problems. Jamie is a very special nurse and is considered so by her peers. She is of impeccable character and has a soothing influence on those in her presence." Nursing was truly Jamie's calling and she missed it so after she became ill.
She was devoted to her cherished husband, Brian; son, Jason Michael and her family. She is survived by her maternal grandmother, Alberta Spencer, Crestline; her sisters, Debra and Terry Robinette, Pamona Park, FL and Kelly and Ken Schroeder, Lexington, her uncles, Randy and Susan Spencer, Crestline and Craig Spencer, Big Pine Key, FL. Jamie was aunt to; Tyson and Zien Robinette of FL, Terah, Lynnix & Lyric Robinette, FL, Riley Schroeder & friend Alyssa Henderson, Lexington, Ryan Schroeder & fianc� Nikki and Laynee Erin Schroeder, Crestline, cousins, Renee, Glen, Chelsea & Nathan Boyd, Crestline, Brian & Lauren Boyd, Ontario, Sharon, Glenn, Kaitlyn & Logan Rinehart, FL, Randy, Dylan & Allyson Spencer, Lexington, Ryan & Braylen Spencer, FL., Natalie, Michael, Gage & Taylor Rynard, PA, Reese Spencer, FL and her father and mother-in-law, Dave and Marie Wynne.
She was preceded in death by her Grandpa Herm Spencer, Aunt Barbara Spencer and nephew, Erin Schroeder.
We will celebrate her life, but with broken hearts. Jamie you will be in our hearts forever, we love you so very much. When you lose a child, a spouse, mother, father, brother, sister, or grandparent or grandchild, it seems your world has shattered and stopped. You have suffered the most profound loss that an individual can suffer. Only faith in our Lord will get us through this sad time.
At Jamie's request, she chose to be cremated and brought home to scatter her cremains. There will be a private get together for her family only on December 12, 2009 at sunset.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made in Jaime's name to the United Church of Christ, 511 Heiser Court, Crestline, Ohio 44827. Jamie had also asked to have a tree planted in her memory. Memorial contributions may also be made for the tree to her mother, Sandra Spencer, 304 Reindl; Dr. Crestline, Ohio, 44827.
Arrangements are in care of the Mark A. Schneider Funeral Home, Crestline
Online condolences may be made to Jaime's family at www.masfh.com
[ 12-24-2009, 10:33 AM: Message edited by: hurtingramma ]
Posted by Melanie Reber (Member # 3707) on :
Robert David Gordon, II, 22, Alabama
Updated: 10:40 PM Sep 26, 2009 Soldier Killed by Tick Bite Laid to Rest
An army soldier that died from a tick bite was laid to rest today in Covington County.
An army soldier that died from a tick bite was laid to rest today in Covington County.
22-year old Sgt. E-5 Robert David Gordon II, of River Falls, Alabama, died Wednesday in Landstuhl, Germany, after succumbing to a virus he contracted after being bitten by a tick while serving in Afghanistan.
Over one hundred people lined Highway 84 West to pay final respects by waving signs and flags. Gordon was laid to rest at New Home Baptist Church.
The Honor Guard was made up soldiers from Fort Rucker.
Doctors determined Gordon contracted the rare Crymean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever virus, which has been recorded in Africa, Asia and the Middle East.
According to the World Health Organization's web site, the mortality rate for the CCHF virus is 30 percent.
Gordon may have been the first U.S. soldier to contract the virus in Afghanistan. Military personnel in Afghanistan are now checking daily for ticks.
Posted by Melanie Reber (Member # 3707) on :
Julia Gilbert, 21, Oklahoma
Edmond Police Find Julia Gilbert's Body in Wrecked Car Posted: Jan 10, 2010 2:01 PM MST Updated: Jan 12, 2010 3:51 PM MST
EDMOND, Oklahoma -- A missing OU student was found dead Sunday inside her wrecked silver Jetta.
The silver 2002 Volkswagen Jetta, belonging to Julia Gilbert, was found upside down in a creek bed near Waterloo and Morgan roads in Kingfisher County at about 3 p.m. Sunday. A passerby saw the car and notified Edmond police.
According to the police report, the 21-year-old went off the road for an unknown reason and her car overturned off a bridge. She was pinned inside the vehicle and died due to injuries sustained from the crash.
Police say it was lucky anyone saw the car at all because of where it landed in the ravine.
"The underside of the car is all you can see and it was the gray under side of the car and it just blended in with the area around it," said Edmond Police spokesperson Glynda Chu.
Edmond police, the Civil Air Patrol, and over 100 volunteers had been searching for Julia Gilbert since Friday.
She had last seen at about 3:30 a.m. Friday, leaving a friend's house in the 600 block of Belle Air Avenue in Edmond. Police had tracked her last cell phone call near MacArthur Boulevard and Covell Road around Deer Creek High School.
The investigation has been handed over to the Oklahoma Highway Patrol.
Once it was determined the car was Julia's and she was inside, the tragedy began to sink in for family and friends at scene.
"All of a sudden you realize what you're looking at and you hope it's not that and it is," said Cheryl Coy, who helped pass out missing person flyers for Julia Gilbert. "After a few minutes it sank in. It was actually comforting to know now the family knows."
Questions still remain over how Gilbert ended up near Deer Creek. Friends and family say she was headed toward her parent's house in north Edmond after she left her friend's house and the drive should have only taken 10 minutes. Instead, she ended up in Kingfisher County over 15 miles in the opposite direction.
Julia's family said she was on new pain medication to treat her Lyme disease and they fear it may have disoriented her on her drive home.
The State Medical Examiner's Officer said Julia died from a fractured neck. Toxicology results will take at least a month.
Julia Gilbert was a senior at OU. She was scheduled to graduate in May.
GABRIELE MAGNOTTA Passed away suddenly at home, surrounded by his loving family on Wednesday, December 30, 2009 in his 60th year.
Beloved husband of Rossana. Dear father to Tommaso, Joseph and Alessia and father-in-law to Sarah and Marco. Proud grandfather of Gabriella. Devoted son of Giuseppina and son-in-law of Tommaso and Maria Di Zio.
He was a great friend to so many and every day he touched the lives of all who were blessed by his presence. He will be held dear in the hearts of his sisters and brothers-in-law, many nieces, nephews, cousins, relatives and friends.
Gabriele was born on April 9, 1949 in the small mountain town of Andretta, Italy. He emigrated to Canada when he was 11 years old. He attended York University, where he earned his Bachelor of Arts degree and played goalkeeper for the university soccer team.
He worked briefly as a high school teacher before finding his true calling in business. The greatest love of Gabriele's life was his devoted wife Rossana. Throughout their many achievements in business, family always came first. Most importantly, they truly cherished their 36 years together.
Gabriele was a prolific and passionate entrepreneur. He started a number of companies and eventually became CEO of Magnotta Winery, a business he co-founded and built from an idea into Ontario's third-largest winery in 20 short years. He was an avid outdoorsman who loved adventuring at home and abroad with his dogs.
He was a loving and generous man who cared deeply for the welfare of others. He fought a long and courageous battle with Lyme disease these past 7 years. He was very well respected in the community and will be deeply missed by his family and friends.
The family will receive friends at the Fratelli Vescio Funeral Home (8101 Weston Rd., south of Langstaff Rd., 905-850-3332), on Saturday, January 2 and Sunday, January 3, 2010 from 2-4 in the afternoon and 7-9 in the evening. A Funeral Mass will be celebrated on Monday, January 4, 2010 at 11 a.m. at Saint Mary Immaculate Church (10295 Yonge St., Richmond Hill). Entombment to follow at Holy Cross Cemetery (the Langstaff Rd. entrance off of Bayview St., south of Highway 7).
Memorial donations may be made to the Canadian Lyme Disease Foundation. Published in the Toronto Star from January 1 to January 2, 2010
Posted by Melanie Reber (Member # 3707) on :
Rebecca Glen (Hernandez), 55, California
Rebecca Glenn (Hernandez) (1954-2009)
Beckie, the daughter of Joe and Terry Hernandez, grew up in northern California with her brother, Joseph. She was never short on independence as she was off on her own before her 18th birthday, working and going to school.
She enjoyed life and her friends to the fullest as she moved to her mother's home town of Santa Barbara where she graduated from UCSB with a degree in environmental biology.
After graduation, Beckie moved to San Diego to work at the Scripps Research Institute as a researcher in the molecular and cellular biology department. With her skills in making monoclonal antibodies, she was recruited to a young biotech company, Quidel, where she and Scott met. As with any new business, they worked endless hours but always found the time to play together as Beckie enjoyed running, skiing and playing coed softball.
Scott and Beckie were married in 1986 at home in La Jolla with a hundred of their best friends and family. For Beckie, it was not just a union of two people; she graciously helped parent Scott's older boys, Jaime and Russell. With the birth of Ashley in 1987 and Connor in 1990 it was a dynamic group as Beckie integrated everyone into a loving and caring family.
Beckie worked tirelessly with the kids at Evans School when she chaperoned Russell's 6th grade trip to Washington, DC, and then became Connor and Ashley's room mother. She started her own Brownie and Girl Scout troops from scratch and managed Ashley's softball team into a number of regional final games. In between Ashley and Connor's birth, Beckie took the time to start a new business, Conception Technologies, making innovative medical devices for use by reproductive and infertility physicians.
After a year she decided work was taking more time away from her family than she wanted; they were graced as an old friend, Mike Trinkle, came into the business and made it the success it is today. Beckie was thrilled that Russell has taken such pride in his work at Conception and is working hard to continue the family business.
While everyone in the family called Beckie "Super Mom" and sometimes the "Enforcer", she always had time for family and her friends. She would take us to hike the backside of Half Dome in Yosemite when she was 7 months pregnant, then taught us how to catch lizards with a grass noose using tall grasses found in the meadow.
Her spirituality and thrill for life really grew when we moved to Telluride, Colorado, in 2000. In the mountains, Beckie became an avid hiker travelling 8-10 miles two or three times a week to altitudes of 13,000 feet with her best friends. Her love for life will forever be reflected in her photography which she was exposed to by her father and later refined in her homemade darkroom.
After her diagnosis with ALS (Lou Gehrig's disease), Beckie brought a new sense of conscientiousness with our return to La Jolla.
She continued to participate in two prayer groups in San Diego and Telluride and enjoyed her Bible Studies at La Jolla Community Church. All the while, she stayed close with her dearest friends in the YPO group and the TWN in Telluride. As Jaime said the other day, "The husbands go off to work and think they are accomplishing so much, while the wives stay home and take care of the home. Now after writing this, I have never felt so humbled by all Beckie has accomplished while I was away at work."
Beckie's love for family was insatiable, not only to her immediate family, but all her aunts, uncles and cousins in Santa Barbara as she and her mother would hold an annual tamale party for family and friends. Beckie was a "Daddy's girl."
When she spent time with her father before he was overtaken by Alzheimer's disease, he had that wonderful glimmer in his eye every time he saw Beckie and the grandkids. It was during these past few years when we saw Beckie have that same glimmer in her eyes when Jaime had Beckie stand up and take credit with all the Moms at his graduation from medical school; or Ashley coming home from school in Santa Barbara to take her, as best friends, to get their nails done or buy some makeup; or when Connor would come home from SDSU to tell us about his new observation on life and she would admire his intellect and good looks.
Driven by the warmth of her friendships and her love for her family, Beckie lived seven wonderful years longer than her doctors predicted after she was exposed to Lyme's disease and diagnosed with ALS. Most importantly, it was her spirituality, her hugs from her family, and the new voices in the hallway of her grandkids: Gavin who would call "Grandma Beckie" and make her heart melt and Stella who would give her those heartfelt smiles.
As Connor said the other day, "We are only sad that the future grandkids will not experience the love and passion that Beckie gave each and every one of us everyday." In the end it was Beckie who, as Shannon and Elise will attest, set such high standards for all of us to attain and was such an exemplary role model.
While there are so many things we have not reflected on in this short attestation of our love and respect for Beckie, we know she will continue to bless us in our hearts and spirit and we look forward to joining her again one day in heaven.
A celebration of Beckie's life was held at La Jolla Community Church on Sunday, December 20, at 1:30PM. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to "Friends of the Poor-Africa," c/o Mrs. Jean Colarusso, 8460 Whale Watch Way, La Jolla, CA 92037.
Published in La Jolla Light (Online) from December 22, 2009 to January 22, 2010
Susan Mayer-Smith, owner of GrapeCraft Wine Marketing, Dies
Dr. Susan Mayer-Smith, owner of GrapeCraft Wine Marketing, died of surgical complications January 23, 2010 at age 59.
Susan, who earned her PhD in Clinical Psychology in French at the University of Marseilles, founded the non-profit American Vittoz Society in 2002. She invested in GrapeCraft in 2003 with her husband, winemaker Clark Smith, as a funding source for Vittoz, a European therapy method for treating phantom pain in amputees, ADD in children, and training in bringing the mind to the present moment in today's world of sensory overload.
Susan, who had suffered from Lyme disease, wanted her many female friends to be aware that she had acquired liver disease leading to her death as a result of self-medication for chronic pain, and had no idea how vulnerable the female body is to alcohol. Susie dedicated herself to raising service dogs, and desired that contributions in her name be made to Canine Companions for Independence.
Founder of the American Vittoz Society and owner of GrapeCraft Wine Marketing, died of surgical complications January 23, 2010 at age 59.
Born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin on March 1, 1950, she attended the University of Wisconsin at age 14, was uneven parallel bars champion of the Great Lakes Region at age 19, when she was also recruited by the Chicago Symphony as a concert flautist, later winning honors as a concert pianist and MA degrees in Education and Music.
Susan served with her first husband Michael McClure in a pastorate in Loomis, Nebraska after earning a Master of Divinity from Trinity College, accompanying him as a missionary to Zaire in 1984 and subsequently planting churches in France throughout the following 25 years.
She earned her PhD in Clinical Psychology in French at the University of Marseilles in 1995 and directed CCCM, a clinic with 2,000 clients for the reinsertion of depressed persons.
Following a chance encounter in the market in Aix-en-Provence in which a woman in tears related that she could not perform her shopping duties because she did not read numerals, Susie championed a pilot program for the promotion of literacy in Arabic women, an initiative which subsequently manifested throughout Europe.
Widowed in 1999, Susan (always "Susie") reconnected in 2001 with Clark Smith, whom she and her first husband had known at MIT, and married Clark on September 8, 2001.
Returning to France to complete post-doctorate certification in the Vittoz method, a European therapy method for treating phantom pain in amputees, ADD in children, and training in bringing the mind to the present moment in today's world of sensory overload.
She founded the non-profit American Vittoz Society in 2002. She invested in her winemaking husband in 2003, forming GrapeCraft Wine Marketing as a funding source for Vittoz. Susan, who had suffered from Lyme disease, wanted her many female friends to be aware that she had acquired liver disease leading to her death as a result of self-medication for chronic pain, and had no idea how vulnerable the female body is to alcohol.
Susie dedicated herself to raising service dogs, and desired that contributions in her name be made to Canine Companions for Independence. She is survived by her loving husband Clark and an extended family of in-laws, nieces and nephews and friends in California and France. A Memorial Service will be held 7:00 p.m. Wednesday. February 3, 2010 at Presbyterian Church of the Roses. DANIELS CHAPEL OF THE ROSES FUNERAL AND CREMATION SERVICES, 525-3730
Fatal course of cerebral vasculitis induced by neuroborreliosis. Buchwald F, Abul-Kasim K, Tham J, Hansen BU. Neurol India 2010;58:139-41
Borreliosis is a tick-borne illness caused by the spirochete Borrelia and the different causative strains identified include B. burgdorferi sensu strictu in America and B. garinii and B. afzelii in Europe. Clinical manifestations are wide and vary in severity. A fatal case of neuroborreliosis complicated by cerebral vasculitis in a young male patient prompted us to present this case.
Beloved wife Jennifer Elaine Pesci passed away June 9, 2010 in Tampa , Florida .She was born November 10, 1964 in Indianapolis , Indiana . At the age of twenty-two she moved to Tampa and created a life filled with friends, family, pets and her greatest talent -- art. Jennifer was a self-made woman who worked her way up from an entry level position to Human Resources Director with PriceWaterhouseCoopers. In the summer of 1996 she met Andrew David Argintar and on October 25, 1998 they were married after a romantic proposal in front of the Eiffel Tower . Through this marriage she gained two step-daughters, Susan and Lauren Argintar who were nothing less than her own children. She is survived by Andrew, Susan, Lauren and her own family, father and step-mother Bill & Marilyn Pesci of Indianpolis, mother Rita Pesci of Dunedin , as well as her older sister Angela Shinkle of Dunedin and younger brother Tom Pesci of Gainesville . Funeral service to be held Wednesday, June 16, 2010 at Blount & Curry Funeral Home, 605 S. MacDill Avenue in Tampa with a visitation held at 9:00 AM followed by a service at 10:00 AM; graveside service will be private. In lieu of flowers the family requests charitable contributions to a cause close to Jennifer: the International Lyme and Associated Diseases Society (ILADS.org)
From the Tampa Bay Tribune
Posted by Robin123 (Member # 9197) on :
Here's another one - I don't know how to open it here - if someone does, go ahead -
It's with sadness that I report the passing of Dr. Teresa ``Terri'' Royer MacKnight, 57, on Sunday August 15, 2010 in Andover, ME.
She bravely fought Lyme disease and multiple co-infections for more than 14 years. Terri was one of the founding members of ILADS and the Society's first president.
The family requests those who desire, in lieu of flowers, please contribute to ``Teresa MacKnight Memorial Fund'' c/o Franklin Savings Bank, P.O. 579, Rumford, ME 04276.
Posted by Tincup (Member # 5829) on :
Dr. Teresa [Terri] Royer MacKnight, 57, Andover, Maine
ANDOVER, Maine -- Dr. Teresa "Terri" Royer MacKnight, 57, passed away on Sunday, Aug. 15, 2010, peacefully at her home in Andover.
She was born March 25, 1953, in Lewisburg, Pa., a daughter of Russell and Louise Royer, of New Columbia, Pa.
She graduated from Lewisburg High School, Class of 1971 and received her Doctorate of Osteopathic Medicine, Des Moines University in Iowa in 1979.
Dr. MacKnight practiced medicine in Hollywood, Fla., Seattle, Wash., Negley, Ohio, and Beaver, Pa., before moving to Maine in 1990.
She practiced medicine in Rumford until being disabled by Neurologic Lyme Disease.
She was one of the founders of the International Lyme and Associated Disease Society and the society's first president in 1999.
As a lecturer and author, she strived to help the medical community and the public to recognize, treat and prevent Lyme Disease.
Her desire to help others also took her to Barrow, Ala. American Samoa and into rural areas where she was able to help those without access to medical care.
Terri was a loving mother who treasured the time she spent with her son Michael and was delighted to see the wonderful young man he has grown into. He was the apple of her eye.
She was known as a compassionate physician and a good friend to many who knew her.
Terri enjoyed gardening, skiing, snowshoeing, canoeing, snorkeling, biking, hiking, and wilderness camping. When not outside, she could be found in the kitchen where she enjoyed cooking for her family.
Some of her fondest memories were those spent at camp with family and friends. She also enjoyed traveling and exploring new areas.
Surviving are her son, Michael, and his father, Dirk MacKnight, of Andover, Maine; her mother and father, Russell and Louise Royer, of New Columbia; one brother, Rod Royer, of Salt Point, N.Y.; and one sister, Robin Yost, of Milton, Pa.
A memorial service will be conducted 1 p.m. Monday at the Andover Congregational Church, Andover, Maine, with the Rev. Jane Rich officiating.
Those who desire in lieu of flowers, please contribute to "Teresa MacKnight Memorial Fund" c/o Franklin Savings Bank, P. O. Box 579, Rumford, Maine 04276 in her memory.
Arrangements are under the care of the Meader & Son Funeral Home, 3 Franklin St., P.O. Box 537, Rumford, Maine.
Posted by imanurse (Member # 7022) on :
Ed Parker, 62, Michigan, died January 30,2010
KALAMAZOO -- A local woman whose husband died in January from what she believes were complications from Lyme disease wants to raise awareness of its symptoms so others will get tested and treated if necessary.
And she's hoping people will participate in a fundraiser for the Michigan Lyme Disease Association on Saturday at Lakeview Park, in Portage. The volunteer-run advocacy group offers awareness and prevention education and support groups.
Tammy Parker, 51, of Schoolcraft, who works for a chiropractor in Portage, said her husband, Ed, died Jan. 30 after a health decline that began in May 2009. He was 62.
She said the two of them had noticed a rash on his neck that they initially thought was ringworm and told doctors about it.
Ed Parker was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, ALS or Lou Gehrig's disease, in August 2009, but in October other doctors said that he had tested positive for Lyme disease and believed his neurological symptoms were due to Lyme disease, Tammy Parker said. She believes he never had ALS, but that Lyme disease caused all of his symptoms and complications.
Woman whose courage was an inspiration dies aged 38
By Jill Harding
11:29am Tuesday 2nd November 2010
A WOMAN whose courage and fortitude was an inspiration to all who knew her has died aged 38.
Rachel Coxon was an active 13-year-old looking forward to a bright future when she was bitten by a tick during a family day out in the New Forest.
The seemingly minor incident led to her contracting Lyme disease and she was left paralysed from the chest down.
In 2003 the Journal supported a campaign to buy Rachel a wheelchair she could control with her chin to allow her to move independently.
Generous readers helped to raise 6,000 and Rachel was presented with her chair, which will now be donated to Salisbury District Hospital's spinal unit.
Earlier this year Rachel was diagnosed with cancer and she died last Monday.
A service of celebration will be held for Rachel at St Paul's Church in Salisbury on Monday at 1.30pm.
* For tributes to Rachel see the November 4 edition of the Salisbury Journal.
Lindsay K. Kinneberg, 28, from Minnesota Rest in peace...
Kinneberg, Lindsay K. age 28, of St. Louis Park.
Cherished daughter, compassionate friend, loyal companion to her dog Louis, passed away unexpectedly on Sept. 23, 2010, due to complications from Lyme Disease and its co-infections.
Born 12/19/1981 in St. Louis Park, Lindsay attended St. Louis Park Senior High School (class of 2000), Grinnell College in Iowa (2004), and Berkeley Law School (Boalt Hall) in Berkeley, CA (2007). Although Lindsay graduated, she could not take the bar and pursue her passion in Public Interest Law, for Lyme Disease had already invaded her body.
Her friends would describe Lindsay as kind, caring, compassionate, silly, unassuming and she returned those feelings in her fierce and intense love for her family and friends. She fought Lyme Disease for over 5 years with her unusual intensity.
After surrendering her spirit to her Savior, Lindsay has joined her beloved sister, Jennie in the kingdom of God, where they both left behind their broken earthly bodies, and now their souls are together again in the love & joy of Heaven. Preceded in death by her cherished sister, Jennifer Jean (Feb. 2010), grandparents, and cousin, Leah Katayama. Lindsay will be immensely missed but eternally loved by her parents, Michael & Teresa Kinneberg and her dear friends.
Services to be held Saturday, October 9, 2010 at 3 p.m. with visitation 1 1/2 hours prior at Wooddale Lutheran Church, 4003 Wooddale Ave., St. Louis Park, MN 55416. Phone 952-926-7603. Private Interment.
Donations preferred to turnthecorner.org. (Lyme Disease advocacy).
Published in Star Tribune from October 3 to October 6, 2010
Posted by Remember to Smile (Member # 25481) on :
Johnette Ballenger Sowder, 47, of Roanoke, Va.
Johnette Ballenger Sowder, 47, of Roanoke, Va., unexpectedly passed away on October, 14 2010, at her childhood home in Knightdale, N.C.
Johnette had bravely battled the effects of a nine year fight against Lyme Disease. In spite of the physical pain caused by the disease and the emotional pain of having a disease that is misunderstood by many people in the fields of medicine, insurance and government, she had a dream of (in her words) "Approaching Normal" and during the past few months she had shown remarkable progress toward that goal.
Because of her progress, Johnette intended to spend October 12 through October 25 with her family members, while her husband/soul-mate of 20 years, E. Wayne Sowder, mixed sound at the Folk Festival Tent at the N.C. State Fair. She wanted to be with her loving father, Kenneth R. Ballenger, at a time when he was also facing medical challenges as well as her mother/best friend, Phyllis, and devoted stepfather, Bill Chancellor, of Lake Royale, N.C.
Thankfully, Johnette's last day on earth was shared with her favorite (and only) brother, Kenneth Julian Ballenger, and his wife, Melody, watching their two beautiful and adorable daughters, AnaMarie and Harmony Ballenger, all of Fuquay, N.C., at play in a Knightdale park. Johnette had planned on visiting her beloved grandmother, Minnie Rae "Nannie" West, of Greensboro, N.C., on the trip back home to Roanoke as the ultimate finale of our trip. Johnette and "Nannie" shared so many traits that we joked that they were as alike as "Two-Peas in a Pod", hardly a week passed that they did not call or write to each other.
Johnette loved medicine, forensics, music, photography, football, boxing, animals (especially Antoinette her 16 year old cat) and would always find beauty in the simplest parts of everyday life. She loved and missed the people she worked with at Wake Medical Center and Roanoke Memorial Hospital.
I was fortunate to share 20 years with Johnette, she changed my life and I can't believe she is gone. We loved and cared for each other and now I believe she is playing in a Heavenly park with the friends, family and her pets, Muffin and Landry, that went ahead of her. Most certainly with Johnette's cherished grandfather, Johnny R. West, from whom her name was derived; her fraternal grandparents, Raydon and Esteel Ballenger; and my parents, Basil N. and Mary B. Sowder.
Lyme Disease changed both of our lives and in lieu of flowers. please donate or purchase a DVD of the Documentary "Under Our Skin" from either Underourskin.com, Open Eye Pictures, 2656 Bridgeway, Suite 202, Sausalito, Calif. 94965, 415-332-3266 or Amazon.com.
Johnette always wanted to help other people avoid the suffering she experienced, let the spread of Lyme Disease awareness be her lasting memorial.
L. Harold Poole Funeral Service in Knightdale, N.C. are handling her final needs. The family invites any of her friends to a celebration of her life on Tuesday October 19, 2010, 1 p.m. in the chapel where she was married on the grounds of Whitestone a Masonic & Eastern Star Community, 700S Holden Rd., Greensboro, N.C. 27407, 888-558-6374. Chaplin Tommy Jones officiating with special music by Charles Johnson. Condolences to the family may be made at www.poolefuneral.com under Obituaries.
Published in Roanoke Times on October 17, 2010 * * * * * Rest in peace, friend of Lyme patients. We will work to increase Lyme disease awareness. Smile
Posted by Remember to Smile (Member # 25481) on :
Myrna Vallejo, 72, of California was Lyme disease activist
Myrna Vallejo, 72 CARLSBAD -- Myrna Vallejo, of 1022 Iris Court, Carlsbad, Calif., died on Thursday, August 19, 2010 at her home.
A daughter of Luis Vallejo and Brigida Moran, she was born in Guayaquil, Ecuador and later moved to New York City, where she earned an Associate degree in Accounting from Greensborough Community College. A successful accountant and later business owner, she moved to the San Diego area upon retirement.
She will be remembered for her devotion to her beloved "Yorkies" and cats, and for her wonderful sense of humor, even in the midst of her suffering from late stage Lyme disease.
Mynra was also truly thoughtful and generous in her remembrances throughout the year to her innumerable nieces and nephews and their children.
She dedicated her later years to the cause of the fight against Lyme disease and was active in both regional and national Lyme disease organizations.
She is survived by sisters, Olga Wright of Dover, New Hampshire, Nellie Castillo of Guayaquil, Ecuador, and Margot Vallejo of Palestina, Ecuador, as well as many nieces nephews and their children. A funeral Mass was celebrated at St. Patrick's Catholic Church in Carlsbad, California on Friday, August 20, 2010.
The family wants to thank Dr. Theresa Yang, Rev. Lark Diaz, her caregiver, Cookie Lopez, and the local Jehovah Witness community, for their extraordinary kindness and emotional support in her last years. San Diego Hospice also provided exceptional care in the last days of her life.
Donations to her memory may be made to: National Lyme Disease Association, Inc. P.O. Box 1438 Jackson, New Jersey, 08527 or California Lyme Disease Association (CALDA) P.O. Box 1423 Ukiah, California 95482-1423 Sign the Guest Book online obits.nctimes.com
Published in North County Times on August 31, 2010
Posted by Tracy9 (Member # 7521) on :
A young woman in her 30's in Branford, CT took her life last month. She had 3 children. Two people told me about her in the waiting room in my LLD office last week. I believe Randy Sykes has her name and the details.
Posted by Tracy9 (Member # 7521) on :
A young man on Wall Street with Lyme Disease jumped out of a window and took his own life last month. His obituary was widely posted on Facebook. He could not bear to live with the disease anymore and left behind a suicide note.
Posted by Tincup (Member # 5829) on :
Dr. Burke- LLMD in Pennsylvania
Bernard S. Burke M.D.
Bernard S. Burke M.D. of Chester Springs Bernard S. Burke, M.D., 57, of Chester Springs, died Tuesday, November 16, 2010. He was the husband of Ottavia P. Chiaradonna Burke.
Born in Pottsville, he was the son of the late Bernard E. Burke and the late Angelene B. D'Antonio Burke. Bernard practiced medicine for 30 years.
He loved to ski, do water sports and many other outdoor activities. In addition to his wife he is survived by his children, Laura Rachko, of Upper Uwchlan, Christopher Burke, of Chadds Ford, Megan Burke, of State College, step-sons, Mario Miceli, of Unionville and Luca Miceli, of Unionville.
He is also survived by two sisters, Jody Gaudet, of Mass. and Donna Burke, of Pa. Relatives and friends are invited to his Funeral Mass, 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, November 23, 2010, at St. Agnes Church, 233 W. Gay St., West Chester. Visitation will be 9 to 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, November 23, 2010, at the church. Interment private.
In lieu of flowers contributions may be made to Lyme Disease Assn. of Southeastern Pa., Inc., P.O. Box 181, Pocopson, PA 19366 Arrangements by DellaVecchia, Reilly, Smith & Boyd Funeral Home Inc., West Chester 610-696-1181, www.DellaFH.com
Hilary Inks passed on Saturday, November 13, 2010, at her home in Gotha, Florida. Hilary courageously battled the late stages of Lyme disease during the last months of her life.
Hilary was born Hilary Brooke Fuller on May 15, 1978 in McMinnville, Oregon to Catherine and Bruce Fuller. She attended elementary school and junior high school in McMinnville, Oregon before moving to Lakeway, Texas in 1991. Hilary attended middle school at Lake Travis and graduated in 1996 from Richarte High School in Georgetown, Texas. Hilary lived and worked in the Georgetown, Marble Falls, Cedar Park, Texas communities before moving to Orlando, Florida in 2002 with her husband, David Inks, and her family.
In passing Hilary will join her cousin, Brennan Jones, and her grandparents, Albert and Beverly Beeler and Lou Fuller, who preceded her in death. Hilary is survived by her husband, David Inks; her two children, her daughter, Abigail Inks, age 7, and her son, Aiden Inks, age 4; her mother, Catherine Mabry; her fathers, Bruce Fuller and Tracy Mabry; her sisters, Chanda Fuller, Alex Mabry, Samantha Doven, and Hannah Mabry; and her brother Maxwell Mabry.
Hilary was a wonderful mother, wife, daughter, sister, and caretaker of her own and other's children, and of her Boston Terrier, Hydra.
Hilary ran a day care out of her home in Gotha until she was abruptly forced to close it in February of this year during her sudden hospitalization upon manifestation of late stage Lyme disease and discovery of a lesion upon her brain stem.
Hilary enjoyed all of her kids that she cared for, and she was loved by all. Hilary was a beautiful, kind, caring, strong-willed young woman, and was very giving of herself. She was a dedicated mom to her children, and her heart was always in the right place. Hilary was fun loving and had a wonderful sense of humor; even though she was very sick in the last year of her life she said several times, regarding her experience with Lyme disease: "I wouldn't wish this disease on my worst enemy". She stayed positive and strong until the day she left us.
Hilary's final wish was to raise awareness of Lyme disease so that others would be saved from the infectious disease which often goes undiagnosed but is curable with timely assessment, diagnosis and treatment.
A remembrance and celebration of Hilary's life (with food, drink and memories) will be held at the Saddlebrook Community Meeting Hall located at 3412 Furlong Way in Gotha, Florida (the community entrance is off of Hempel just south of Old Winter Garden Road) in Hilary's neighborhood, on this Saturday, November 20, 2010, from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Anyone who would like to celebrate Hilary's life with her family and friends will be welcomed.
In lieu of flowers and in honor of Hilary's last wish, donations may be sent to the ILADS, the International Lyme and Associated Disease Society, a professional medical and research organization, P.O. Box 341461, Bethesda, Maryland 20827-1461, which can be located on the internet at : www.ilads.org, and contacted by e mail at: [email protected].
Published in Austin American-Statesman on November 18, 2010
Posted by nenet (Member # 13174) on :
quote:Originally posted by Tracy9: A young man on Wall Street with Lyme Disease jumped out of a window and took his own life last month. His obituary was widely posted on Facebook. He could not bear to live with the disease anymore and left behind a suicide note.
Jena Hellman Leblang, 27, of Arlington, VA, and formerly of Sarasota, FL, passed away unexpectedly on Friday, January 14, 2011.
Services and burial were in New York.
Jena was born in Brooklyn, NY and moved to Sarasota, FL in 1989. She graduated from Pine View School in 2001 where she was a member of the National Honor Society, a National Merit Finalist, an AP Scholar, a Peer Mentor, a recipient of the Kodak Young Leader's Award, and won various awards as a participant in the National Forensic League.
During her high school years, she served as an attorney in the Teen Court program which works to keep youthful violators from becoming repeat offenders. She attended Tulane University on an academic scholarship graduating Summa Cum Laude in 2005.
While there she founded the Listen, Learn and Read program to improve the reading skills of disadvantaged children in New Orleans. She was also the coordinator of the Tulane Book Giving Tree, the Community Service Chair for the Kappa Alpha Theta Sorority, a Student Senator, and also participated in Tulane's LeadershipVillage. She participated in Habitat for Humanity, Race for a Cure, was a March of Dimes Representative, and was part of the New Orleans rally for Public Schools.
Jena received the coveted Tulane 34 Award for her exemplary leadership, service, and academic excellence. Jena received her Juris Doctor degree, with Honors, from George Washington University Law School in 2008 and was a Merit Scholar. She was the recipient of the American Bar Association/Bureau of National Affairs Award for Excellence in Labor and Employment Law.
After graduation, she was an associate with the law firm of Goodwin Procter, LLP in Washington, D.C.
Jena was and always will be a beloved daughter to her parents Mindy and Mark of Sarasota, FL, wife to Jay of Arlington, VA, a loving granddaughter to Sandy and Norman and Sheldon, a loving daughter-in-law to Marge and Norman, a beloved sister-in-law, niece, cousin and friend to all who knew her. Jena brought people together with goodness in her heart and always a smile on her face. She had an everlasting impact on each life she touched and instilled in us memories that will forever keep her in our hearts. May she rest in peace.
Memorial donations may be made to the Jena Hellman Leblang Memorial Research Fund c/o The Lanford Foundation at 13039 Gopher Wood Trail, Tallahassee, FL 32312 which is a tax deductible charitable organization.
Posted by racer (Member # 30438) on :
Barbara Frances (Weisse) Weaver, Thompson, CT
Barbara Weaver, 83, died on December 26, 2010, of complications associated with Central Nervous System Lyme Disease. Born in in Boston, MA, on August 29, 1927, her parents were Leo F. Weisse and Nina M. (Durham) Weisse. She was pre-deceased by her husband, George Weaver, as well as by a brother, Leo Weisse.
Barbara graduated from Jeanne D'Arc Academy in 1945 and later earned a Bachelor of Arts in Mathematics from Radcliffe College. She also held a Masters Degree in Library Science from the University of Rhode Island, and a Certificate of Advanced Graduate Study in Education from Boston University.
In the course of her career, Barbara worked as a photographer at Edgerton, Germanhauser and Greer (EG&G), working directly for ``Doc'' Edgerton. She participated in the photography of the atomic bomb testing on the Manhattan Project. She also worked for PhotoSwitch, division of the Electronics Corporation of America.
Barbara married George Briggs Weaver, Jr. in 1951. During their marriage, she and George built and operated the 1st purpose-built private road race course in America, the Thompson Raceway. Over the course of the track's lifetime, the Weavers established a reputation for providing a combination of challenge, safety, and hospitality for competitors and guests from around the world.
Barbara and George were members of the SCCA (Sports Car Club of America). She and he remain honorary members of the Vintage Sports Car Club of America and are considered pioneers of sports car racing.
Barbara was a pilot, a gourmet cook, sports car enthusiast, an avid knitter (including work with Kaffe Fassett intarsia patterns), as well as a NY Times puzzler. She loved traveling worldwide and eventually visited every state in the US, and nearly every continent on the planet. She was an open space advocate who enjoyed the beach and the sun, and loved swimming. In her later years, she was a pioneer for aging-in-place, living in her own home until the end of her life.
Barbara's later career was in library services working as Head of the Thompson Public Library, Director of Library Services for the Connecticut State Library System where she established the Interlibrary Loan System, Assistant Head of the Central Massachusetts Regional Library System in Worcester, MA, Instructor at Simmons College, State Librarian for the State of New Jersey and State Librarian for the State of Rhode Island. She was the State of Rhode Island's first Chief Information Officer and a member of the Governor's Cabinet.
Barbara was also a Council member at the International Motor Racing Research Library in Watkins Glen, NY, a member of the Thompson Historical Society Board of Directors where she helped create the beautiful Ellen Larned Memorial Museum housed in the original Thompson Library Building and where she headed work on the East Thompson section of the Echoes of Thompson Volume I history book. She also was on the Board of Directors of the Rhode Island Historical Society, a member of the National Association of State Chief Information Officers, President of the Chief Officers of State Library Agencies from 1986-1988, a member of the Council of State Library Agencies in the Northeast, on the Board of Directors of the Northeast Document Conservation Center, Chair of the American Library Association ASCLA State Library Agency Section and the Legislative Committee, Editorial Board Member for ``The Bottom Line: A Financial Magazine for Libraries'', and held the elected position of Library Director for the Thompson Library. She was one of the original members of the Thompson Together Environmental Group and held many other volunteer positions throughout her career.
She was awarded many significant recognitions including REIMA's Presidential Award in 1998 for outstanding library service, COLA Sweetheart of the Year in 1997, University of Rhode Island GSLIS Distinguished Alumni Award, Trenton YWCA Women in Industry & Government Award, Common Cause of Rhode Island State Governing Board Award and the WHCLIST Bessie B. Moore Award. As well, Barbara had many publications to her credit.
A memorial reception, in celebration of Barbara's life, will be held on Saturday, January 15, 2011 from 1:00-5:00PM at the Inn at Woodstock Hill, Woodstock, CT.
Please omit flowers. For those wishing to contribute in Barbara's memory:
International Lyme & Associated Diseases Society (ILADS) PO Box 341461 Bethesda, Maryland 20827-1461 (301) 263-1080 Email: [email protected] ilads.org (http://ilads.org )
Thompson Public Library 934 Riverside Drive (Route 12) North Grosvenordale, CT 06255 (860) 923-9779 http://thompsonpubliclibrary.org/
The International Motor Racing Research Center at Watkins Glen 610 S. Decatur Street Watkins Glen, NY 14891-1613 (607) 535-9044 Send e-mail to: [email protected] http://racingarchives.org/ Posted by Melanie Reber (Member # 3707) on :
Alexandria Ann Hermstad, 17, Iowa
Alexandria "Alex" Hermstad, age 17, of Storm Lake, Iowa died on Monday, February 14, 2011 peacefully at her home in Storm Lake. Alexandria Ann Hermstad was born August 22, 1993 at the Sioux Valley Hospital in Cherokee, Iowa, the daughter of Jeff Hermstad and Lori (Hadden) Hermstad. On December 12, 1993, Alex was baptized at the First Lutheran Church in Sioux Rapids, Iowa and later confirmed on May 4, 2008 at Grace Lutheran Church in Storm Lake, where she served as an acolyte.
Growing up, Alex attended school at St. Mary's Catholic School, and Storm Lake Community Schools in Storm Lake. Alex enjoyed riding horses, four-wheeling, snowmobiling, and boating. She loved playing softball, basketball and volleyball. Alex enjoyed having fun with her friends and family; especially her twin sister, Jaci. She had an infectious sense-of-humor and enjoyed practical jokes. She found pleasure in practicing skills such as wrapping and splinting as she had aspirations to become an orthopedist. She will be deeply missed by all who knew and loved her. Alex loved life as evident from her strong determination to fight her lengthy illness. Alex will forever be remembered as; ``Unable to move, but moving hearts, moving souls, and inspiring lives every day''. She stated that she never wanted anyone to feel sorry for her. Her strength gave us strength, her faith gave us faith, her hope gave us hope, and her love brought us love. Alex's site was known as "Angels For Alex" it is now known as, "Alex, our Angel."
Those left to cherish her memory include her mother, Lori (Hadden) Hermstad and twin sister, Jaci Hermstad of Storm Lake, Iowa, father, Jeff Hermstad of Storm Lake, Iowa; maternal grandparents, Dave and Jean Hadden of Storm Lake, Iowa; paternal grandmother, Colleen Hermstad of Spencer, Iowa; uncles and aunts: Mike Hadden of Indianola, Iowa; Terri (Bruce) Groen of Spencer, Iowa; Scott (Renee) Hadden of Victoria, Minnesota; Brad (Heidi) Hermstad of Sioux Rapids, Iowa; Mike Hermstad of Spencer, Iowa; Tim Hermstad of Marathon, Iowa; cousins: Kady and Brody Groen of Spencer, Iowa; Ashley and Amanda Hadden of Victoria, Minnesota; Heather and Hayley of Hartley, Iowa; Grayson and Kayley of Sioux Rapids, Iowa; extended family and many friends.
Alex was preceded in death by her grandfather, Milo Hermstad; uncle, Bruce Hermstad; and aunt, Denise Kleaveland.
Alexandria "Alex" Hermstad, age 17, of Storm Lake, Iowa died on Monday, February 14, 2011 at her home in Storm Lake. Funeral services will be 1:00 p.m., Monday, February 21, 2011 at Summit Evangelical Free Church in Alta, Iowa. Burial will be in the Storm Lake Cemetery. Visitation will be 2-7:00 p.m., Sunday, February 20, 2011 at the Fratzke & Jensen Funeral Home in Storm Lake, where the family will be present from 5-7:00 p.m. The Fratzke & Jensen Funeral Home in Storm Lake is in charge of the arrangements. In lieu of flowers, the family has established a memorial fund.
Vernon Dale Kyle liked a good story. Mostly about catfishing on a long forgotten Kansas lake. He was born Sept 24, 1955 in Garnett, Kansas. He had one best friend in those early days, and it was Don. They roamed the Kansas prarie like the buffalo, wild and free! He was raised by Chester and Edna Kyle with one brother and sister, Jim and Aletha. Vernon went into the US Army 82nd Airborne division and it wasn't long before he took his turn in Viet Nam in 1974, then on to Germany. He re-enlisted into the US Army Veterinary Corps stationed at Ft. Ord, then to an outpost in San Diego, California. He met Peggy Miller and they married at Cabrillo National Monument at the Lighthouse overlooking the ocean.
After discharge, he moved to Tulsa, Ok where two awesome kids were born, Jamie Lynn in 1985 and Jesse Dale in 1988. Vernon went to college and became a journeyman welder and stationary engineer. He specialized in boilers and high pressure systems, and stainless steel welding. He loved coin collecting, nature, and decorative engraving. He returned to Garnett, Kansas in the early 1990's to support his mother when his father was ill. He was employed at the Anderson County School District in the maintainence department until suddenly he became to ill to work in October 2007. He was life flighted twice to the KC hospitals and inICU and on a rehabilitation unit for five months.
Vernon's illness was bacterial in origin, his family was told by the doctors in Kansas City. When he received IV antibiotics, he thrived. When the doctors took away the antibiotics, he began to fail. The doctors would never identify the name of the bacteria that was trying to take Vernon's life. He had symptoms like abcesses in his abdomen and near his lung and kidney, foot pain, rashes simular to a bartonella rash, and little red dots on his body, memory loss, dizziness, joint pain, loss of feeling in his hands, feet, loss of use of fine motor skills, difficulty processing any information, body jerks (myoclonus and severe muscle cramps) and seisures.
As time went on he experienced intense bone pain from a collapsing spinal cord, and lost about 6 inches in height. One doctor his family consulted said that Lyme disease and bartonella can cause the bone to not have blood supply and oxygen due to excessive fibrin production in the blood. As time progressed, Vernon needed oxygen, had an intermittent low heart rate of 40, would pass out. He became a diabetic and experienced hepatitis and kidney failure. By the way, his cat died of tickborne illness.
He could never understand the ``Controversy.'' Even though, his other family members were diagnosed with Lyme disease, he was not tested by his doctors, simply because they refused. Additionally, after numerous hospitalizations, he was denied long term antibiotics by infectious disease doctors in the hospital and his physicians in the community; and testing when his family directly asked for Lyme testing using tickborne laboratories. More than three years of advocacy efforts failed on his behalf.
During one hospitalization, his family asked the infectious disease doctor, ``can you help him, his family has Lyme disease, will you test him?'' That Infectious Disease doctor said, ``No,'' firmly, immediately turned his back and walked out of the room. The doctor discharged Vernon the next morning. But at one point, Vernon had to laugh because this bright Infectious Disease doctor said, ``there are no ticks in Kansas.''
Several times, Vernon was too sick to leave the hospital and care for himself, and he lived alone. Even in his weakened condition, once the hospital sent him home in a taxi without any home nursing! His insurance wouldn't pay any more for his care. Not even Adult Protective Services would intervene, even after many calls.
Vernon learned to NOT speak about Lyme disease with anyone. No one was willing to give a correct diagnosis of Lyme disease and bartonella. Not the Veteran's Administration hospital, not the big medical centers in Kansas City, nor his local doctor. No one would test or treat his illness. They were all willing partners in his suffering and death from tickborne illnesses. He lost the war.
Vernon was left by his doctors to debilitate, and after losing balance, he had repeated traumatic brain injuries from falling. He later was able to get assistance through the TBI waiver program, but after many calls for a higher level of care, even this system failed him. His family later discovered that he had gone a month without a bath, and often didn't have food or water, and went to the hospital on his birthday after he collapsed from carbon monoxide poisening from his furnace.
Thankfully, he was with family that day and he was admitted for another time in the ICU. Those who were suppose to care for him, didn't. Every time his family would try to intervene, those in charge of his care would fight his family. His caretakers even refused to help him to apply for full Veteran's benefits as a Viet Nam veteran, and he often suffered not having enough money to live. He took it well. He kept his doctors and caretakers laughing. He knew they were going to let him die.
He lived with the courage of a warrior, and endured and persevered through unrelenting pain to the end, which came Sunday, October 3, 2010. He left a good example of courage under fire, and joy in the midst of sorrow. At his memorial service, his son-in-law ecited ``Invictus,'' The more his body was crushed by Lyme disease and bartonella, the sweeter and more loving person he became. He gave his heart to his Savior, Jesus Christ late in life, and it was evident that his life had changed. He is already greatly missed by the love of his life, Peggy, and his children, siblings, and neighbors and friends. Now he is truly free, and we are sure- he went fishing in heaven and he caught the biggest fish this time!
Posted by kam (Member # 3410) on :
Wow. I have chills from reading this.
Posted by Melanie Reber (Member # 3707) on :
Carole A. Van Doorn, 43, Illinois
Carole A. Van Doorn, 43, of Crystal Lake, passed away Feb. 12, 2011, at home surrounded by family after a courageous battle with ALS.
She was born Sept. 21, 1967. She is survived by her beloved husband of 18 years, Dean Van Doorn; her loving children, Rachel, Joseph and Elizabeth; her cherished parents, Bruno and Patricia Grund; her dear brother, Dan (Heather) Grund; her mother-in-law, Sharon Van Doorn; her father-in-law, Bill Van Doorn; her sister-in-law. Nicole (Brad) Schwan; her brother-in-law, Dave (Nancy) Van Doorn; and many dear friends.
The visitation will be from 2 p.m. until 8 p.m. Monday, Feb. 14, at Davenport Family Funeral Home, 419 E. Terra Cotta Ave. (Route 176), Crystal Lake. The visitation will continue from 10 a.m. Tuesday, Feb. 15, until the 11 a.m. service at Willow Creek Community Church, 220 Exchange Drive, Crystal Lake. Interment will be private.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Carole Van Doorn Memorial Fund, Homestate Bank, P.O. Box 1738, Crystal Lake, IL 60039. Online condolences may be left for the family at www.davenportfamily.com.
Published in the Northwest Herald from February 13 to February 14, 2011
Bea Seibert
Posted by Melanie Reber (Member # 3707) on :
Jon William Davis, 51, Ohio
PLEASANT HILL - Jon William Davis, 51, formerly of Covington, passed away Friday, March 4, 2011, at his residence in Pleasant Hill. He passed peacefully at home surrounded by the love of his family and friends,after a 10-year battle with Lyme Disease-induced illnesses.
He was born Jan. 21, 1960, to Harry M. and Bernice I. (Heisey) Davis of Covington. Jon is survived by his wife Nancy (Tarzinski) Davis and his wonderful children, son, Nathan L. Davis and daughter-in-law, Jenna L . (Stoner) Davis of Pleasant Hill, daughter, Sara L. Davis of Columbus, daughter, Jessica L. Hutchinson (Polson) and son-in-law, James H. Hutchinson of Covington and daughter, Jaclyn M. Prickett (Polson) and son-in-law, Nathan A. Prickett, of Union. Jon felt extremely blessed to live to see the births of his five grandchildren, Samuel Hutchinson, Andrew David Hutchinson, Luke Alexander Prickett, Magnolia Lee Davis and Isabelle Morgan Prickett.
Jon was preceded in death by brother Jeffery L. Davis of Norwich, Conn. and survived by sister-in-law, Clairlyn Davis, nephew Chad Davis and niece Jeslynne Davis. He was survived by brothers, Joe Robert (J.R.) Davis of, Fort Lauderdale, Fla. and Jay D. Davis of Piqua. Jon also is survived by several aunts, uncles, wonderful cousins and many loving friends. Also surviving were cousins Dave and Steve Heisey, who were more like brothers; special friends, Dale Smith of West Milton, Gary Evans of Houston, Buck Siler of Houston, Dave Fisher of Covington, Scott Hawk of Tipp City, Larry Shope of Bellbrook and Ed Ladd of Houston.
Before his illness Jon was owner/operator of Davis Enterprises, a furniture repair and refinishing business starting in Covington and later moving to Pleasant Hill. In 1989 ,Jon became a sales representative for Schaeffer Manufacturing of St. Louis, Mo.Jon's extended family includes all his fellow Schaeffer sales reps,the wonderful Buckeye Division, and the special friendships with all his customers that were all so dear to his heart. Jon's mission in life became to educate people about the dangers and health risks associated with Lyme Disease. He felt that his greatest work was an article entitled "Don't Lay Down and Die." "which was published in the spring 2004 issue of Buckmaster Magazine,http://www.buckmasters.com/dont-lay-down-and-die.aspx. Jon also wrote and published another article in Buckmasters Magazine August 2009 issue entitled "Fade to Black and Black " which was an update on his battle and Lyme Disease information.
Private memorial services will be held at Riverside Cemetery, West Milton.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in Jon's name to an organization for Lyme disease awareness http://www.ilads.org and to our friends at Vitas Hospice,3055 Kettering Blvd. No. 320,Moraine, OH 45439-1965.
Arrangements are being handled by the Hale-Sarver Funeral Home, West Milton.
Bart spent Christmas with Jesus. He came home from the hospital to his family with Hospice on December l6th, 2010, and passed away that evening with peace and joy. His wife of 46 years, Carol "Heidi" Fenolio, his daughter Joelle Grove & her husband Brian, and his son Dante & his wife Beth, brother-in-law Rick Hyde & wife Diane surrounded him with love as well as friends and grandchildren.
He grew up in San Jose and Fall River Mills. He graduated from SJSU and married the love of his life, Heidi, in 1964. He & his sister, Brenda Albrecht, opened the first Dolphin Aquarium in l965 which was a huge success and built into the Dolphin Pet Village, which is still owned today by Brenda. Bart developed Dolphin Design, Inc, and began to custom design aquariums for hospitals, doctors offices, and businesses in the Santa Clara valley. His love of meeting new people all the time and his love of the business made Bart so happy. His last project before selling his business was the Cupertino City Library salt water aquarium. He retired and moved to San Diego with Heidi to be close to new grandchildren.
Bart was diagnosed with Lyme Disease in August, 2009, after being misdiagnosed with ALS. He fought this horrific disease with strength and grace.
A memorial service will be held on Saturday, 01/29/2011 at 12:00pm at Calvary Chapel San Jose, 1175 Hillsdale Avenue, San Jose, Ca 95118. A dessert reception will follow the service.
We have asked that in lieu of flowers for donations be made to support Lyme Disease research. Lyme Disease is a controversial and devastating disease and very few organizations are able to do research. The family asks that donations be made in Bart's name to: NRFTD (National Research Fund for Tick Borne Disease) You can donate online and make the donation in Bart's name under the "comments" box at: www.nrftd.org.
Published in San Jose Mercury News/San Mateo County Times on January 16, 2011
Posted by Melanie Reber (Member # 3707) on :
Charlotte MacVane, 82, Washington
of Bainbridge Island
Dec. 6, 1929
to March 26, 2011
Charlotte MacVane, beloved wife of Tom, died peacefully at home in his arms on March 26, 2011 after a long struggle with Lyme disease.
Born Charlotte Jane Sears on December 6, 1929 in Boston to Charles and Helen Sears, she grew up in Somerville, Massachusetts. Charlotte graduated in 1951 from Wheelock College in Boston with a degree in elementary education, she taught kindergarten in Medford, Massachusetts and early childhood development at the University of Maryland.
While summering with friends in 1953, Charlotte met her future husband Tom MacVane in his hometown of Long Island, a small island off the Maine coast. They were married on March 5, 1954. Throughout their 57-year marriage, they enjoyed many happy summers in their Long Island cottage "The Camp." Charlotte and Tom raised 5 children while living in Maine, New York, California, Indiana and Washington. They spent the past 36 years in their home on Bainbridge Island.
She loved reading and singing to her grandchildren, driving adventures with her husband, walking the paths of Long Island, baking "goodies" and chatting with family and friends. Charlotte spent many hours volunteering at church, her children's schools, the Long Island Library and was a member of P.E.O. As a new and cautious driver at age 47, her children marveled at her ability to get to her destination without making any left turns! She dedicated her life to the care of her family and they were her joy and contentment. Her love, laughter, smile and wisdom are deeply missed.
Charlotte is survived by her husband Tom, daughters Ellen Arbour (Ron), Susan Armstrong (Vince), Beth Brundige (Mike) all of Bainbridge Island; sons Todd of Bainbridge Island and Jay (Heather) of Poulsbo and grandchildren Kyle, Scott, Grace (Alex), Dane, Lance, Ty, Troy, Cole, Emma and Cara. She was preceded in death by her parents and her sister, Marion.
A private memorial will be held on Bainbridge Island and an additional service is planned this summer on Long Island. In lieu of flowers, donations are suggested to the International Lyme and Associated Diseases Society at www.ilads.org.
It is our hope that others will learn about Lyme disease, a disease easily misdiagnosed.
Elisabeth Marie "Lilo" Winterfeld of Hurley passed away on Tuesday, March 29, 2011 after a long illness from Lyme Disease and Alzheimers.
Survived by her husband Charles, daughter Waltraud and her life companion Susan, a son Gustav and his wife Satchiko, two granddaughters, two great-granddaughters, three great-gandsons and one great-greatgranddaughter. A sister Traude in Germany and sisters-in-law, a brother-in-law and nieces and nephews also survive. Born in Zwittau, Sudetenland, now called Svavy Cz Republic to Franz and Theresia Rohatsch Jesch (je'z).
Lilo and her family were among millions of ethnic Germans who were ejected from their homeland. Little history was written or taught about ethnic cleansing of the German speaking people after World War II. A Terrible Revenge and the March of Millions are some of the few stories written about this history.
This left these people with little belongings and no homeland to return to and so were transported to Germany where they were treated like refugees. Her life during this time was incredibly hard, which made her an even stronger person.
She became a United States Citizen on June 5, 1959. Lilo worked many years in the Kingston Hospital Operating room, a job she truly loved. She baby sat, volunteered at the Hurley museum and the Hurley service club. There wasn't anything she could not do. She helped her husband build their home, sewed her children's clothes, knitted, corcheted, quilted, painted and upholstered furnitured.
She loved fishing and camping. She took great joy caring for her perennial gardens and made the best apple strudle. She will be greatly missed by all who have known her. Special thanks to Dr. Bernadette O'Hara, Susan Miller, Rose Crawley, LPN and personal care aides from Willcare.
To submit online condolences to the Winterfeld family, please visit www.SimpsonGaus.com. There will be no service. Cremation was private. Her organs were donated to Columbia University Lyme & Tick Disease Research Center. Arrangement were by Simpson-Gaus Funeral Home, 411 Albany Ave., Kingston.
Published in the Daily Freeman on April 1, 2011
Posted by Melanie Reber (Member # 3707) on :
Erin Elizabeth Spillers, 30, Alabama
Beloved daughter, sister, aunt, and friend to many, Erin Spillers was born June 21, 1980 in Rapid City, SD. She died suddenly at her residence on Thursday, April 28, 2011 from complications of chronic Lyme disease.
Cremation will take place at Southern Memorial Funeral Home and a Memorial Mass will be held at Our Lady Queen of Mercy Church, Montgomery, AL, on Wednesday, May 4, 2011 at 9:30 a.m.
Erin loved Alabama football, gardening, dancing, yoga, music, animals, and spending time with her many friends. She smiled through her pain and was always ready to lend a hand or an encouraging word to everyone she met. She will be deeply missed by everyone she knew. Though her years on Earth were brief, she lived them to the fullest, bringing joy to all who crossed her path. She was beautiful on the inside and out, with a smile that sparkled, a generous sense of humor, and a deep capacity for compassion and love.
She is survived by her mother and stepfather, Dr. Michael and Anne Marie Gormley of Montgomery, AL; father and stepmother, Frank and Kimberlee Spillers, of Atlantic, IA; brother, Mick Gormley, of Montgomery, AL; sister, Jessica Winum (Jarret) of Stanley, NY; grandmother, Phyllis Kertzman, of Rapid City, SD; aunts, uncles, cousins, nephews and nieces.
In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made in her memory to the Lyme and Tick-Borne Diseases Research Center, Columbia University, Att: Barbara Strobino, PhD, 1051, Riverside Drive, Unit 69, New York, New York 10032 or at https://giving.columbia.edu/giveonline/?schoolstyle=56437 Posted by Tincup (Member # 5829) on :
Jack Colenda- Maryland- Age 8
As my heart breaks again to hear this news, my prayers and most sincere sympathy go out to John Colenda and his family from Perryville, Maryland.
They lost their 8 year old son Jack after he contracted Lyme disease.
Of all the things John Colenda aspired to do with his life, getting a tattoo was never one of them. But in early April, the 40-year-old Perryville resident found himself seated in a chair at House of Ponchos in Abingdon, Md., where he would leave later that day with his first tattoo.
The artistic design that now encompasses Colenda's right shoulder is more than just a tattoo. It's a memorial to his son, Jack, who passed away suddenly last November from health complications after he developed Lyme disease.
``A tattoo is not something I thought I would ever get, but under the circumstances, I decided I would do it, and I'm very pleased with the way it turned out,'' Colenda said.
While pondering the design, Colenda knew he wanted it to be something that nobody else would have.
His concept for the tattoo centered on his 8-year-old son's passion for lacrosse: ``He played football and lacrosse, but he could never wait for lacrosse to start. As soon as football was over, he had his stick ready to go.''
Colenda gave the tattoo artist, Josh Johnson, a picture of his son's lacrosse stick, shoes, helmet and gloves, which were incorporated into the design.
``He even got Jack's name in there where he wrote his name on his gloves,'' Colenda said, pointing to the tiny letters that did indeed spell out ``Jack.''
But Colenda wanted his tattoo to feature more than just his son's lacrosse equipment.
``I thought it needed some kind of background,'' he said.
``At Patterson's funeral home, they took his thumbprint because there are suppliers out there that can make jewelry with your thumbprint on it, and it just clicked - that was the background I needed.''
Colenda contacted the funeral home and had a staff member send him an electronic image of his son's thumbprint. He printed the image and gave it to Johnson, who was able to sketch the print and include it in the tattoo's design.
``This is a memorial that I can keep with me all the time,'' Colenda said.
In addition to getting a tattoo, Colenda has been busy working on another project in honor of his son. He and his wife, Jennifer, are in the process of starting a foundation in jack's name that will benefit local children in need.
The unofficially named JACK Foundation will stand for Just About Community and Kids, Colenda said, going on to explain that he is in the process of filing paperwork to have the name approved.
Posted in Features on Wednesday, June 8, 2011 1:00 am. Updated: 4:50 pm
Posted by Tincup (Member # 5829) on :
Bryan Christopher Frydenberg Bower- June 28, 1982 - May 2, 2011
TOUCHED BY LYME: When pain is simply unbearable 10 June, 2011
_____ Bryan Christopher Frydenberg Bower___________ (June 28, 1982 - May 2, 2011)
As a kid growing up in southern California in the 80s and 90s, Bryan Bower was a bit of a daredevil: BMX biking, rollerblading, skateboarding, snowboarding--never a show-off, but always pursuing his jumps and thrills.
As a college student, he discovered a new passion, rock climbing. He went everywhere with his new best friend and climbing buddy Rhyan. Joshua Tree, Tahquitz, The Needles and Malibu Canyon were southern California favorites.
In his early 20s, Bryan started training to climb Yosemite's El Capitan, practicing with one of those folding ledges that you haul up and sleep on when you're half way up the 3,000-foot granite face. All that came to a screeching halt about six years ago when Bryan was struck by a series of bizarre symptoms: debilitating headaches, brain fog, intense pain in his spine and shoulders, night sweats, difficulties with his balance, sleep disturbance and depression.
That prompted a series of doctor appointments which, after many twists and turns, eventually led to a diagnosis of Lyme disease. By this time, the infection was deeply entrenched in his brain and central nervous system.
His was a dramatically changed personal landscape. There were different kinds of rocks to climb now, boulders named severe neuro-Lyme, co-infections, and brutal suffering.
He would try different doctors and different treatments through the years, even traveling to Mexico for alternative therapies. Sometimes, he could muster some of that old daredevil energy to dive headlong into a new treatment protocol. Sometimes he couldn't.
Occasionally, there would be some improvement in his physical situation. When it didn't last, he'd pour his agony and frustration into the written word, on his blog or in anguished poetry.
Previously a devout Christian, Bryan felt utterly forsaken by the God that had once offered solace and refuge.
In the last few years, Bryan spent most of his time in bed, trying to distract himself from blinding pain that even heavy-duty meds couldn't relieve.
He'd surf the web on his laptop, searching for alternative Lyme treatments while lying on an electro-magnetic mat. He'd keep TV, Netflix, or video games flickering on the big screen in front of him, in vain hope of even momentary diversion from the pain.
Friends and relationships from the past had pretty much fallen by the wayside. His mom and dad gave love and support and tried to lessen the isolation as much as they could.
Yet, nothing he tried could carry him away from the pain. Ultimately, according to his family, Bryan ``just wanted the pain to stop.'' On May 2, 2011, he ended his own life, leaving his parents to read the following words he'd penned for them earlier.
Don't follow my starlight It goes well beyond and you must stay and drift away until you too are gone - Bryan Bower
I never knew Bryan, but his is the fourth Lyme-related fatality I've learned about recently. It makes my heart sick.
Wake up, America! Tick-borne diseases are stealing our children. While the medical establishment, insurance companies, and government health officials play politics and pretend that Lyme disease is no big deal, or worse - a complete sham - people like Bryan are abandoned by the institutions that are supposed to help them.
A speaker at the recent webinar on Lyme by the Centers for Disease Control made the astonishing assertion that long-term neuroborreliosis would eventually ``resolve'' on its own, without any treatment whatsoever.
Tell that to Bryan's heartbroken family. Tell that to untold thousands of Lyme patients who live with intractable pain and other unrelenting symptoms.
The loss of this young man makes me both sad and angry. We in the Lyme community owe it to Bryan and others like him, to channel such emotions into meaningful action. Tick-borne disease is taking a toll on our society that will not ``resolve'' on its own.
Click here to read Bryan's memorial page with some of his poetry.
The TOUCHED BY LYME blog is written by Dorothy Kupcha Leland, CALDA's VP for Education and Outreach. Contact her at [email protected].
Donna Marie 'Zak' Zakszeski of Beverly passed away Friday after bravely battling Lyme disease and breast cancer for several challenging years. She was 50.
Donna was a graduate of Burlington City High School, Class of 1978.
She went become a registered nurse, while settling in Maine.
Donna loved to read, learn new things, garden, the ocean, and practicing yoga.
Most of all, she loved her family.
She is survived by her children, Justin Spencer and his wife, Julie, Jennifer and her husband, Thomas Dunn, and Jordan Spencer (s/o Christopher Blake); their father, Rick Spencer; and by her siblings, Charles and his wife, Sharon, Scott and his wife, Linda, and Lynda Zakszeski (s/o Andrew Newsome), and Patricia Kramer and her husband, Kirk. She was extremely proud of her grandchildren, Cody, Chloe, Max, Casey, and Zak, due in November. Her many nieces and nephews, like all who knew her, loved, and admired Donna for the wonderful person and amazing woman that she was.
Donna now rests peacefully with her father, Charles; mother, Eleanor 'Ellie'; and brother, John 'Jack,' husband to Patricia R. Zakszeski.
Donna will be remembered most for her breathtaking smile and infectious laugh. She was beloved by those close to her and will be greatly missed.
The family invites friends to call at her viewing from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Tuesday, at the Page Funeral Home, 302 E. Union St., Burlington.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to 'Community of Hope for Donna,' c/o29 Warren St., Beverly, NJ 08010.
Page Funeral Home, Burlington
Posted by Lymetoo (Member # 743) on :
Fran A. Piazza-Parkinson, 54, of Scranton, died Aug. 1 at the Regional Hospital of Scranton after a 15-year battle with Lyme disease and other health complications.
Born on Oct. 12, 1956, in Buffalo, N.Y., she was the daughter of the late Anthony Sr. and JoAnn Kalinowski Piazza.
She was a graduate of Bishop Klonowski High School. Fran was a loving mother, sister and aunt. She was known for her kindness, generosity and her ability to bring a smile to everyone she knew. She enjoyed shopping, bingo and spending time with her friends and family. She will truly be missed by all who knew her.
Surviving are a son, Randy Anthony Piazza, at home; a brother, Anthony Piazza Jr. and wife, Nancy, Scranton; two sisters, Mary- Jo Sterling and husband, William, Scranton; and Gina M. Winger and husband, Frank, Allentown; five nephews, Michael Sterling, Las Vegas; Frank, Matthew and Joseph Winger, Allentown; and Danny Piazza, Scranton; a niece, Victoria Sterling, Scranton; a niece and goddaughter, Jessica Sterling, Scranton; aunts, uncles and cousins.
She was also preceded in death by many aunts and uncles.
Funeral services will be private at the convenience of the family. Arrangements by the Nicholas Chomko Funeral Home, South Scranton.
Published in Scranton Times on August 14, 2011
Posted by map1131 (Member # 2022) on :
A young lady Tabatha(Tabby) Rhymers died here in Louisville, Ky in early August. She was the Fern Creek, Ky high school student who one day was healthy and then it all suddenly changed.
The medical team, family and news reporters were seeking advice for possible causes for her quickly detetiorating health. This story went out on national news broadcast.
Tabby had Lyme disease when she was 5 years old and was treated. Doctors didn't believe that past Lyme infection had anything to do with her sudden seizures, white lesions and destroying her young life.
Maybe someone else can pull up this sad sad story and post it here. I've tried and can't seem to pull what I need to do.
Thanks, Pam
Posted by lilacs48 (Member # 20025) on :
RHYMER, TABBATHA LEIGH, 17, of Fern Creek, beloved daughter of Juanita Rhymer Age and Robert Age, peacefully passed away Friday, August 5, 2011 surrounded by many who loved her.
She was to be a senior at Fern Creek High School.
Tabbatha was preceded in death by her loving father, Randy Rhymer; and grandfather, Louis Roederer.
Along with her parents, Juanita and Bobby, Tabby is survived by her grandparents, Bertha Roberts (Dennis) and Angie and Ford White; great-grandmother, Rose Roederer; brothers, Steve Ritchie, James Dylan; sisters, Nicole Roseanne and Jenna Lynn; stepsisters, Shelly and Elizabeth; fiance, Chad Kantlehner and a host of loving family and dear friends.
Funeral service will be conducted at noon on Tuesday at Schoppenhorst Underwood and Brooks Funeral Home (Preston Highway at Brooks Road) with burial in Highland Memory Gardens in Mt. Washington. Friends may pay their respects on Monday from 1-8 p.m. and after 9 a.m. Tuesday at Schoppenhorst.
The family wishes to sincerely thank Dr. Tarek M. Zakaria and the staff of Norton Brownsboro I.C.U., for their compassionate care of Tabby during her extended stay.
The family also wishes to thank all those who scheduled fundraisers, donated monies, time and prayers in hope of finding a cure for her.
Posted by Tincup (Member # 5829) on :
David Taylor
September 8, 2011
Notice from the York, PA Lyme Disease Support Group
We regret to inform you that a member of our support group has lost his battle with lyme disease. David Taylor, husband of Julie Taylor passed away on Tuesday morning September 6, 2011.
Viewing is schedule for Friday evening, September 9, 2011, 6:00 to 8:00pm at Eberly Funeral Home, 104 West Main Street, Dallastown, Pa, 17313.
The funeral will be held on Saturday morning, September 10, 2011 at 10:30 AM, at Bethlehem United Methodist Church, 109 East Main Street, Dallastown, PA. Burial will in Dallastown Union Cemetery.
Our thoughts and prayers go out to Julie and family.
``````````````````````````````````````````
Notice placed on Maryland website. York, PA is one of the "Mason-Dixon" support group listings. God bless David, his friends and family.
Jay Thomas Wolfenden, 56, of Westminster, died Wednesday, Aug. 17, 2011, at Carroll Hospital Center. Born Jan. 12, 1955, in Baltimore.
He was the son of the late John Thomas and Shirley Leach Wolfenden. He worked at Shoppers in the seafood department.
He was an Eagle Scout with Troop No. 56 and was co-coordinator of the Central Maryland Lyme Disease Support Group.
He also was an avid fisherman, Ravens fan, and enjoyed cooking.
Surviving is a sister, Robin Ann Wolfenden, of Westminster.
A graveside service will be held at 10 a.m. Thursday at Zion United Methodist Church Cemetery, 2716 Old Washington Road, Westminster, with the Rev. Marianne Sickles Grabowski officiating.
Memorial contributions may be sent to Carroll Hospice, 292 Stoner Ave., Westminster, MD 21157. Arrangements are by Pritts Funeral Home & Chapel in Westminster. Sign this guest book online atwww.carrollcountytimes.com
Published in Carroll County Times on August 21, 2011
```````````````````````````````````````````
Jay was a long-time support group leader from Maryland.
He helped countless people over the years and was active in all aspects of Lyme disease education and prevention. His mother also passed away, several years ago, after suffering from chronic Lyme disease.
His sister Robin is co-founder of the group and has been a long time advocate for patients.
Our prayers go out for Jay, his family and friends. He will be missed, but not forgotten.
The Lord is Our Shepherd... may we rest in a garden of Love, And have the sun shine on us forever. Cover US with "The Blood of Jesus Christ". Bless these families with comfort and faith to pick up where the fallen left off in rememberance of Great Things to Come. Passing the torch to those left behind. walk with them daily. And surely God has walked with you. Posted by Tincup (Member # 5829) on :
Thank you payne.
Posted by Lymetoo (Member # 743) on :
[ 12-07-2013, 11:24 PM: Message edited by: Lymetoo ]
Posted by Anthropologista (Member # 35483) on :
Thank you, Tutu.
Posted by GretaM (Member # 40917) on :
Thank you Lymetoo.
Seeing Gonzo's name there teared me up again.
Here's his obit I found in the Hartford Courant.
Daniel S. Gonzalez, 56, of Plainville, passed away at his home, surrounded by his family, on Sunday, December 1, 2013.
He was the beloved husband of Ellen (Sloate) Gonzalez, with whom he shared 27 years of marriage.
Born in Bristol on October 19, 1957, he was one of eight children to the late Salvadore and Jean (Pinero) Gonzalez.
A lifelong resident of Plainville, he attended local schools, and raised his family there. Daniel enjoyed many outdoor activities, and had a passion for fishing, and was very proud of his record setting bass.
He enjoyed going to the beach, spending many days at Harkness State Park, was a car enthusiast, and fan of football, especially the New York Giants.
Above all, Daniel was a reliable family man, who could be counted on for help with any task, or for sharing his love of cooking one of his delicious homemade meals made with fresh vegetables from his backyard garden.
His sense of humor and big heart will be greatly missed, leaving his family and wide circle of friends with many cherished memories.
In addition to his wife, Ellen, he leaves his daughter, Heidi and her fiancé, David Fortier of Plainville; his sister, Judy Principi, her husband, Jim and their son, James of Burlington; his brothers, Frank, his wife, Cheryl and their children, Steven and Danielle of Plainville; Michael, his wife, Sheila and their children, Christen and Matthew of Plainville; Ed, his wife, Diane, and their children, Marissa and Ed of New Britain; Phil, his wife, Ivonne, and their children, Aaron, Andrew, and Tammy of Florida; Steven and his partner, Tim of Massachusetts; and John, his wife, Teresa, and their children, Christian, Grace, and Evan of New Britain. He also leaves his mother-in-law, Ruth Sloate; his brothers-in-law, Steven Sloate, his wife, Georgie and his special nephews, Matthew and Jeremy; and Mark Sloate, his wife, Meryl and their children, Heather and Andrew.
Visitation will be on Thursday evening, from 5-7 p.m. at Bailey Funeral Home, 48 Broad St, Plainville.
A memorial service in celebration Daniel's life will be held at the conclusion of the visitation, at 7 p.m. on Thursday. Burial will be held privately at the convenience of the family. For online expressions of sympathy, please visit www.Bailey-FuneralHome.com .
Published in The Hartford Courant on Dec. 3, 2013
Posted by map1131 (Member # 2022) on :
Our dear lymenet friend, Bea lost her husband Steve Oct 2012. I'm attaching the thread for those that are new to lymenet and wonder about this wonderful woman, Bea that continues to fight the fight with us.
A longtime activist who raised awareness about the dangers of Lyme disease in Manitoba has died.
Elizabeth Wood was 65.
Lorne Wood said in an interview from Emerson his wife died Thursday of a stroke she suffered late Wednesday night.
She leaves five children and 12 grandchildren.
Wood helped found a support group in Manitoba for Lyme disease sufferers more than two decades ago -- long before the tick-borne illness became a reportable disease in the province.
"The Lyme disease community in Canada has lost a very good ally," said Jim Wilson, president of the British Columbia-based Canadian Lyme Disease Foundation.
He said Wood fought tirelessly to get the Manitoba government to take the disease seriously and acknowledge it is under-reported in Manitoba.
Asked how successful advocates have been in this regard, he replied: "It's a work in progress."
Wood said in a 2011 interview she received a tick bite in July 1985 north of Emerson. She remembered having difficulty removing the insect.
When a rash appeared, a doctor told her she had poison ivy.
She later developed severe flu-like symptoms doctors now link to Lyme disease: head and muscle aches, joint pain, fatigue.
She continued to suffer the effects of the disease throughout her life.
Her insistence -- and that of many Lyme disease research advocates -- that the disease could persist for decades put her at odds with some in the medical community.
She spent thousands of dollars of her own money seeking a diagnosis and treatment in the United States.
"She could hold her own (in debate) with politicians, professors, scientists, doctors and anyone else," Wood said.
He said Wood fought tirelessly to get the Manitoba government to take the disease seriously and acknowledge it is under-reported in Manitoba.
A week before her death, she travelled to Ottawa to support a private member's bill by Green party MP Elizabeth May that would require the federal health minister to convene a conference of provincial and territorial health ministers, representatives of the medical community and patients' groups to develop a national strategy to address the challenges of recognition, timely diagnosis and treatment of Lyme disease.
The Opposition NDP and Liberals have expressed support for Bill C-442. The governing Conservatives have said they might support the bill if amendments are introduced that satisfy jurisdictional concerns.
A provincial Health Department spokeswoman issued a statement Monday that read, in part: "Through her unwavering dedication to this cause, she has raised awareness of this condition amongst the general public and within the medical community alike, helping us all to better understand the disease.
This dedicated advocacy has led to closer collaborative efforts between the Lyme and the health community, ensuring ongoing education, improved surveillance and advancing policy to ensure improved care is an option."
-------------------------
She made a difference -- Good for her! We are still far away from proper medical treatment or acknowledgement of lyme disease in Canada.
Posted by poppy (Member # 5355) on :
I think a lot of deaths have been missed on this list. The ones that are known to be lyme, and the ones that die of stroke or heart attack that resulted from lyme. And then there are more suicides.
The recent published account of cardiac deaths that were only found because a transplant surgeon discovered them:
The first case described here was in a car accident, veered off the road after his heart stopped. I knew of another case like this in a local lyme person who was in a one car accident after he lost consciousness. His death was due to lyme, and I am not even sure if he was being treated. How many are there like this? Probably a lot.
Posted by poppy (Member # 5355) on :
In Memory of Beverly Lynn Mooney April 21, 1980 - March 22, 2014
Obituary
Beverly Lynn Mooney, 33 years old, died on Saturday, March 22nd, 2014 at her home in Castle Rock, CO. Beverly's battle with Lyme Disease lasted over 4 years. Her strong will to live, unwavering faith in God and the love and prayers of family, friends and many supporters made It possible for Beverly to be a loving wife and to raise her two beautiful children, Ethan, 6 years old, and Makayla, 4 years old.
Beverly was born on April 21, 1980 and married David Mooney. She has three sisters, Deanice Zoltak and Deavina Ewert and she is predeceased by her beloved sister Lena Thompson Bell. She also leaves behind her nephews and niece, Brian Bell, Jonathon Thompson, Westley Thompson and Alice Thompson who she loved as if they were her brothers and sister.
The loss of someone so young leaves a deep hole in our hearts but we are comforted in knowing she is in the loving hands of Jesus Christ Our Savior and is reunited with her mother, June and sister Lena.
If anyone asks how I want to be remembered, please say the following about me:
A wonderful mother and wife who believed strongly in God. She loved being with her family and watching her children grow. She loved her fun, sad, hard and funny times with David…..especially how David could make her laugh. Beverly was always a lil crazy, she would do and say random things that would make you say hummmm. Some would be shocked, but those who knew Beverly wouldn't be shocked at all. She loved to dance and go out and have fun with her girlfriends. Beverly adored all children and was inspired to make a difference in the children of today…. Her ultimate dream was to teach in a Christian School where she could educate children in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Colleen, a worship pastor, and sister of radio personality Don on the Ron and Don show passes away from lyme disease. She looks young and vibrant in this picture in the link. Don was trying to help her get better but she passed away...
Colleen Katherine (O'Neill) Cawthon entered heaven singing and rejoicing on February 7, 2014. She was born on March 14,1970 in Waukegan, Illinois to Virginia "Ginny" (O'Neill) Edmund and John O'Neill. Colleen was the youngest of four children - brothers Jack O'Neill and Don O'Neill and sister Beth Ortega. The family moved to Albuquerque in 1978 where Colleen graduated Eldorado High School in 1988. She met and married the love of her life, Jaris at their local church and went on to have three amazing children, Annie 16, Sydney 13, and Dylan 6. Colleen, an amazingly talented singer and songwriter, used her voice to touch many lives, recording 2 praise and worship CDs with her church and 1 with her husband, and singing on many other recordings for other artists. Jesus Christ was her passion, and she served as a Worship Pastor in her local church, Believers Center of Albuquerque, for over 21 years along side her husband. She was completely devoted to her husband, children, church family, and all her extended family. Her laugh was absolutely contagious and could easily change the atmosphere of a room. Above all, her desire was to see God glorified in everything she set her hand to - her marriage, children, work, and friendships. Colleen’s life was a reflection of God’s love and joy. She fought a hard battle against Lyme disease and was an absolute champion. Colleen’s life celebration will be held Thursday February 13, 2014 at 6:30pm at Believers Center of Albuquerque, 320 Waterfall Dr. NE, Albuquerque, NM 87123. In lieu of flowers, an Education Fund has been started for Colleen’s children. Checks can be made out to Edward Jones Investing / The Cawthon Kids Education Fund, 4122 Factoria Blvd SE, Bellevue WA 98006. Credit card donations can be made over the phone to Lawrence Rude 425-644-6290.
Posted by SLML (Member # 42986) on :
I believe Dr. Hynote died of sepsis from a Picc Line infection as she was treating Lyme Disease.
Dr. Eleanor Hynote died December 17, 2013 in Napa. She was born in Brookline, MA to Francis and Rita Dimento on June 21, 1957.
Dr. Hynote graduated from Brookline High School, Vassar College and UC Irvine School of Medicine. She opened her internal medicine and clinical nutrition practice in Napa in 1989. She enjoyed snow skiing, travel, the beach at Martha’s Vineyard and, most of all, her family. She devoted her professional life to the practice of medicine from with she received great gratification.
Dr. Hynote is survived by her husband Robert Hynote of Napa, Daughters Caroline, Julia and Olivia Hynote all of Napa; parents Francis and Rita Dimento of Boston; brothers James and Francis Dimento and sister Melissa Lang, all of Boston.
A funeral Mass will be held at Mont La Salle Chapel, 4405 Redwood Rd, Napa, CA 94558, on Saturday, December 21, 2013 at 10:00 am.
The family requests in lieu of flowers, donations be made in Dr. Hynote’s memory to organizations dedicated to infectious disease research.
Posted by Tincup (Member # 5829) on :
May they be remembered and in peace.
Posted by lymie_in_md (Member # 14197) on :
I will deeply miss you Heather, rest in peace!
Heather Elizabeth Johnson . Johnson, Heather Elizabeth age 33, formerly of Edina, MN, passed away unexpectedly 7/26/14.Preceded in death by mother, Judith Askeland. Survived by father, Christopher Johnson; stepmother, Susan Johnson; stepfather, Paul Del Moral; stepbrother, Nick Everhart; stepsisters, Molly Wick, and Courtenay and Donna Del Moral; grandfather, Warren Askeland; and many aunts and uncles. God bless our beautiful artist, poet, musician and activist. Services will be held at 1 PM on Fri, Aug 15 at St. John the Evangelist Episcopal Church, 60 Kent St., St. Paul. In lieu of flowers, please send memorials for continued humanitarian work including helping others affected by Lyme disease to "Morningstar Mercy Ministries," 165 E. Crumb St., Gilman, WI 54433.
Published on August 10, 2014
Posted by Tincup (Member # 5829) on :
It is with deep sorrow I share this announcement about a wonderful lady who left us much too soon.
“I don’t want anybody else to go through what I’ve been through. If I could just prevent one person from having these problems, then it’s worth it.”
Dr. Lis Heininger
Our dear friend, Lis Heininger, founder of the Corning-Finger Lakes Lyme Disease Association in New York, passed away at home on Monday, September 29, 2014. Passing at the age of 48, she leaves behind her loving parents, her dear husband Andy, and a very devoted teen-age daughter, Marisa.
For those who didn't know Lis, she was a wonderfully brilliant lady and long time volunteer Lyme patient advocate who worked with many people over the years to assist them with their Lyme-related issues.
Lis spent the earlier part of her life (over 30 years) undiagnosed and untreated for Lyme disease. The first indication Lyme disease might have been the source of the various growing symptoms she experienced appeared at a very young age when she had a strange rash after camping with her family in New England.
Her symptoms began increasing in number and impacted her more over the next few years. As a gymnast, volley ball, tennis and track team member, she became concerned when her eye sight began to fail. She went on to develop numbness in her limbs and was eventually diagnosed, or mis-diagnosed, with MS.
For the twenty years Lis was told she had MS (multiple sclerosis) she was treated unsuccessfully by various physicians for a condition she did not have. As a national spokesperson dedicated to educating people on the affects of MS, she was considered a favorite "poster child" by those in the MS movement. She spent countless hours speaking to national and international audiences. Unfortunately, when she informed them of her new diagnosis, like others that have been correctly diagnosed after years of having an inaccurate MS diagnosis, she was shunned and ignored by the very people she loved and worked so hard to assist.
Once correctly diagnosed with chronic Lyme disease Lis was treated with long term antibiotics and began to improve. Unfortunately, she was in the late chronic stages of Lyme disease at that point in time and the damage that occurred prior to receiving appropriate treatment was only partially addressed. But, Lis improved as time went by and she was determined to not give up!
Lis worked tirelessly to spread Lyme disease awareness for the past decade and made many friends in the Lyme community along the way. She brought in doctors and other experts to speak at programs for local community groups. She was a guest speaker at the Corning Community College's presentation of Under Our Skin, a college where Lis once worked as a grant director for the Early Childhood Professional Development Center.
Lis actively helped with legislation designed to improve the situation for other Lyme patients. She had an extensive email distribution list and stayed up-to-date on the latest research. Many will remember Lis rolling around (and goofing around) in her wheel chair, always with a smile on her face, while attending various Lyme disease conferences over the years. She had a wonderful sense of humor and never missed the opportunity to share a funny joke.
Several years ago Phyllis Mervine of LymeDisease.org (formerly CALDA) organized an effort to collect donations to help pay for in-home nursing care for Lis while her family was at work and school. Lis, under the care of the local health department, had fallen out of her wheelchair and had to spend time in the hospital.
As a result of the accident she suffered more neurological damage; however, she was overwhelmed by the kind and generous people in the Lyme community who supported her and she truly appreciated their efforts.
Our hearts are heavy and we are filled with sadness over the loss of such a dear lady. We will pray for comfort for all of her friends and family, all the while knowing in our hearts she has finally made it to heaven where she is now dancing and singing with the angels.
Memorial Services
Phillips Funeral Home and Cremation Service, 17 West Pulteney Street, Corning, NY 14830 on Thursday, October 2, 2014 from 5:00 pm to 9:00 pm. The funeral service will be at Grace United Methodist Church, 191 Bridge Street in Corning, on Friday, October 3, 2014 at 11:00 am. A committal service for the family will follow at Chapel Knoll and they will return to the church for a luncheon.
With flower arrangements in place, the family asks that memorial gifts in Lis' honor be directed to a scholarship fund for Lis's daughter, Marisa. Checks may be made payable to: Andrew Heininger, at P.O. Box 1272, Corning, NY.
Posted by steve1906 (Member # 16206) on :
Dying of Lyme disease: Case fatality rate nearly 100%
Leslie Feinberg, died on Nov. 15 at her home in Syracuse. She was 65.The cause was “complications from multiple tick-borne co-infections, including Lyme disease.”
GOWER, Mo. Bailee Shennen Jontee Wennihan, 20, Gower, passed away Tuesday, May 24, 2016, in Farmers Branch, Texas, as a result of West Nile and Lyme Disease.
She was born on January 9, 1996, in North Kansas City, Missouri.
Bailee Shennen Jontee graduated from East Buchanan High School. She truly enjoyed school and music. She wrote many songs and enjoyed playing the violin. Bailee loved playing basketball, traveling, was a wonderful artist and photographer.
Her life was dedicated to serving God and she lived each day with an abundance of faith. She was able to forgive and go on with laughter, love and kindness. Her motto was Laugh as much as you breathe and love as much as you live.
Bailee Shennen Jontee was preceded in death by: her great-grandmother, Nadine Cline; and uncle, Johnny Gatewood.
She is survived by: her brother, Padrick Wennihan; mother, Gina Gatewood-Griffin; NaNa, Teena Marks; great-grandfather, Gene Cline; uncles, Tommy and Steve Cusick; grandfather John Gatewood Sr.; cousins, Lauren, Carson Nadine, and Amber; other relatives and many, many friends.
Funeral service: 11 a.m. Tuesday, May 31,at First Baptist Church, in Gower.
Burial: Dearborn Cemetery.
Visitation: 6-8 p.m. Monday, at the church.
Arrangements: Hixson-Klein Funeral Home, Gower. As published in the St. Joseph News-Press.
With such sadness I share Robert's message with members at LN about his wife's recent passing. We knew her as HealthyWealthyWise...
healthywealthywise LymeNet Contributor Member # 8595
posted 22 July, 2016 03:09 PM
My name is Robert, I am Marianne Scullin's husband. I don't know how active she has been on this site recently but I know she has talked with some folks here.
I am sorry to say that I lost her on Tuesday night, Jul. 20. I am barely able to write this I am so devasted.. she was the love of my life.
We would have been married 32 years come Oct. My only relief is the knowledge her nightmare of pain is over.
I wish ALL of you the best, I understand your plight.. believe me. If anyone wants to get in touch I can be reached at [email protected]
Posts: 866 | From PA | Registered: Jan 2006
`````````````````````````````````````````````````
Here is a link on LN if you'd like to share thoughts with Robert.
HOUSTON, TX (KTRK) -- A 22-year-old woman has been reported missing in the Houston area.
According to Texas EquuSearch, Jennifer Hollis was last seen leaving work in the Houston area on Thursday, May 12. She was driving a silver 2004 Toyota RAV4 with Texas plates DGG-5165.
Hollis has a distinguishing mole the right of her left eyebrow.
Anybody with information about Hollis' whereabouts is asked to contact the Houston Police Department at (713) 731-5223 or Texas EquuSearch at (281) 309-9500.
` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` UPDATE: Body of missing student found (Texas)
By The Cougar News Services May 30, 2016
The body of missing 22-year-old Jennifer Hollis was found early Monday morning. According to a Facebook page set up by her family, Hollis took her own life after a long struggle with Lyme disease.
“The problem is that Jennifer suffered an absolutely horrible illness called Lyme disease which bore a pain that is unbearable for those who are inflicted,” Hollis’ family said in a Facebook post.
“Most people didn’t realize this about Jennifer. She suffered in silence. She tried to mask her pain and suffering with her infectious smile, laughter and enduring love of life.”
After Hollis’ family raised thousands of dollars through a GoFundMe page, they hired a private investigator to help find her. After a three week search, her family was notified at 5 a.m. that her body was found.
The family asked that in lieu of flowers, Hollis’ friends and family donate to a Lyme disease awareness charity.
God just granted a beautiful young angel her wings. Jennifer Morgan Hollis was lifted to the heavens on May 30, 2016 at the age of 22.
Jennifer was born January 19, 1994 in Houston, Texas. She graduated with the class of 2013 from Memorial High School where she danced with the Marquette dance squad.
She was also active in HITS theater, MHS choir, and enjoyed singing, dancing, piano and art.
After High School Jennifer attended the University of Texas San Antonio followed by the University of Houston.
At the time of her death she was so proud to be working as a medical assistant at The Healing Space, and was hoping to dedicate her life and pursue a health and healing profession of some sort.
During her spare time Jennifer loved to read, learn, grow, and help others. She was constantly searching for ways to be a better person, to impact the lives of others, and to walk a virtuous life with Christ.
She possessed a very strong faith and was comforted by journaling her thoughts, feelings, and devotionals to God.
She is survived by her mother, Elizabeth Anne Hollis, father, Michael Scott Hollis, Jr., sister, Jessica Nicole Hollis, step-mother, Ilinka Rodriguez Hollis, step-sister, Sara Laura Hollis,
paternal grandparents, Laura Hedrick Hollis and Michael S. Hollis, Sr., 13 Aunts/Uncles, 17 cousins, and her beloved dog Ziggy.
She was preceded in death by her maternal grandparents, Carol V.S. Gossweiler and Dr. Robert Lee Gossweiler of Stewartstown, PA, and aunt, Suzanne Regina Gossweiler.
A memorial service to celebrate her life will be held at 2 PM on Saturday, June 11, 2016 at Christ Evangelical Presbyterian Church at 8300 Katy Freeway, Houston, TX 77024.
A private interment will be conducted at Woodlawn Funeral and Cemetery where Jennifer will rest in eternal peace.
In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation in memory of Jennifer to Safe Harbor Lyme.
Safe Harbor Lyme is a non-profit dedicated to provide those in need financial support, community education, awareness and to restore hope to many who suffer from Lyme disease and its co-infections.
FACE BOOK PAGE TODAY- Our beloved beautiful, kind, brave dad and husband.. Half five in the night you took your last breath. You've had a strong journey through these 16 years, and you're both hero and role model in our eyes.
You've been so strong both mentally and physically so long that it's a real nightmare that this could happen to you. "I win", you wrote. In our eyes you won the fight for liberation of from the wheelchair.
Now you're in heaven. We love you all over our heart daddy. Life will no longer be the same without you.
[ 01-01-2017, 09:17 PM: Message edited by: Tincup ]
Posted by me (Member # 45475) on :
Rest In Peace, Brave Warriors.
Posted by logmoss82 (Member # 48251) on :
It's truly astonishing to me how many of these deaths can be attributed directly or indirectly to Lyme. And these are just the deaths that have been discovered by the tireless research of people searching obituaries and those acquainted with people on this site and other Lyme sites. Imagine how many more test positive and pass away with no mention of Lyme or tick borne illness in their obituaries and even more that never even had a clue or indication that they might have this disease in the first place who pass and their deaths are never attributed to Lyme. It would be orders of magnitude greater than this long list. Each of these stories resonates deeply with me and I feel for those who felt so desperate and abandoned by modern medicine who saw no choice but to end it all. It's amazing to me how little our supposedly advanced medical sciences know about an insect disease, and the unwillingness to even address this is nothing short of criminal. The disproportionate number of ALS deaths of people who are testing positive and the number of deaths of young people on this list should lead to in depth examination of this disease by the medical community. You don't have to be a medical researcher to notice a pattern here. At some point it is far beyond just coincidence. I refuse to believe that all the family members would lie about what caused these deaths or exaggerate the struggles that these people faced for years on end. Where there is smoke there is fire. How much smoke do we need? I've never been one to be about 'Lyme activism' but looking through lists like these really angers me and demands some form of action. I am glad this is being tracked to some small extent even just by a small website so that not every Lyme death goes down in silence. And people who even discuss chronic Lyme are ridiculed. I am speechless. When will the medical community wake up and at least acknowledge this problem even if they have no solution? Year after year nothing changes and more people are dying and many many more are suffering greatly and have lost their quality of life. Something gotta give here in 2017.
RIP. I hope these deaths will not be in vain.
Posted by Tincup (Member # 5829) on :
Logmoss,
I agree. This should not be happening. You said it very well.
Thank you.
Posted by HW88 (Member # 48309) on :
Logmoss, I agree too! It breaks my heart and yet part of me is jealous that their battle is over.
Posted by sometimesdilly (Member # 9982) on :
Am very sorry to hear of Merry Girl's death. I don't stop by here very often anymore, and seeing this news makes me afraid to read up much more...
Posted by Tincup (Member # 5829) on :
Another tragic loss. Rose passed away after 15 years of suffering, at the young age of 28. In lieu of flowers the family needs financial help to bury their daughter.
Rose Schwarz succumbs to Lyme disease
On Jan. 11, with her family by her side, Rose Schwarz passed away peacefully, after succumbing to complications from Lyme disease, which she battled for 15 years with much support from the community.
Coast Reporter first introduced Schwarz to the public in 2009 when it was thought she had gastroparesis, which kept her from being able to eat. Through fundraisers the community helped Rose have a stomach removal surgery, but it didn’t end her health issues.
Years later it would become evident that her stomach paralysis was linked to Lyme disease.
Because she had suffered for so long with the disease, there wasn’t much conventional medicine could do to help, so her family searched out other options and once again the community stepped up to help financially.
Despite special treatments and feeding formulas, Rose continued to lose weight and suffer the effects of long-term Lyme disease.
The community came to know her well and she and her family had a large group of public supporters.
Despite all efforts, this month, at the age of 28, Rose succumbed to her disease.
“On Jan. 11, 2017 with both of us [her parents] by her side, Rose passed away peacefully and with grace and dignity,” said Rose’s mother Tani.
“Over the years the community has opened their hearts to us and this kindness will not be forgotten. … To all the wonderful people who have supported Rose throughout her 15-year battle with Lyme disease, we are eternally grateful.”
Rose is survived by her mother Tani, father Gary, her nana Marti, her uncle Bill and uncle Wes, her stepbrother Bro and her stepsister Meadow.
“Rose’s bravery and persistence shone through her deep pain and inconceivable suffering. She soldiered on until her body finally gave out,” Tani said.
There will be a public celebration of Rose’s life on Feb. 12 at 3 p.m. at the Sechelt Legion.
In lieu of flowers the family is asking for donations to help cover the costs of the funeral.
Donations can be given online at tinyurl.com/jdzvosz or to The Rose Fund at any branch of the Sunshine Coast Credit Union.
There is also a Burger and Beer fundraiser planned at the Lighthouse Pub all day on Jan. 28, including a silent auction and live music starting at 1 p.m.
I share this today in memory of Dr. Edwin Master's (1945-2009). He was a good man, a wonderful and compassionate doctor and ahead of the times with his research. Along with many others I still miss him.
Dr. J. “Greg” Hoffmann, age 66, of Hartford, Eagle River and Waupaca, passed away on Sunday, May 7, 2017.
He was born on July 26, 1950 in Hartford to parents Dr. J. Gregory and Marie (nee Schwartz) Hoffmann. “Doc” continued the family legacy of practicing medicine throughout the state.
He was nationally recognized as a specialist in treating Lyme Disease. Family, friends and patients will always remember his compassion, bedside manor, his “old school” approach to his profession and his “cowboy” attitude.
He loved the outdoors, spending time hunting, fishing and enjoying his cabin in the north woods.
Dr. Hoffmann is survived by two children, Erica (fiancé James Estrada) Hoffmann and Shane (Erika); one granddaughter, Madison; brother, Tom (Krista); nieces, Lindsay (Shane) Becker, Courtney (Zach) Fricke; nephew, Cassidy (Cristy); former spouse, Anne (nee Rublee) Hoffmann.
Also survived by other relatives and many friends. Dr. Hoffmann is preceded in death by his parents.
A time of visitation and support for family and friends will be held at St. Kilian Catholic Church, 264 W. State St., Hartford on Thursday, May 11 from 4:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at St. Kilian Catholic Church, on Friday, May 12 at 10:30 a.m.
Committal Service will be held at Clearwater Lake Cemetery on Friday, May 12 at 4:30 p.m. A gathering will be held after the committal to continue the memories and fellowship at the Oneida Village in Three Lakes, WI.
In lieu of flowers, memorials are appreciated to St. Kilian Catholic Church, St. Theresa Catholic Church, Three Lakes, WI or www.wisconsinlymenetwork.org
Shimon Funeral Home is serving the family.
Post here about his medical board fight. He was a real contributor and trooper. He will be missed.
Woman who died from Rocky Mountain spotted fever bit while camping in western Wisconsin
MADISON, Wis. - A La Crosse woman has died of a disease that's considered rare in the Midwest, health officials said.
The Wisconsin Department of Health Services and the La Crosse County Health Department said Tuesday that the death is the first documented from Rocky Mountain spotted fever in Wisconsin.
Jo Foellimi, a La Crosse County public health nurse, says the woman was bit while camping in western Wisconsin in early May.
The woman was diagnosed with RMSF in mid-June and died days later. Foellimi says the woman was in her late 50s but declined to identify her.
RMSF most commonly occurs in the central and southeastern regions of the United States, according to a news release. Most tickborne diseases transmitted in Wisconsin are spread by the blacklegged (or deer) tick. RMSF, however, is spread by the bite of the American dog (or wood) tick.
Early symptoms of RMSF can be mild and typically include fever, headache, nausea, vomiting, rash and stomach pain, DHS said. If left untreated, an RMSF infection can rapidly develop into a serious illness.
DHS encouraged Wisconsin residents to take the following steps to protect themselves and their families from tick bites while enjoying the outdoors:
Use an insect repellent with at least 20-percent DEET or another EPA-registered repellent according to the label instructions.
Use 0.5-percent permethrin products on clothing, socks and shoes according to label instructions.
Stay on trails and avoid walking through tall grasses and brush.
Wear long sleeves and pants, and tuck pants into socks and shirts into pants to avoid ticks crawling under clothing.
Check your entire body for ticks after being outdoors.
Take a shower as soon as possible after coming in from outdoors.
Place clothes in the dryer on high heat for 10 minutes to kill any ticks on clothing.
Use a veterinarian-prescribed tick prevention treatment on pets.
DHS said that of the illnesses spread by ticks in Wisconsin, Lyme disease is the most common, but ticks can also spread anaplasmosis, ehrlichiosis and, more rarely, RMSF and Powassan virus.
Many people who contract a tickborne disease do not recall a tick bite, so it's also important to be aware of the common symptoms of tickborne disease, such as fever, rash, headache, body aches and fatigue.
Most diseases spread by ticks in Wisconsin can be effectively treated with antibiotics, making early diagnosis critical, health officials said. If symptoms develop after a tick bite or after possible tick exposure, see a health care provider.
Aldo Pezzi, Jr., age 67, of Merrill, passed away on Wednesday, December 5, 2018 at his home after an over 3 year battle with neurological Lyme disease and stroke complications.
Aldo was able to stay living at home with personal caregivers, his family, and hospice services support.
Aldo was born December 23, 1950, in Merrill, son of the late Aldo Sr. and Wanda (Widenhoft) Pezzi.
Aldo attended Merrill Senior High School and was a graduate of Northcentral Technical College, Wausau, with a degree in Automotive.
He was a self-employed logger and was often complimented for the great job he did in timber harvesting.
Earlier in his life, Aldo was an avid motocross racer and competed throughout the state of Wisconsin.
Aldo also participated in kart racing. Aldo enjoyed attending Merrill Blue Jay sporting events; open wheel and sports car races, especially at Road America; and auctions to find good buys.
Aldo enjoyed watching Badger football and basketball and shows about cars. Aldo loved his many pet dogs throughout the years and his rural lifestyle.
Aldo was an excellent mechanic and metal fabricator. Aldo had a great sense of humor that remained even during his illness.
Aldo was a great brother who taught his younger sister to ride motorcycles, use tools, fix things and he will be deeply missed.
Aldo is survived by two sisters, Christine (Bill) Burchell, Athens, Alabama, and Michelle M. (Steve C.) Plautz, Merrill; two nieces, Theresa and Angela; two great nieces, Stevie and Chrissy; two great great nieces, Aria and Presley; a great great nephew, Lane; two aunts, Lydia Bauman, Merrill, and Deana Trinitapoli of Wisconsin; his special cousin, Alfred Pezzi, Tomahawk; and many other cousins.
Thank you to all the caregivers, relatives, friends, and neighbors for their prayers, support, help, and for every kindness.
Our deepest gratitude to Fay and the team she put together to help Aldo live at home to the end – Alissa, Anna, Cassie, Denise, Kim, and Sherry.
In accordance with Aldo’s wishes, there will be no services. Taylor-Stine Funeral Home & Cremation Services, Merrill, is assisting the family.
EASTON — Clarissa Tilghman Yost White, aged 78 years, died Saturday, Feb. 9, 2019, in Easton, Md.
Mrs. White was born in Baltimore, Md., on June 12, 1940, to Mr. John Stevenson Long Yost and Mrs. Clarissa Tilghman Goldsborough Yost.
Mrs. White was descended from several families that were settled in Talbot County in the 17th century to include the Goldsborough, Lloyd, Tilghman and Turbutt families.
Mrs. White enjoyed the majority of her life at Ferrybridge Farm on the Miles River in Easton, Md.
Mrs. White was previously married and divorced from the late John Patterson White of Easton, Md. She is survived by her sister, Julia Goldsborough Yost of Newfoundland, Pa.; and her brother, Stevenson Yost of St. Helena, Calif.
She is also survived by her daughter, Catherine Goldsborough White Murphy of Easton, Md.; and her son, John Patterson White II of Charleston, S.C.
Mrs. White is survived by her grandchildren, Hopewell Blacker Lee Murphy, Liza Michelle White, Hannah Lloyd Clare Murphy and Joseph Tilghman White; and her daughter-in-law, Kristen Watson White. Mrs. White was preceded in death by her son-in-law, Christopher W.W. Murphy of Easton, Md.
Mrs. White was a member and supporter of the National Society of the Colonial Dames of America and the Society or Lees of Virginia. When she was not at Ferrybridge Farm, Mrs. White enjoyed traveling the world and could often be found painting in Italy.
She forged many close relationships throughout her travels to parts of Asia, Australia, Africa, South America and Europe. She found happiness spending time on the water, in her garden, visiting with friends, supporting local art festival, and enjoying time with her grandchildren. Her loyal Labradors were often by her side.
Funeral services will be held on Monday, Feb. 18, 2019, at 11 a.m. at Christ Church 111 S. Harrison St., Easton, MD 21601. A family burial will be at Spring Hill Cemetery, where she will be laid to rest in the Goldsborough family plot, among her ancestors.
When I started the first two Lyme Disease Support Groups in Maryland many years ago the majority of people and health care professionals across the state had never heard of Lyme disease.
Crissie was the first volunteer who came to help me educate and support those who were suffering. The article linked below was inspired by Crissie after her family member passed away from what was later determined to be Lyme disease.
I've highlighted in bold font the section that mentioned Crissies' loss. Of course, no names were used back then out of respect and to protect the privacy of those who passed and their families.
Crissie was very dedicated to helping others who suffered. She will be missed. Rest in peace my friend.
"Rarely Fatal" Disease Claims More Lives- Published in the Star Democrat
On Aug. 14, 2019, Carl Johan Hamrin, loving husband and father, passed away at the age of almost 87.
Carl was born on Sept. 26, 1932 in Stockholm, Sweden.
He received a degree in naval architecture and marine engineering from the Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm and was an avid sailor and computer geek, combining computer assisted design with his love of the ocean.
He served as an ensign in the Royal Swedish Navy and loved to sail the archipelagos in the Baltic, North Sea and Caribbean.
On Sept. 22, 1963, he married Jeannie at the Seaman’s Church in Copenhagen, Denmark. They raised two daughters, Kristina and Sofia in Sweden and Maine.
Carl had a passion for the sea, sailing and fishing that started as a toddler when he would ride the Djursholm ferries in Stockholm’s archipelago, fishing on the west coast, racing Finn Dinghies in the Baltic and sailing boats across the North Sea, around Scandinavia and the Caribbean.
After becoming a naturalized U.S. citizen in 1975, he owned many boats and even lobstered part-time in Cape Porpoise. His last boat was a Parker that he skippered as a proud coxswain in the Coast Guard Auxiliary.
He was known for his quick wit, his “mischievous” smile, and his kind and compassionate spirit.
Carl was preceded in death by his parents and older sister. He is survived by an older brother, his wife and their two children, one granddaughter and several cousins, nieces and nephews and their children.
He worked happily as an engineer on container ships, as a researcher at the Royal Institute of Technology, as a systems analyst, director of computer services at University of New Hampshire and University of New England and finally as vice-president at Taction.
Being Swedish, everything was “lagom” (in balance) so work/play balance was “just right.” He felt blessed to have done everything he wanted to accomplish while he was in good health.
He enjoyed exploring all seven continents, wonderful backpacking holidays in New Zealand, Iceland, Sweden, Pacific Crest, Greenland; yearly visits to Puerto Vallarta and Bermuda and hosting six international exchange students.
Later in life, Carl was active with the Coast Guard Auxiliary, Signal Point Marina, fire department, Harbor Theater and the Boothbay Region Health Center serving on boards and helping with technology.
J.K. Rowling said, “To the well-organized mind, death is but the next great adventure.”
During his planning meeting for coming home with hospice care, Carl jumped into this experience full speed ahead.
He knew that when he got home, life was no longer “hopeful of meaningful recovery,” and home care resources were “limited” and he chose not to place an “undue burden” on his family.
With his ethos of moderation and stubbornness, he decided to die on his terms. He didn’t want a funeral service.
He underwent an eco-friendly green cremation. Family and friends will celebrate his well-lived life in both Sweden and Maine at later dates.
Carl said the only advantage of dying after living with eight years of chronic Lyme Disease, is that he had time to research the effects of failure to diagnose and treat Borrellia burgdorferi, Babiosiosis and Bartonella Hensae.
He used his giant intellect and research skills to discover many unbelievable characteristics from a tick bite.
In death, he still wants to help people with Lyme. If you are moved to help those who suffer from Lyme, please make a donation in Carl’s memory to
Mary "Polly" Luckett Murray, 85, of West Orange, NJ, passed away on Tuesday, July 16, 2019, with her daughter by her side.
She was born in New York City, the daughter of the late Edward Hobbs Luckett and Mary Gardner Sayles Luckett. Polly grew up in Irvington, NY, and attended The Masters School in Dobbs Ferry. She earned a BA at Mount Holyoke College, where she graduated Phi Beta Kappa in 1954.
After Mount Holyoke, Polly was awarded a fellowship at Yale Art School, studying with the American painter Robert Brackman in Noank, Connecticut, and the Art Students League of New York.
She married the late Irvin Gillis Murray.
They raised four children in Lyme, CT: Alexander "Sandy" Gillis Murray, Dr. David Kingman Murray, Caroline "Wendy" Sayles Zeidner, and Dr. Todd Ingalls Murray.
During the 1960s and 1970s, Polly's family became stricken with a variety of unexplained symptoms ranging from rashes and joint pain to fever.
Doctors she visited were unable to effectively diagnose these ailments. It soon became clear to Polly that others in the community were having similar symptoms. I
In 1975, Polly called the Connecticut State Department of Health to report an unusual pattern of symptoms affecting her family and her community, and listed over 40 cases of what would come to be known as Lyme Disease.
The call to the State prompted a meeting between Polly and Dr. Allen C. Steere of the Department of Rheumatology at Yale University School of Medicine, who began studying the pattern of disease and wrote the first medical papers of what was initially described as Lyme Arthritis.
Following the discovery of Lyme Disease, Polly worked tirelessly throughout the 1980s and 1990s as a volunteer to raise public awareness about the disease.
She was a foundational thinker and member of many Lyme Disease support groups and foundations, in California, Connecticut, and New York, among other states.
In 1996, Polly published a book with St. Martin's Press," The Widening Circle: A Lyme Disease Pioneer Tells Her Story", and continued professional connections with many of the leading researchers on Lyme Disease.
Also, in 1996, Polly was awarded an Alumnae Honorary Degree by Mount Holyoke for her work on Lyme Disease. She also received an award from the NIH, and lectured medical students at Case Western Reserve University and Columbia University.
Polly was an avid artist, painting throughout her adult life, and also for a period of time focused her artistic talents on making dolls with faces which were hand painted, and which were a unique fusion of antique bisque doll forms and her own talent for drawing and painting children.
Her dolls were displayed at the Museum of American Folk Art in New York, and she exhibited paintings at the Lyme Academy, the Old Lyme Art Academy, the Cooley Gallery, the Essex Art Association Gallery, the Clinton Art Society, the Mystic Art Association Gallery, New Haven Paint and Clay Club, Shippee Gallery in New York, and many other venues.
Polly was known for her love of her family and friends, and for her fierce determination to overcome any obstacles in her path and to help others do the same.
She received phone calls from people all over the country and the world, and it was her greatest satisfaction to provide the support they needed and connect them to Lyme Disease clinicians and best practices.
In addition to her bouts with Lyme Disease, Polly lived for more than fifteen years after she was diagnosed with Alzheimer's. She refused to give in to any of these afflictions, and enjoyed a remarkably high quality of life until shortly before she passed.
Polly was predeceased by her brother, William Stone Luckett, II, and his wife, Diana "Dede" Ward Luckett, and her sister, Nina Luckett Anderson, and her husband, Dr. Harrison Clarke Anderson.
She is survived by her four children and grandchildren: Pramila Karki Murray, Santosh Gillis Subedi Murray, Kai Murray, America Murray, Isabelle Amelia Zeidner, Chloe Helena Duarte Murray, and Andreas Gillis Murray.
Please email [email protected] for information regarding a memorial service in August.
Published in The New Haven Register & Shoreline Times from July 21 to July 26, 2019
[ 07-22-2019, 05:12 PM: Message edited by: Ann-Ohio ]
Posted by Tincup (Member # 5829) on :
Please keep this young lady Samantha K. Butterbrodt, her family and friends in your prayers...
![[Frown]](frown.gif)
![[kiss]](graemlins/kissing.gif)
![[Smile]](smile.gif)
![[bow]](graemlins/bow.gif)
![[group hug]](graemlins/grouphug.gif)
Heather Elizabeth Johnson . Johnson, Heather Elizabeth age 33, formerly of Edina, MN, passed away unexpectedly 7/26/14.Preceded in death by mother, Judith Askeland. Survived by father, Christopher Johnson; stepmother, Susan Johnson; stepfather, Paul Del Moral; stepbrother, Nick Everhart; stepsisters, Molly Wick, and Courtenay and Donna Del Moral; grandfather, Warren Askeland; and many aunts and uncles. God bless our beautiful artist, poet, musician and activist. Services will be held at 1 PM on Fri, Aug 15 at St. John the Evangelist Episcopal Church, 60 Kent St., St. Paul. In lieu of flowers, please send memorials for continued humanitarian work including helping others affected by Lyme disease to "Morningstar Mercy Ministries," 165 E. Crumb St., Gilman, WI 54433.