The Jersey City Memorial Home of Joyce Davison and
Jim Halliday Sunday afternoon, May 17, 2009 |
PRESENT AT THE MEMORIAL:
From the Family:
Ben, Olga, Benny & Becky Carriel (Nyack, NY)
Jon (“Jay”) Carriel (New York City)
Mike Burns (Middletown, NJ)
From Margaret’s Musical Theatre Studies
and Traveling:
Spencer & Ron Berlin (New York City and Ft.
Lauderdale, FL)
Joyce Davison & Jim Halliday, hosts (Jersey City, NJ)
Dorothy Olim (New York City)
From the Village Light Opera Group:
Joanne & Cathleen Benson (New York City &
Mahopac, NY)
Susan Fry Bovet (New York City)
Abby & Jeffrey Kurnit (White Plains, NY)
Gil Venegas (Jersey City, NJ)
From Nyack Boat Club:
Rod & Margaret Grace Johnson (Piermont, NY)
Caye & Marty Shedd (Leonia, NJ)
REGRETS RECEIVED FROM:
Phil Bowers (New York City)
Judy & Jay Inglis (Shelter Island, NY)
Joe & Mary Jo Kearfott (Richmond, VA)
Special thanks to Joyce & Jim,
Joanne Benson, and Gil Venegas
for refreshments
It was an informal affair in
a charming and cozy home. Many people
brought pictures to share, and the photos that were shown at the visitation and
the funeral (reproduced on this website) were again displayed on the laptop
computers—which were induced to work properly on this occasion.
Yours
truly (Jon Jr.) began communal discussion by detailing some of the facts
surrounding the last weeks of Mom’s life, which I imagine most folks want to
know. I remembered to mention that she
was lucid and aware until the very end, but I forgot one point to which I
particularly wanted to call attention.
That was, that Mom was extraordinarily brave in those last days.
After the heart attack (Saturday morning, February 28th), she
showed some mild anxiety in addition to her obvious discomfort. But she expressed
no irritability and showed no signs of temper, and told her doctor forthrightly
on Monday morning that she anticipated and was ready to face the inevitable.
By Noon
on Monday, her painkillers were kicking in, and she was barely able to speak.
The nurses insisted her comprehension remained normal, but we were reduced to
nods and headshakes. When I was able to tell her on Tuesday evening that we
would be taking her home on Wednesday, she nodded and managed a smile, despite
the obvious implication that there was nothing more the hospital could do for
her.
When my own
time comes, I hope I can muster the same grace, dignity, and courage that my
mother showed in her last days of life.
We then “opened the floor” to
everyone to share their memories—and most did, bringing great stories and
moments to life for all.
The special treat of the
afternoon was the following song, written waaaay
back by long-time friend Spencer Berlin, which Joyce Davison had duplicated so
that everyone could sing along. (Enough
sight-readers were present that a quite respectable rendition was in fact managed!) Ben Carriel accompanied on the electronic
keyboard. [Send the images to your printer, and play it yourself, it’s really
cute!]
Joyce (and others) confessed
to getting choked up when the last verse came around—the idea had been very
remote to the author when the song was written.