February 28, 2016
I gave this eulogy at my mother's funeral at her
church in Etowah, NC, where she lived the last 15 years of her life.
I assume that most of you knew
my mother rather well, and will remember that she had an exceptional sense of
humor. She loved to laugh, right up to the end of her life.
Once, not long ago, when I was
staying at her house, she asked me to set up her stereo so that she could play
the music she loved so well. We sang along and danced to her music that
night.
However, the next morning, I
guess she thought I was sleeping too late, because she woke me by playing some
of Tommy Dorsey's greatest hits playing loudly enough to drown out a jet
engine. She thought that was funny.
She always loved music, and had
great hopes for musical talent in her children. Unfortunately, Julliard
didn't give scholarships for bongo or triangle. So I think she decided to
put a little extra musical boost on me (I was the youngest.)
All my siblings are named after
relatives. My brother, Paul, is named after our father. My brother,
Wade, is named after an uncle and my sister, Nancy, is named after a grandmother.
I was named after Phyllis McGuire, of the McGuire sisters. The last
time I talked with her, she was still laughing about that. Real funny,
Mom!
But fair is fair, don't you
think? Mom used her maiden name, Shubert, as her middle name all her
married life. However, her real name was LaVon DOZENA! (Got 'cha!)
But Mom really did love music.
She always sang to her four children, eight grandchildren, and eleven great
grandchildren.
Growing
up, we often sang and danced to polkas, big band, and funny songs. She
was especially fond of silly songs.
• Three
little fishes and a momma fishy, too
• Hot
diggety, dog diggety, Boom what you do to me
• I love
you, a bushel and a peck, a bushel and a peck and a hug around the neck
•
I particularly remember
one song that Mom often sang to us in her native tongue. Please feel free
to sing along if you know it.
Marzy dotes and dozy dotes and little lamzee
divy, a kiddleeivy too, wooden shoe.
Please don’t think I’m being
disrespectful of my mother. I have endless respect for her, and I know
that there was little she enjoyed more than humor.
I’d like to end this
babbling with a song by Phyllis McGuire - I guess she's my Godmother - and her
sisters.
(Phyllis has the solo, of course)
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