After her battle with cancer, our beloved Auntie Kelly passed away early this morning. Dawn and I got to see her and say our goodbyes last night. I held her hand, kissed her face and told her how much she meant to me. Although she was not coherent, she knew I was there and opened her eyes when I spoke.

I have so many memories of Auntie Kelly and will find a way to share some of them here soon. I will always look back at her last few years with great love and admiration of her strength and devotion to her family.

Auntie, you will forever be in our hearts. We love you!

Thank you Uncle Dennis, for taking such great care of Kelly over the last few years. Your passion and love for your bride has always been an inspiration for me and taught me much about love and marriage. You are a gracious man, Uncle D.


February 2002 - at the George Jones concert


March 2002 - at the "Family Pizza place"


Stockton Record Obituary

Kelly, Jodi, Jo Retta, Joy, Auntie
12/25/1948 - 8/1/2007

We got the news on Tuesday that we lost a dear family friend. Jim Serna had passed away.

I have known Jim and his family ever since I can remember and will always remember him as a dedicated husband, father and grandfather. Some of our greatest memories of Jim come from the several recent Extravaganzas that we attended (especially the "in case of emergency, break glass" shirt he wore back in 2004 - I have no idea why that stands out to me but it does). Jim, and his family, were also so very gracious to my family after losing my Mom and Ty and I will always be grateful for that.

Our thoughts and love go out to Patti and the rest of their wonderful family. Jim will be missed a great deal.


Extravaganza 2002 - Georgetown

Today started as any other March 25th would start... crank up the Elton John tunes! In case you didn't know this about me, I am a huge Elton fan. Today is Sir Elton's birthday (and Aretha Franklin's and Danika Patrick's)... which means I will listen to Elton music for most of the day.



I can't bring up my taste in music without mentioning that I am also a huge honky-tonk and classic country fan (the Possum reigns!) and have been a crazy Kiss fan since I was very young.



Today also brings sad news in the music world. Buck Owens passed away at his home in Bakersfield this morning. Bakersfield, as a city, has a crappy reputation up here in Nor Cal, but as a "sound", Bakersfield is awesome! Dawn and I actually got to sing Happy Birthday to Buck years ago. Well actually, Dawn and I and thousands of others at a Garth Brooks concert. It was a few days after Buck's birthday and Garth asked everyone to be quiet while he called him from a cell phone on stage. Then, 17,000 of us joined Garth and his band in wishing Buck a happy birthday. What a great memory!

Sir Elton, Happy Birthday!

Long live Bakersfield!

Okay, I have rarely used our site to air a gripe and most visitors would say that I avoid confrontation but now I would like to get on my soapbox.
The anniversary of 9/11 is coming soon and there has been a lot of talk and hype about how we will mark - not celebrate - the day.  The History Channel is running a special for which the advertisement says, “A year we will always mark as September to September” – very poignant and very true.  The attention to this date, in my opinion, is well deserved.  The plethora of e-mails I get everyday suggesting what to do on that day, however, is not. 
September 11, 2001 – my “day that will live in infamy”, certainly changed my perceptions, my feelings, my patriotism and so many aspects of my life.  Nearly everyone I know agrees that the events of that day had a profound impact on his or her life. 
Since the last week in June I have received a ton of e-mails asking me to do a variety of things on September 11th, such as:

Drive with my headlights on during the day
Light a candle
Honk my horn at a certain time
Wear all red, white and blue
Carry a flag all day
Sit on my porch all night
Walk to work
Don't buy gas

I am not suggesting that any of these things are crazy; I think a lot of us are searching for a way to commemorate 9/11 – after all, we Americans sure are infatuated with dates, aren’t we?  I would, however, like to make my own suggestions for crazy, off-the-wall things to do on this fast-approaching September 11th.  Brace yourself, these are definitely radical ideas, but I am going to risk my reputation and just go for it! 

Volunteer at a local senior center
Hug your kids real, real tight
Get to know your neighbors
Buy lunch for a stranger
Send your wife flowers
Write your Senator
Register to vote
Learn CPR

Okay folks, I am sure you now understand my perspective, but just in case you missed it… I’ll explain it.  On 9/11/01 our nation, our way of life, was attacked by a bunch of idiots who hate America and what we stand for.  I think that the best way to honor our country is to keep living life in honor of those that died protecting our lifestyle and those that perished last year. Solidarity will not be gained by everyone doing the exact same thing at the exact same thing but, in fact, just the opposite.
Well, to commemorate that horrible Tuesday last year I would like to take this opportunity to say that in the last year I have seen some great examples of patriotism and have seen some genuine jack-asses. From the overpass flag-wavers and the sudden outburst of our national anthem to impatient airline passengers, that's what this country is all about.  So, what ever you do... be original!

September 11, 2001 - a day that I will never forget.

Click here to read my tribute.

Goodbye Ty. We'll miss you!


Click here for the tribute.

Faith Gere Beckwith 6/27/1942 - 10/24/2000

My Tribute

After losing Mom a lot of people all over the world, some I had never met, sent condolences and their best wishes.  It seems that a lot of people knew different sides of my Mother.  To us she was a Mother, Grandmother, Aunt, Niece, Sister, Cousin and Friend.  Some knew her as a Hero, an Idol, an Inspiration, an Expert, a Public Speaker, a Volunteer, a Teacher, a Mentor and so on.  It seems she was more to everyone than I ever thought.  My Mom is gone, and we have lost others in our lives, and this is my Tribute to them.


 
The Stockton Record was very gracious to run the following letter I sent to them about Ma:

Originally Published Thursday, November 9, 2000

Stockton loses remarkable citizen

Late on the evening of October 24th, in Yolo County, my Mother, Faith Beckwith, was killed in a motorcycle accident. My Mother taught me many of the "motherly" things that you would expect me to write about: love, honor, respect, responsibility, etc., but she also taught me how to love where I live.

Mom was proud of Stockton and took her civic responsibility very seriously.

Once she made Stockton her final home 23 years ago, she went right to work helping and honoring our city. As a certified employment specialist -- and owner and operator of At Your Service for the past 14 years -- she had helped thousands and thousands of people find work all over the county, state, nation and world.

She had been invited as a public speaker and consultant to countless job fairs and seminars through the years and had been contracted by some of the largest employers in San Joaquin County to help prepare laid-off workers find new jobs. She also did motivational speaking at the California Youth Authority and was a Notary Public
 
.
In 1986, the professional dance troupe that she co-founded, The Classy Country Dancers, was invited to represent California by performing at the World's Fair in Vancouver, B.C., Canada. Years later, she co-founded the Stockton-based performing dance troupe Rhythm and Boots.

As a 10-year breast cancer survivor, she championed such causes as the American Cancer Society, Women's Shelter, Big Brother & Big Sisters, and every year adopted a needy family for Christmas. She was very proud of her recent appointment to the Board of the Women's Success Group.

My mother has contributed so much for so many people in this community it would be difficult to list them all. I have lost a mother, something that never seemed possible, and Stockton has lost a remarkable citizen.

see original page here.

January 1, 1967 - February 8, 2000
Derrick Thomas
Linebacker -- #58 -- Kansas City Chiefs

 

Click here for my tribute.

Jerome Hilton Bigelow  "Papa" 12/28/1919 - 7/2/1998
 

I could not imagine how my life would have been had I not grown to know Papa.  We were never close and he tended to wanted to be left alone.  After he lost his beautiful sail boat in the Bay he eventually moved in with my Mother and Step-Father.  I thought it was weird at first.  Parents coming home to live with their children was something that I heard about but never saw.  
I got to know Papa during this period.  We would play cribbage, in complete silence.  He did not like chit-chat during this game.  I was taught to play cribbage when I was very young, it was a requirement in my family that you play.  No one ever beat Papa, although Mimi said she would beat him often when they were married but he would never comment.
Papa loved his children, grandchildren and really started to get used to being a great-grandfather.  Living in Mom's house for the last several years of his life he was surrounded by the kids of the family. Emily and her cousins got to enjoy his dry sense of humor, something that I am sure they still will always remember. 
Papa was a true American patriot.  Having served proudly in the armed forces and during two wars, he wore his pride close to his chest but was always willing to share a story. 
Papa enjoyed playing golf and pool. He was a welder and loved to build things with metal and wood.  When my Father met my Mother, he owned and operated a furniture store and continued to build things until he passed away. 
When I was a child I was embarrassed to have Jerome as a middle name.  As an adult, I am very proud to have been given his name.  
 
 

One of Papa's painting. I have this one hanging in my family room where I look at it often and see his eyes.

see original page here.