A different kind of birthday update

[luscious_purple]

Upasaka died in the early morning hours today.

Yesterday was his 55th birthday.

I saw the birthday reminder on Facebook, and for much of the day I debated what to say. I mean, what DO you say to someone who is spending his birthday in hospice when cancer is eating up his insides? But at dinnertime, his wife posted through his Facebook account that he was near death, so I joined lots of other people in writing comments wishing him peace and blessings.

And this morning I read this:
[excerpt] He died in my arms, quietly, gently and peacefully.
He is my love. He is with God. He is free from his body.
He will dwell within my heart and spirit as he soars into the kingdom of heaven. Never to be forgotten.

Comments

[editrx]

Do you know what church he was at on Hilton Head? I spent a lot of time at one of the Episcopal churches on the island.

[luscious_purple]

When he first moved down to SC from Baltimore, he was the music director at All Saints Episcopal Church (http://www.allsaints-hhi.org/). I think he stepped down last year, although I don't remember exactly (the church is still looking for a new music director -- http://www.allsaints-hhi.org/music-director-search.html). That was probably his first round of cancer.

More recently he was a staff singer at St. John's in Savannah (http://www.stjohnssav.org/). That's where his memorial service will be held on June 3.

[editrx]

All Saints is where I used to go when I was on the island (my father had his primary residence there after 1978 -- he was one of the first to build a house in Sea Pines after it became open to buying land lots there. It was a lovely church.