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 28^th), 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.