Honoring The Fallen

The past month has seen a lot of death, especially in my world. I really appreciate all the kind comments you (the readers) left on my last entry. I love it when we honor the memory of our loved ones. That being said, I'd like to honor my friends as well. Please, copy and paste the links below in your browser to read more about these outstanding individuals.

Debra Dee Ortiz
May 23, 1990 - September 29, 2008
I had the honor of teaching Debra when she was a freshman and sophomore at Canyon High School (Canyon, TX). She always had a big, beautiful smile on her face. She was one of the most kind-hearted, sincere, hard-working, unselfish students I ever got to teach. Although I didn't get to work with her on a regular basis, she was always there in the band, working hard to achieve all the goals she had set for herself. It seems like she always had a kind word to say, even when other people didn't. I will miss her contagious smile and the dedication she had for everything she did. Blessings to her family.

http://www.canyonnews.com/pages/full_story?article-obituary-Debra-Ortiz%20=&page_label=news_obituaries&id=279468-Debra-Ortiz&widget=push&instance=1st_right&open=&

Marc R. Schoch
March 7, 1987 - October 21, 2008
At the end of marching band season in 2004, I had all the members of the drum line sign an old drum head and I kept it as a reminder of how great it was to teach those kids that season. One of the reasons it was so great for me was Marc Schoch. Marc was always at the top of the section. He worked hard on a daily basis. He always had this great energy about him that told me he was going to be the best he could be and bring other people along with him. He was one of my private students as well. I loved teaching Marc. He always listened well and took instructions to heart. In the spring of 2005, he was a featured soloist in the marimba trio "Stubernic" and he completely nailed it. Now that I think about it, I think he was one of the ones who started calling me 'Papa B.' What a great kid and a tragic loss! Blessings and comfort to the Schoch family.

http://amarillo.com/stories/102308/obi_obit3.shtml

Billie Wayne Lemons
ca. 1955 - October 12, 2008
Billie was a great friend of the Brannon family and a wonderful example to me. He taught me to be bold in my faith. He taught me how to sing from the depths of my soul. He was the one who told me "lead songs as if you had written them." He changed the way I viewed life. He was always full of joy and his smile was one that always brought comfort. He was a great mentor, teacher, motivator, father, son. He played football for Texas A&M back in the 70's and spent a season with the Cleveland Browns. His son (and my friend), Devin, followed in his footsteps... sort of. Devin played football at Texas Tech (and did very well there) and spent a little time in the NFL with Chicago, Miami, and Washington. Although he never really saw any playing time, he still got there, which is not something most folk can say they did. Billie's dad, Wayne Lemons, did the eulogy for my mother's funeral back in 1989. The whole Lemons family is close to the Brannon family. That's why I'm so saddened to have heard about Billie's sudden death. I can still hear his beautiful tenor voice singing "People Get Ready" with the Harvesters 4 when I was a teenager... and younger. Oh, how I will miss him! Blessings to his family, which is just like my extended family.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Billie_Wayne_Lemons

Peace, Love, and Chocolate