Month: September 2017

Sunday, Sept 24

Mike’s ashes are buried in the Masonic Cemetery.  This cemetery is a peaceful sanctuary located very close to our house.  His plot is northwest of the top of the hill under a large Douglas fir tree.  Shrubs and small trees surround the area creating an arch of vegetation with a bench on either side.  I am grateful to have such a perfect place so close to home where I can sit and think of Mike on a daily basis.  I hope you can visit the site, sit on one of the benches and take it all in.

The day following the Celebration of Life, our immediate family met at our house.  We walked up to the cemetery carrying the urn and flowers.  it was a sweet, intimate graveside gathering with a lot more tears than the Celebration and still plenty of smiles and laughter.

I continue to feel blessed and grateful to be surrounded by so many friends and family during what I believe to be the hardest time of my life.  Thank you all for being there for me!

Wednesday, Sept 20

Thank you all for attending Mike’s Celebration of Life.  For those of you who couldn’t make it we know you were there in spirit.  Approximately 200 people gathered near the Willamette River to honor Mike and remember him in style and grace, just as he lived his last 16 months of life.

It started out as a smokey day.  We began the Celebration by playing one of Mike’s favorite cycling songs, Bob Seeger’s Against the Wind.  The winds continued to pick up and all the smoke blew away.  Thanks Mike!  Mike would also be pleased to know half the people arrived by bicycle.  The parking lot was empty!

Thanks to Eric for videotaping and David for photographing still shots.  Eric’s middle school media class is working on an edited video of the ceremony.  I am hoping to set up a link through this blog site.

 

 

 

 

A Couple of Details:

Secure valet bicycle parking will be provided by CAT (Center for Appropriate Transportation).  Mike supported CAT and often encouraged students to check them out.  If parking a bicycle, please consider tipping the valet person.

About 5 weeks before Mike passed he thoroughly enjoyed many slices of PizzAldo’s wood fired pizzas.  What better way to toast Mike than to have a slice of a pie!  Aldo and Pam will be there with their wood fired oven on wheels.
Salad options will also be available.