Sad news
Dick Harper
in Florida. It was a rewarding time but it seems Mr. Murphy has
adopted me as his favorite son.
My mom, artist Mary Harper, died last week of complications
due to cancer. She was 82.
She painted with oil, watercolor and pastel. Her watercolors
and scratch boards often portrayed landscapes and portraits from
the mid-Atlantic dunes to the bright sub-tropical sun of the
Florida Keys to the soft colors of the southwest; they hang in
collections across the country. She was a member of the
Bougainvillea House Gallery, the Florida Keys Art Guild, and the
All Arts Council of Franklin County.
ObWriting, she earned a BA English at Swarthmore, class
of '40, and was very proud of that, as was her mother, Ethel
(class of '11), and her grandmother, Hannah (class of '??).
Although I didn't know it at the time, I learned to be active
in the community from her. She chaired, for example, the "million
dollar" Chester County Day Committee of the Chester County
Hospital Auxiliary during the United States Bi-Centennial years.
At that time, a million bucks was real money.
My folks lived briefly in Philadelphia, Minneapolis, and
Tolchester, Maryland, and "forever" in Westtown and in Key Colony
Beach, but they also had incurable wanderlust. They spent 30 years
boating and cruising and lived aboard in the Florida Keys for
several of those years. Starting in 1948, they toured the country
regularly and some of you will remember that they "moved" to
Gallup, New Mexico, for three months a couple of seasons back to
paint and to escape the hurricanes.
Anne and Kris joined me for part of my visit. Mom was alert
and pretty comfortable most of the time. We did a lot of
reminiscing and family history stuff and I think we left nothing
important unsaid.
She held it together while we were all there and within a
couple of hours of our departure, turned to my dad and said, "I
guess it's time to go over to the [local nursing home]."
We've asked friends to make contributions to their local arts
council or to Swarthmore College in lieu of flowers.
While I was in Florida, Anne coped with central heating pipes
that froze and broke in our house, water damage, weather problems,
and a 12 year old dog who was also wearing out. TMWCNBNITNG died
in the sunshine just after I returned.
Meanwhile, my dad who had had three stents installed in
February, had chest pains and tingling and is in hospital now.
Anne's dad just came home from a worrisome hospital stay involving
unexplained bleeding.
I've answered a bunch of posts today and I will try to lurk in
periodically, but it seems to take longer to handle my business--
and the usual family business--than it used to.
In the good news ledger, Ruff just caught the mouse I put in
the trash can for him and is now purr-basking in glory in my lap.
--Dick
Hippolyte Lizard
>
> My mom, artist Mary Harper, died last week of complications
> due to cancer. She was 82.
My condolences to you. But also my gladness that your mother was such
an active, inspirational woman who went to the end with neither fear nor
regrets. That she was so accomplished must give you much pride.
A swift end is best. Whether expected (in your mother's case) or not
(in my father-in-law's a few weeks back), to have little left unsaid and
then not linger is perhaps the best way to ameliorate the unstoppable
pain of loss. My mother (whose quilts have won at county fairs, there,
got in the old artist plug) is 74 and currently driving around New
Mexico and Colorado visiting friends. She's never been a good driver
and if she meets her end it will not be unexpected, though if she meets
anyone else at that moment, for them it will be.
HL
David M. Harris
dmh
Keera Ann Fox
> My mom, artist Mary Harper, died last week
My condolences.
--
***** Keera in Norway *****
* Think big. Shrink to fit. *
http://home.online.no/~kafox/
GailSeery
>From: Internation...@NorthPuffinSpamCatcher.com (Dick Harper)
>Date: 01/05/2002 16:54 GMT Daylight Time
>Message-id: <3cd00fb0...@news.sover.net>
I am so very sorry.
My thoughts are with you.
Gail
Frank Raymond Michaels
>Dick Harper wrote:
>>
>> My mom, artist Mary Harper, died last week of complications
>> due to cancer. She was 82.
Sorry to hear of your loss.
Prayers and Positive Rays at you and yours.
------
FRM
TaniO
(in message <3cd00fb0...@news.sover.net>):
Dick, we knew her from the times you mentioned her. We are all better people
because of that. Thank you and peace.
Arlene Bensam (TaniO)
Jenna Thomas-McKie
Dick.
--
Jenna Thomas-McKie
jth...@aug.edu
"We can think. We can reason. We can be better than we are."
- C. Eric Lincoln
Keltic
Internation...@NorthPuffinSpamCatcher.com (Dick Harper)
wrote:
> My mom, artist Mary Harper, died last week of complications
>due to cancer. She was 82.
Sorry to hear of your mum's passing...condolences from Sydney.
Keltic
Check out my movie reviews at:
http://comments.imdb.com/CommentsAuthor?104469
Maggie Forest
Internation...@NorthPuffinSpamCatcher.com (Dick Harper)
wrote:
>due to cancer. She was 82.
So sorry to hear that, Dick. warm thoughts from wintery Auckland. I
know you already know this, since you wrote about it, but you are wise
and fortunate to have had the time to say what needed to be said. It
is a rare and wonderful thing.
/maggie
Good communication is as stimulating as black coffee,
and just as hard to sleep after - Anne Morrow Lindbergh
Bill Oliver
Dick Harper <ne...@dickharper.com> wrote:
> My mom, artist Mary Harper, died last week of complications
>due to cancer. She was 82.
My condolences, Dick.
billo
Wilde
My thoughts and prayers are with you.
Wildepad
Archer070
I always read Samuel Johnson at such times.
Carol Flynt
Dick Harper wrote:
> My mom, artist Mary Harper, died last week of complications
> due to cancer. She was 82.
Dick, I am so very sorry. I went through the same thing with my
Dad in '96, and am repeating the experience now with my Mom
in home hospice care. So I know ... at least the part that is
common to us all. I also know the private experience is uniquely
painful/blissful.
May the universe shine on your private path today and in the days
to come.
Carol Flynt
Bill Funke
I have no doubt everyone who knows you is doing what they can to help
out.
Terje Johansen
"Dick Harper" <Internation...@NorthPuffinSpamCatcher.com> wrote in
message news:3cd00fb0...@news.sover.net...
> Some of you know why I spent much of March and some of April
> in Florida. It was a rewarding time but it seems Mr. Murphy has
> adopted me as his favorite son.
> My mom, artist Mary Harper, died last week of complications
> due to cancer. She was 82.
My condolences, Dick. Still.....sounds like she had a long and rewarding
life, met her potential and left this world still in control of her mind.
That's a pretty good way to go.
- Terje
Steve Pritchard
without a doubt.
Sorry to hear about your Mom. She and your Dad both sound very cool people,
who lived life as they wanted and where they wanted - you can't ask for much
more than that. It certain does appear that you were very lucky to have them
and they you.
Your dog too, huh? Jeez. He had to be one of the most well-known animals on
the NG. Sorry to hear that too.
I'll keep my fingers crossed that both yours and Anne's Dads both pick up in
the coming weeks and that you get the change of luck you deserve.
"Dick Harper" <Internation...@NorthPuffinSpamCatcher.com> wrote in
message news:3cd00fb0...@news.sover.net...
Artisan
<Internation...@NorthPuffinSpamCatcher.com> writes
> Some of you know why I spent much of March and some of April
>in Florida. It was a rewarding time but it seems Mr. Murphy has
>adopted me as his favorite son.
> My mom, artist Mary Harper, died last week of complications
>due to cancer. She was 82.
Very sorry to hear it. As Brian's mum is now in the last stages of
cancer, I really do know how you feel. I'm glad you left nothing unsaid
and from your write-up, you and everyone who knew your mom have just
cause to celebrate her life.
Jacey
--
Jacey Bedford Art...@artisan-harmony.com
ARTISAN www.artisan-harmony.com
"Artisan - cheaper than therapy and better than beer." Rural Arts East
Faith L. McCammon
"Dick Harper" <Internation...@NorthPuffinSpamCatcher.com> wrote in
message news:3cd00fb0...@news.sover.net...
Sending condolences & well wishes.
Faith
>
Alex Jay Berman
Internation...@NorthPuffinSpamCatcher.com (Dick Harper)
wrote:
> Some of you know why I spent much of March and some of April
>in Florida. It was a rewarding time but it seems Mr. Murphy has
>adopted me as his favorite son.
> My mom, artist Mary Harper, died last week of complications
>due to cancer. She was 82.
My deepest condolences to you and yours, Dick.
I find myself agape at the sheer amount of LIVING your mom packed into
her life; she must have been great to be around, and even greater to
be raised by.
Do us a favor and share some stories about her next time you get
together with any of us, okay?
Alex Jay Berman
Dick Harper
PJ asked elsewhere about long distance relationships. Threads
like this, and like our Yahoo tradition, prove that they work.
Anne and I are glad to know you, even if only at a distance.
--Dick