This past weekend a dear family friend passed, he was rather, old I believe 68. He had been sick for a very long time with congestive heart failure and COPD (Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is one of the most common lung diseases. It makes it difficult to breathe). He was required to be on oxygen, which he hated. I had a feeling he would pass soon, so it was really not a surprise, and honestly, for him, for the better. He lived alone and he told me he would often pass out when he stood up too fast. His health was deteriorating to the point that he was looking into moving into a assisted living facility, which I don't think he would have enjoyed. I am sure he is up there enjoying a ride on his motorcycle which I know he missed since being tied to an oxygen tank.
When Dave and I were living in Provo, Dave was working at a place called Provo Rehab and Nursing. Wayne chatted me one night on Facebook saying he was staying at a rehab location close to us, turns out he was staying at Dave's place of work. His heart ended up failing and we was taken to the hospital for open heart surgery and they replaced one of the valves in his heart. I think he said they had used the valve from a cow or pig heart. Pretty crazy, and that at one point during the surgery the doctor had to physically reach in and pump his heart with his hand. Yikes! I can't even imagine....
Wayne lived next door to us in PG when I was growing up. We lived there until I was about 7. He was definitely an interesting individual, and had once been described as looking like Santa Clause on crack. He had a parrot named Simee who always added plenty of comical background noises to the conversation any time you went to visit Wayne. Simee could mimic our screaming, so any time Megan and I would walk by his house we would scream, and Simee would scream back.
Megan and I were often babysat by our favorite babysitters, Brook and Shay, who were sisters. Whenever talking about Brook and Shay, due to my talking at the speed of light, Wayne would always tease me about how I would say Brook and Shay, because I would say it so fast that it just sounded like BrooknShay. I remember the first time he teased me about it, we were outside and he was working on his motorcycle...
The first time I ever rode a motorcycle was with Wayne. I still remember how it was scary, but thrilling at the same time.
I remember when we were living out in Eagle Mountain he came to visit. My mom had planted Hollyhocks in the front and they become really large and were honestly starting to take over everything because the seeds would get blown off and spread and plant themselves all over. But I remember him saying that his mom always had Hollyhocks and his sisters would make necklaces and things out of the flowers. I always thought that was such a fun idea, but we never did it.
He would often chat me on Facebook and we had quite the fun conversations.
He was one of the biggest supporters of my photography and would often comment on how much he loved looking through all of my photos and how I really have an "artists eye". He said that he had actually made a few sketches from some of my photos, but I never got to see them.
We also often talked about food. One of the most interesting things he told me about was how he would make his own chokecherry syrup. He said that he had never seen chokecherries sold in stores and would actually go pick his own in late August. He would then use steam to juice them and use the juice to make syrup.
"I think life is really a cosmic joke and I think it's funny."
Rest in peace Wayne. You will be missed! But I am sure you are so much happier with working lungs and a working heart =)
For those of you who knew him, his service will be this Saturday at 11:00 at Anderson and Sons mortuary in American fork.
When Dave and I were living in Provo, Dave was working at a place called Provo Rehab and Nursing. Wayne chatted me one night on Facebook saying he was staying at a rehab location close to us, turns out he was staying at Dave's place of work. His heart ended up failing and we was taken to the hospital for open heart surgery and they replaced one of the valves in his heart. I think he said they had used the valve from a cow or pig heart. Pretty crazy, and that at one point during the surgery the doctor had to physically reach in and pump his heart with his hand. Yikes! I can't even imagine....
Wayne lived next door to us in PG when I was growing up. We lived there until I was about 7. He was definitely an interesting individual, and had once been described as looking like Santa Clause on crack. He had a parrot named Simee who always added plenty of comical background noises to the conversation any time you went to visit Wayne. Simee could mimic our screaming, so any time Megan and I would walk by his house we would scream, and Simee would scream back.
Megan and I were often babysat by our favorite babysitters, Brook and Shay, who were sisters. Whenever talking about Brook and Shay, due to my talking at the speed of light, Wayne would always tease me about how I would say Brook and Shay, because I would say it so fast that it just sounded like BrooknShay. I remember the first time he teased me about it, we were outside and he was working on his motorcycle...
The first time I ever rode a motorcycle was with Wayne. I still remember how it was scary, but thrilling at the same time.
I remember when we were living out in Eagle Mountain he came to visit. My mom had planted Hollyhocks in the front and they become really large and were honestly starting to take over everything because the seeds would get blown off and spread and plant themselves all over. But I remember him saying that his mom always had Hollyhocks and his sisters would make necklaces and things out of the flowers. I always thought that was such a fun idea, but we never did it.
He would often chat me on Facebook and we had quite the fun conversations.
He was one of the biggest supporters of my photography and would often comment on how much he loved looking through all of my photos and how I really have an "artists eye". He said that he had actually made a few sketches from some of my photos, but I never got to see them.
We also often talked about food. One of the most interesting things he told me about was how he would make his own chokecherry syrup. He said that he had never seen chokecherries sold in stores and would actually go pick his own in late August. He would then use steam to juice them and use the juice to make syrup.
"I think life is really a cosmic joke and I think it's funny."
Rest in peace Wayne. You will be missed! But I am sure you are so much happier with working lungs and a working heart =)
For those of you who knew him, his service will be this Saturday at 11:00 at Anderson and Sons mortuary in American fork.
.JPG)
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