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- Subject: My toughest gig
- From: "JACK ELY"@mrgate.mec.ohio.gov
- Date: Fri, 11 Mar 1994 15:32:00 EST
- A1-type: DOCUMENT
- Posting-date: Fri, 11 Mar 1994 00:00:00 EST
March 1, 1994 -- My friend, buddy and partner in the amateur harmonica group, Harpers Bizarre, passed away after several months of suffering from a series of strokes - and surgery (where he suffered another) to minimize further strokes. The surgery, almost a year ago, was risky and it left him paralyzed on the right side and unable to speak. Nine hours prior to his death Marv (another member of the group) and I played for him in his room at the nursing home. Don White was a fine chord harmonica player and a dedicated musician. He endured a lot of pain in order to play. He was a trooper - I remember before illness put him down for the count - he would play gigs when we had to carry his equipment for him - and he would sit on a padded stool - it took all his strength to hold that two foot harmonica. He was blinded in one eye by a stroke and also endured diabetes and arthritis. But he said he wanted to play harmonica as long as he could. At the request of the family - the BSHC club played at his funeral service. There were 21 of us - we played AMAZING GRACE and JUST A CLOSER WALK WITH THEE. Harpers Bizarre (there are 4 of us now) also played a special tribute to Don at the service. Don, besides loving the harmonica all his life, was an aeronautical engineer, graduate of Notre Dame, and a Commander in the USN - retired. Our tribute consisted of PEG-O-MY HEART, THE NOTRE DAME FIGHT SONG, ANCHORS AWEIGH, AND THE NAVY HYMN (ETERNAL FATHER) - which we learned hastily. At the end of the service, rather than saying the LORD'S PRAYER as is customary, HB played it. It was a tough gig and there was a lot of natural vibrato but we were proud of the send off we gave Don. Hit the third wire! Jack, Marv, John & Bill HARPERS BIZARRE +------------------------------------------------------------------------+ + Jack N. Ely, Operations Mgr. Internet: SYS_ELY@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx + + Ohio Department of Education ely.j@xxxxxxxxxxxxx + + Information Management Services BITNET: N/A + + 2151 Carmack Road UUCP: mecsys!ely + + Columbus, Ohio 43221 Voice: (614)466-7000 FAX: (614)466-0022 + + ________________ + +"Have harmonica, will travel." [|OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO|]=<] + + Wire Cat Daddy, Columbus /_________________/ + + Buckeye State Harmonica Club+ +"If Music is the international language, Columbus, Ohio + + then why not the harmonica to speak it?" + +------------------------------------------------------------------------+
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