OBITUARIES

Discussion of the actors, directors and film-makers who 'made it all happen'
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Hibi
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Re: OBITUARIES

Post by Hibi »

fxreyman wrote: May 27th, 2023, 12:46 pm This will be a sad story for many of you... About my dear wife Annie...

One that I was reluctant to share, but having so many friends on here, I thought many of you would want to know. So here goes...

Some here from the TCM message board know of my involvement with my wife's various illnesses over the years. She was diagnosed with Lupus in 2003. Lupus is a disease that occurs when a person's immune system attacks their own tissues and organs (autoimmune disease). Inflammation caused by Lupus can affect many different body systems, including your joints, skin, kidneys, blood cells, heart and lungs. In 2016 it was revealed that my wife's left diaphragm had collapsed causing a great deal of breathing problems in her left lung which resulted in her having to receive oxygen 24/7. She has also had to deal with other medical issues including Factor V Leiden, a blood clotting disorder, Sjorgren's Syndrome, another auto immune disease that attacks the glands that create tears for the eyes and saliva in your mouth. She also had heart disease, though not a smoker, she developed this after Lupus. She had two major neurogical diseases. One was Epilepsy that she had since a child and was well under control and she also suffered from Cerebellar Ataxia, that causes sudden loss of muscle movement and gait issues.

So she had a lot of medical issues to deal with. More than many people would ever see in a lifetime. She was hospitalized three times since October with breathing issues brought on by her collapsed diaphragm. Apparently a build up of carbon dioxide was happening in her left lung and she had to be placed on a special Bipap machine for a week each time. This Bipap machine extracted those gases from her lung and she was much better each time. Her last hospitalization in February caused her to rethink her very existence.

She did not want to go back into the hospital for any reason. She had for five years been having more and more hospitalizations mainly due to Lupus and she wanted to let nature take it's course. She was ready to transition to another place...

So we spoke with a Palative care doctor at the hospital she was at and she recommended that Annie be placed in a hospice program. Knowing full well what a hospice program would be like in a care facility (Annie had been a Hospice Care Manager for many years) she decided to go the Hospice at Home program that one of their recommended providers had.

So on March 1st, Annie came home and within a week of coming home, and not being able to walk or even stand on her own, a bed was brought to our home and she was placed in the bed and never got out again. What followed was a general eight week decline of her health. She was ready to transition. Before she went completely deaf, we spoke at length about what she wanted and more important to her, what she wanted me to do without her. She wanted me to move on, and find a place where I would be happy. More on this later.

She wanted to have her body donated to medical research. Thats was what she was all about. Always a nurse, wanting to help others in need. And what better way to help but to have her body donated so that parts of her body could be used in various ways.

In the early morning hours of Saturday, April 29th Annie passed away. Age 71. Married to me 25 years as of last October 18.

She passed away very peacefully. For the preceeding few days, she had been mostly sleeping, not eating or drinking much. The last two days she was having more difficulty breathing. The last time I spoke with her was Thursday. We embraced and hugged one another and she whispered to me that I was the love of her life and that she would love me forever as I told her the same. She knew she had very little time left. Early Friday morning she drifted off to sleep and she did not wake up again.

That was it. It was only a matter of time.

After she passed, the nurse who had been there since 7pm the previous night called in her death and another nurse and chaplain came out to our home. The chaplain stayed with me until the medical donation provider came to pick up Annie's body. After they all left, I was alone. Needless to say I broke down for several hours. There was a relief to me that she had passed away very peacefully and I firmly believe that her soul is in a much better place now, a place where there is no pain, no suffering, just happiness and joy.

She has been reunited with her parents, her sister, many other family and friends who passed before her, and our beloved Bella, our basset beagle.

At least that is where I hope she has gone.

Since that day, her body was taken to a facility where her remains were handed over to medical researchers and they got what they wanted, according to a letter sent to me from the organization. I will be receiving her cremated remains in a few days. Her wish made long ago was to have me spread her ashes near Mt. Princeton in Colorado near the town of Buena Vista.

That will happen sooner rather than later. I will be relocating to the Denver area in September so that I can be closer to her sister and her family. I have always had a special relationship with Annie's sister Edie and her family. I will continue to drive for Uber until my retirement in four or five years. Much better market than here in Chicago I have been told.

I hope that this does not violate any policy here, but I have created a GoFundMe page to help pay for medical expenses not covered by insurance while Annie was ill. I presently do not have the funds available to me so I am reaching out to family, friends and others to see if they can help. Here is the link. There is a link to a you tube video I made explaining everything. I hope you all will be able to spend a little time looking at it.

https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-rey-cat ... nies-death

Writing this type of story actually helps clear my mind and I can actually focus on something for a while without being too sad or melancholy.

Thank you all for reading this. God Bless you.

Rey

Very sad to hear of your loss. :(
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Dargo
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Re: OBITUARIES

Post by Dargo »

fxreyman wrote: May 27th, 2023, 12:46 pm This will be a sad story for many of you... About my dear wife Annie...

...She was diagnosed with Lupus in 2003.

...In the early morning hours of Saturday, April 29th Annie passed away. Age 71. Married to me 25 years as of last October 18.
My sincere condolences for the passing of your beloved wife Annie, Rey.

And re the debilitating effects of Lupus, I have first-hand knowledge of this. You see, in 1958 and at the age of 15, my older sister Diana was diagnosed with this debilitating disease, and so I witnessed first-hand what a toll it takes on the human body. Diana passed away in 2000 and at the age of 57. She was a real trooper who suffered her pain in silence and was one of the sweetest people I've ever known.

(...in fact, I've often said that if I had suffered from this disease, I probably would have turned out to be an even bigger insufferable SOB than I've turned out to be) ;)
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TikiSoo
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Re: OBITUARIES

Post by TikiSoo »

Rey, I am so sorry to hear of your loss. What a great person you are to have stuck by her, helping her through, along her way.

I have Lupus, misdiagnosed as arthritis in the mid 1960's, have already surpassed my life expectancy & always keenly aware how limited time is. I am alone, never finding that kind of support. In fact, some simply don't believe there's anything wrong because you can't see it.

You have my admiration Reyman...for your great contribution to the message boards and for being a strong support to your beloved battling her malady.
Good luck in Denver, maybe I'll see you around.
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Lomm
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Re: OBITUARIES

Post by Lomm »

Very sorry for your loss. You have a way with words and your love for her came across beautifully.
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dianedebuda
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Joined: October 23rd, 2022, 9:49 am

Re: OBITUARIES

Post by dianedebuda »

fxreyman wrote: May 27th, 2023, 12:46 pmThis will be a sad story for many of you... About my dear wife Annie...
So sorry for your loss. May the memories of happy times carry you through this.
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Masha
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Re: OBITUARIES

Post by Masha »

I have just learned of the passing of Brian Shul. I am sure that none of you have ever heard of him but he was the greatest sled jockey of all time. I had the pleasure to meet him one time when he was giving a speech.

This is typical of him: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8AyHH9G9et0
Avatar: Vera Vasilyevna Kholodnaya
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fxreyman
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Re: OBITUARIES

Post by fxreyman »

Thank you all for your kind words of support and it really helps me know that many here do really care.
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Feinberg
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Re: OBITUARIES

Post by Feinberg »

Barry Newman - best known for his roles in Vanishing Point and Petrocelli - dies at 92

The Boston-born entertainer, best known for his role as Kowalski in the 1971 crime thriller Vanishing Point, passed away May 11.
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Feinberg
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Re: OBITUARIES

Post by Feinberg »

Pat Cooper, stand-up comedian and Robert De Niro's co-star on Analyze This, dead at 93

Pat Cooper, stand-up comedian and actor, has died at 93. Cooper died on Tuesday night at his home in Las Vegas. The death was announced in a statement by his wife, Emily Conner.
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Feinberg
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Re: OBITUARIES

Post by Feinberg »

Noreen Nash dead at 99: MGM star of Giant and The Southerner passes away from natural causes at her home in Beverly Hills

The Washington State-born beauty's eldest son Lee Siegel Jr. confirmed the sad news on Thursday
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Dargo
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Re: OBITUARIES

Post by Dargo »

Television personality (and a guy who could never quite fathom the concept of the separation of Church and State) Pat Robertson died yesterday at age 93.

(...hope he's now...well, I better not say what I hope here)

LOL
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Sepiatone
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Joined: February 23rd, 2023, 12:59 pm

Re: OBITUARIES

Post by Sepiatone »

Let's have a little respect for the dead, Darg. But yeah, when it came to Robertson I had as little respect as possible.


Sepiatone
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Allhallowsday
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Re: OBITUARIES

Post by Allhallowsday »

Feinberg wrote: June 5th, 2023, 7:38 am Barry Newman - best known for his roles in Vanishing Point and Petrocelli - dies at 92

The Boston-born entertainer, best known for his role as Kowalski in the 1971 crime thriller Vanishing Point, passed away May 11.
I will always love the cool philosophical hippy-dippy VANISHING POINT !

Image

Good night BARRY!
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Feinberg
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Re: OBITUARIES

Post by Feinberg »

Hair star Treat Williams, 71, is killed in crash near his $1M Vermont home after slamming his motorbike into oncoming Honda being driven by man, 35, who was turning left into parking lot

Actor Treat Williams has died at the age of 71 after crashing his motorcycle into an oncoming car as it turned into a parking lot. The Golden Globe-nominated actor passed away on Monday afternoon when Honda driver Ryan M. Koss, 35, signaled left into a parking lot and fatally hit Williams, who was traveling in the opposite direction. Vermont State Police have not made any arrests following the crash, which occurred on Route 30 by Long Trail Auto near Dorset. DailyMail.com has contacted Koss for comment. Williams, best known for his roles in Everwood and Hair, was enjoying his weekend mowing the lawn at his $1million Vermont home just hours before the tragedy. The actor was wearing a helmet when the Honda fatally hit him, police confirmed. He was married to actress Pam Van Sant, and together they had two children, Gille and Ellie - and often shared his idyllic country life for his fans on social media.
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Hibi
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Re: OBITUARIES

Post by Hibi »

I heard about it this morning. Very sad news. He was so funny in The Ritz, the first film I saw him in. Then Hair, Prince of the City etc. But his career seemed to stall in the 80s for some reason.
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