My Daughter's Obituary


On Tuesday April 9th, 2002 at 11:17 PM My 24 year old daughter Marlene Renee Dietra Adams (her maternal last name), born Feb. 8th 1978, after an extended battle passed from this world on to the next because of cerebral hemorrhaging due to complications resulting from advanced AIDS. In going to her reward she is survived by her niece and ward (her deceased twin sister's 8 year old daughter), her mother, her maternal grandmother, her father (me), and a host of estranged family including two half sisters, one half brother, both her paternal grandparents, several uncles and aunts, and a number of cousins, and other nieces and nephews. She was never blessed with any children herself, although now the responsibility for her ward, her sisters child, will be determined by the courts, she will be missed by the many children she worked with at the child welfare centers where she worked in LA. She was cremated on Saturday April 13th, 2002 in a small private ceremony attended by her grandmother and myself only, according to her wishes. Her ashes are in the safe keeping of her grandmother until the one year anniversary of her death, where upon I will scatter them to the wind in the Atlantic Ocean, as she requested.


I am glad her suffering is now at an end and ask for your prayers of strength and support as I finish dealing with her untimely departure and cleaning up the remains of her life. For and to all those that have offered their sympathy and prayers before, I say thank you and offer you my heart felt gratitude and appreciation.


I must at this point in my life look back on the last four and a half months as a blessing from God. I finally had the chance to really get to know my own daughter after being estranged from her most of her life. I wish I had had longer with her but I am grateful for the time I was given.


To all who read this I say, "Live life each day to it's fullest. Bear no ill will in your hearts towards those less or more fortunate than you. Understand history and be aware at all times that the fight for equality is not over but rather has reached new levels and arenas." I thought I had experienced racism in my life but try being black and have a daughter with AIDS. I was given a rude awakening to what that entails and was woefully unprepared for what I found.

Peace to all of you and may God Bless each and every one of you.