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.