Last night, I was ready to give my speech about my father Maury. I had a topic picked out, and I knew that I'd do a good job. Then suddenly I heard the little tooting sounds that Maury used to make, and I realized I couldn't do my original topic. Thoughts and feelings flew into my head, phrases of a speech stopped making sense, and those tooting sounds wouldn't leave me alone.


So I had to think deeply about my life with Maury, because I wanted to share with you something we experience every day. It evokes our deepest emotions, understands us like no person can.  When we are sad, it has the words that fit our mood. When we are happy, it has the uplifting feel that makes us smile. It surpasses language barriers, it creates in us inspiration that we cannot even begin to explain. 

It is music. Music, the force that we all encouter every day. Music isn't something that we can always comprehend on a conscious level. Rather, it is something that our soul understands, something that our emotions recognize.

Music is a thread that ran through out my life with Maury, from the moment of my earliest memories to the last fleeting moments of my time with Maury. Music is something that gave Maury the greatest joy. Playing the piano, listening to the opera, and spending many days and hours in the church choir, right here, in this sanctuary. He loved to entertain and even though he played the same tunes over and over, I loved to listen.   

Yes, music is a language in itself: the language of emotion. We may not understand the words being sung, we may not even hear words, but there is feeling in the notes. The memory of the gentle tinkling of the piano keys mixed with his resonating hum was the language of his love, and it was infectuous. My blues guitar notes are an echo of his joy. Gary's great classical piano is a triumphant exclamation of his memory. Lisa's nurturing melodies is a reflection of his wonderful melodies. And on it goes through the next generation and the one following that one. Do you understand the meaning of these words? There is no need to. Coupled with a simple musical prhase, those little toots signify the love, loneliness, pain, and hope of life.    

The language of emotion. Maury was a music man. He found his music in every living creature, every object, every heartbeat. Listen to the birds chirping, singing theri sweet melody. Imagine Maury in God's choir chirping and tooting. Imagine every sound, every tiny noise, every rhythm containing Maury's spirit.

On our yearly trip to Yosemite, one of Maury's greatest joys was to stand and join hands with friends and family and sing Kum By Ya. To celebrate his love for all of us let's do it. Please rise and join hands and sing Kum By Ya.     





        

Hi Lisa, 

Thank you so very much for writing and letting me know, I so appreciate it.

I talked to your dad a few months back, he was having trouble hearing me, but it was good to hear his voice. He did tell me moved to Senior Liviing, I was glad about that.

It's hard for me to believe I've known him for 35 years, wow, from my first day of work at Matra Elecric until a few years back when my brother and I stopped by for a visit on my way to moving to the Big Island (that didn't last long). We were always in each other's lives from him and Anita visiting me to me visiting, fond thought of deep sea fishing, I could go on and on, and boy he sure has seen me through many boyfriends. lol

I do remember him humming, nice to know it was his thing and he had a great zest for life.   

My sincere sympathies to you and the rest of your family. 

I will miss him.

Kathy Rayburn          

       

Paul & Ellen, Lisa & Tom,


Jim Hansen just left me the message that your long-time father Maury passed away.  My sincere condolences to you all.


I know you'll all miss Maury's huge presence in your lives, but don't fret; instead feel lucky -- Maury hung in there a long long time -- you had him a lot longer than most people will ever have any of their parents. Plus Ol' Maury himself couldn't have had any serious complaints over all the time he spent on this hard-baked planet because his life was always so rich and full of fun and interesting things to do - - - and -- as if that wasn't enough -- Maury also had a great wife in Anita and a passel of great kids and grandkids.


All us cousins here in Carmichael will remember Maury mostly for two things: One: his humongous hale of laughter at every damn thing that was ever said or ever happened, and, Two: all those Waffle Barn breakfasts we enjoyed  whenever Maury chanced to pull into town. Of course, both the bacon & egg feasts and all the laughter occurred so often at the same time that we were always under threat of being kicked out of 'The Barn' for having too good of a time, expecially amongst all the much-quieter 'johnny-after-church' types. 


If Roberta were here she would want me to mention that Maury always remembered her on Christmas by sending her a display piece of flowers for the dining room table-- for which she was always grateful - - - so I'll remember that generosity for her.


I hope you guys and we Carmichaelians can still go out to breakfast to some new waffle dive in the future --- in raucous celebration of what will now be called 'Maury Day'.      


Dick Oldham