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He Did It His Way

November 11, 2013

Right after he graduated from JMU, Jeremy got a job with a large healthcare company in Virginia Beach. He was making good money and decided that he wanted to get an apartment near the facility to which he was assigned.

 He found a place just a few blocks from the Nursing Home and paid the deposit and the first month's rent on short term lease. It was a really nice place, two apartments shared a duplex. It was very clean and close enough to the facility that he thought he could walk or ride a bike to work.

 When the day came to move him into the place, we loaded up my pickup with all of his stuff and drove to the new apartment. We unloaded the truck, unpacked some boxes and in short order the place was livable. The last thing we did was to hook up his television and stereo. We just sat and rested for a while when we finished.

As nightfall landed, the quiet complex changed. Groups of teenagers loitered on the streets. The noise level grew exponentially. His next door neighbors that seemed very friendly and mature when we were unloading started playing some “Boom, Shuka, Lucka” crap on their stereo, ( the stuff with a very heavy bass beat that is somewhat like music except it lacks rhythm, melody, or harmony ) and they had it up full blast. The walls in Jeremy's apartment were shaking. I asked him if he was going to be able to stand listening to that shit on a regular basis. I was ready to have a seizure and my patience was wearing thin. As thin as Ron Popeil's Dial-O-Matic could slice a tomato. Ron said that you could "Slice a tomato so thin it only has one side."

 Jeremy told me to just relax that he could handle it. I asked him what he was going to do. He said

“I'll just crank up the Frank!” And, so he did. He put a Frank Sinatra CD in the stereo and turned it up to eleven! Blasting from the speakers:

 

I get no kick from champagne.
Mere alcohol doesn't thrill me at all.
So tell me why should it be true
That I get a kick out of you?

 

In less than a minute, the “Boom, Shuka, Lucka” stopped completely and Jeremy turned Frank down to two. It worked because he did it his way.

 

He didn't stay there long as he was soon promoted and transferred to another property. He and the neighbors were friends from that day on.

Jeremy learns a new word

June 14, 2013

In preparation for his career as a medical facility administrator, Jeremy did a paid internship at a hospital in Virginia Beach at the end of his Junior year in college. He worked in various departments throughout that summer. For a few weeks, he was assigned to the X ray department and performed a number of different tasks. He told us about being sent to the emergency room to collect a severed thumb and delivering it to the X-ray technician. He also served as a file clerk in that same X-ray department. He complained when he got home for the first couple of days saying it was boring and slow. After hauling around a severed thumb I guess putting X-rays on a shelf would seem that way.

 It all changed when a mad rush in the ER had them scurrying in the X-ray department. One of the ladies that worked there told Jeremy to quickly get some files and get them to the emergency room stat.

She said “Hurry up and take these to the ER nurse. Be quick. You know what they say “A stitch in time saves mines.” He rushed the items as directed. When he returned, he asked her to repeat the saying that she told him. Again she said “You know, a stitch in time saves mines.” Then she added “That's an old She-Clay.”  She shook her head and added, “That's a French word. I can't believe a college boy like you don't know that!”

 It stuck in the Schuchert vernacular from that day on. “A penny saved is a penny earned. A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush. One man's trash is another man's treasure. One man's cliche is another man's she-clay.”

No, No, You Can't Take That Away From Me

April 30, 2013
Surfaris - Wipe Out-[www_flv2mp3_com]

There is a famous poem about the things that cancer cannot do. The author is unknown.

"What Cancer Cannot Do"

Cancer is so limited...
It cannot cripple love.
It cannot shatter hope.
It cannot corrode faith.
It cannot eat away peace.
It cannot destroy confidence.
It cannot kill friendship.
It cannot shut out memories.
It cannot silence courage.
It cannot reduce eternal life.
It cannot quench the Spirit.

 

Jeremy added another to that list. Although it took away his strength and for awhile, his voice, it did not rob him of something that was quite important to him. His sense of humor. We found something to laugh about nearly every single day. We'd watch every celebrity roast on Comedy Central. We saw nearly episode of a crazy Japanese game show on YouTube called “Silent Library.”. This show can be a side-splitter if your taste in comedy is as edgy as ours. As I mentioned in his eulogy, he was a big Don Rickles fan so it should come as no surprise that his comedic flair had a bit of a twist to it.

 I know that I probably should not share this story, but I find it too funny and a perfect example of how Jeremy kept his wonderful sense of humor throughout this heinous ordeal not to.. Some of you will no doubt find it to be crude. Cancer is crude. And to those who are easily offended , I offer up the words of Sergeant Hulka “Lighten up Francis!”

 After a very harsh round of chemotherapy, Jeremy was very weak and basically bedridden for a brief time. During this time he had no choice but to use adult diapers and let things happen . He needed help with just about everything including clean up afterward and replacing the diaper.

 One day after helping Jeremy with this, Jack (his 2 year old son) came by to visit. After playing for a while, it became apparent that the baby had a mess in his diaper. I cleaned Jack up and put a new Huggies on him.

 Jeremy then asked me if I had been to the bathroom that day. “Hey Dad, did you drop a deuce today?”

I answered in the affirmative.

 After a pause for effect, Jeremy said “If we could get Grandma to come down here today and shit herself you could get in the Guinness Book of Records for most generations of asses wiped in one day.”

 

How many of us would be able to joke like this? Maybe crude, but funny and in a way, inspirational. Laughter is the best medicine.

 

Now let's wipe out Cancer.

Opening Day

April 2, 2013

Well, beat the drum and hold the phone - the sun came out today!
We're born again, there's new grass on the field.

Opening day!


If we weren’t playing, we were watching. If we weren’t watching we were listening to Lanny Frattare, Steve Blass and Jim Rooker.  We went to a few openers, As an adult Jeremy and Lynda enjoyed many  in person. 


For Jeremy, Opening Day was Christmas, New Year’s Day and Birthday  all wrapped up together in a off-white five ounce sphere measuring nine inches in circumference. 


I can see him having a great Opening Day this year as he turns two. Jeremy to Jackie Robinson to Willie Stargell. Or maybe taking a throw from Roberto to tag out Babe Ruth trying to stretch that single into a 2-bagger.  He may have had to hit the deck ducking out of the way of a high heater from Rapid Robert . But I know he’d just pop up dust himself off and hit the next pitch into the gap in right center. If you have your radio turned on you'll hear the Gunner say "We had' em all the way!" as "The Flying Dutchman" crosses the plate with the winning run.

He might take the mound and throw a perfect game. Every pitch a strike at the knees. That’s a given. No pitch would be called a ball. As he would tell you, there are no umpires in Heaven.

I believe that this is the year that Clint Hurdle has an Angel in the Outfield.

As a new season begins, I think this is worth repeating:


When I step to the plate for my final at bat

And the game is called for me.

I want no tears in a gloom-filled room

Why cry for a soul set free.


Miss me a little, but not too long.

And not with your head bowed low.

Remember the love that we once shared.

Miss me, but let me go.


For this journey we all must take,

And each must go alone.

It's all part of the big game plan,

And now I'm safe at home.



"THERE'S NO CRYING IN BASEBALL."

Jimmy Dugan

 

"People ask me what I do in winter when there's no baseball. I'll tell you what I do. I stare out the window and wait for spring." - Rogers Hornsby

Every Opening Day, I have this tradition. I pray -- hard. One prayer for each loss in the previous season. It usually takes all day. But I think it's working. - Pirate fan in Florida.

 

You Might Say I'm a Dreamer

March 12, 2013

You might say I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one. In the past five months, I have had many dreams involving Jeremy. The nice thing about these dreams is that they are never sad or mournful. I wouldn't expect that they would be as sad and mournful were not part of our repertoire. They dreams are often about something fun, some adventure that happened in reality or in my imagination.

 Something that I have noticed in the dreams is that Jeremy's personality, dialogue and mannerisms are the same as they always were. Recently, I had this dream. It never happened in the real world. But in my head, it was as real as if we were there. It is a crazy story but even with its craziness it precisely describes Jeremy.

 Let me set the stage. Turn your imaginary TV to ESPN 8, “The Ocho.”

 You are looking at a large grassy field. A crowd of about 100 people in lawn chairs or on blankets line up behind a chalk line eagerly awaiting the start of the game. Two broadcasters sit behind a 2 foot by 8 foot plastic folding church table. An ESPN 8 banner hangs from the front and two vintage microphones, the type Walter Winchell may have used sit atop the table.

 Announcer Jim: “Welcome to sunny San Juan, Puerto Rico. We are pleased to be here today to telecast the championship game of this year's Puerto Rican Lawn Dominoes Tournament. I'm Jim Schuchert and to my right is my broadcast partner and obscure sports expert, Jeremy Schuchert.”

 Color Commentator Jeremy : “Thanks Jim. It's a great day here in San Juan and the excitement is palpable. Just two teams remain in the tournament as they vie for the title and the coveted PRLD trophy , the La Gran Piedra.

The home team in black and gold , from right here in San Juan is the favorite coming in at even money. The visiting team in black and gold hails from Bayamon and are the Cinderella story in this year's tournament and a true long-shot to walk away with the title. “

 Announcer Jim : “ Jeremy, the viewers may not be very familiar with Puerto Rican Lawn Dominoes. Tell us about the game.”

 Color Commentator Jeremy : “Just like the standard table top version of dominoes, each team given 14 dominoes, or bones as they are called, from the original shuffle. The visiting team places one of their bones on the lawn and the home team follows suit matching their domino in some numerical sequence. The biggest difference between the table top version and lawn dominoes is the size of the tiles. Unlike the small 2 inch plastic pieces that most people are familiar with , the lawn dominoes are considerably larger. The bones used in the PRLD game are actually 16 inch by 16 inch black patio stones that weigh 45 pounds each. White dots are painted on all but the double blanks. They players take turns lugging them around and positioning them with the dots that correspond to the previous play.

 Announcer Jim : “This is about the stupidest damn game I've ever heard of...”

 (Now in typical Jeremy style)

 Color Commentator Jeremy : “You just don't understand. The strategy, endurance and strength needed to play this game makes these players true athletes. I remember back in '86 when the team from Cabo Rojo played an unexpected Double Six and stunned the PRLD world. It is NOT a stupid game. It takes mathematical skills and dedication to excel at Puerto Rican Lawn Dominoes. You just don't get it.”

 Announcer Jim : “They are heavy!”

 Color Commentator Jeremy : “ I think it is fascinating sport. Tropical Curling, if you will.”

Announcer Jim : “And they all wear black and gold. And every one of them wears number 21 on their jersey!”

 Color Commentator Jeremy : “Of course they do!”

 Dream over.

 

I don't know which team won. I assume it was the team wearing black and gold. I do know that if such a game existed, Jeremy would have watched in on TV and known all the rules and history of the sport.

 Whether it was Curling, Darts, Australian Rules Football, Jai Lai, Cricket or baseball he could explain it. I have trouble with Icing and a Two Line Pass.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Birthdays

March 1, 2013

Jeremy was not always crazy about his birthday and he was surprised every year it came around and I wanted to make a big deal out of it. Of course his very first one when we meet was spent in New Orleans for Mardi Gras. We had only been dating about 3 weeks, but he called me to get birthday greetings despite his location. I guess it was a sign he was pretty much hooked at that point.
For his 30th birthday we had a party at our house in Doswell, we had balloons 30 of them and good food. We had a great turnout and the guys all played poker. It was freezing cold though and we had the stove on evidently though we had to open to the windows because the tempatures inside was like 90 degrees. As well that was the same weekend it snowed and our basement flooded, fun times!
The year Jack was born he wanted to go to a baseball game every month at definitely on his birthday. We actually found one at the local community college, yes he loved baseball that much. It was a good day, Jack had fun and even got his first baseball as the team said he was there good luck charm. Fun!
The best birthday I think, in 2009 Jeremy had participated in a golf tournament for some good cause and it was to be with members of the Washington Nationals. Well they got lost and only a few showed up and they were all paired up. Jeremy was a bit annoyed, of course I was helping out and got to meet a few of the players. Well included in this package were tickets to a Spring Training game to which we attended on his birthday. Then he got a special message of Birthday greetings on the scoreboard. Then afterwards we got to eat dinner with the team and meet a bunch of them for autographs. We meet Nick Johnson, Ryan Zimmerman, Adam Dunn, Marquis Grissom, Manny Acta, Chris Marrero, Mo Pena, Randy St. Claire.Jeremy Schuchert

   Shawn Hill

Absent without Malice

January 17, 2013

There were times that Jeremy used his creativity and intellect for purposes that some would call mischievous. When these occurred, his brother Josh was usually a co-conspirator. The State Park ticket caper is legendary and has been well publicized but there is one of the dynamic duo's stunts of which many people are unaware. It involved Josh wanting to skip school and the plan the two boys concocted. Josh was about 10 years old and Jeremy was 12.

 The night before the intended skip day, the two devised their devilish plan and scripted out the actions and dialogue for the following morning. At some point during the evening they snagged one of their mother's empty canning jars. They poured about 12 ounces of cherry Kool-Aid into it, added a bit of water, some cooking oil and the ultimate secret ingredient, ½ cup of grated Parmesan cheese. They screwed the lid on the jar and gave it a good shake. They then hid it behind the toilet in the bathroom.

The following morning, after everyone was awake and getting ready for school and work, Josh was to go into the bathroom, close the door, grab the jar from behind the throne, shake it up real good and make awful retching, gagging and hurling sounds precisely at the moment he dumped the contents into the toilet bowl. He was to then reposition the jar behind the commode, splash water on his face from the sink open the bathroom door and moan “I'm sick.” His mother and I went into the bathroom, saw the vile concoction floating in the bowl and smelled that smell. The pungent aroma of the Parmesan cheese was the pièce de résistance . I think Columbo would have fallen for it. Josh got to stay home and Jeremy went off to school, never tipping his hand. Of course, Josh had a miraculous recovery right after the school bus passed our house.

 You may be wondering how I know all of the details of the Barf-a-Rama. It was really quite simple to figure out especially since I didn't have to. Jeremy got home from school, high-fived Josh and proceeded to tell me, no, make that brag about their Oscar winning performance and his Directing and Special Effects skills.

 I did what any good Dad would do. I laughed my ass off and gave them both high fives.

 

 

*Footnote: Jeremy, being a good brother, felt compelled to help Josh in this endeavor as Josh had previously gotten busted for skipping school. Josh was 6 years old and was to get on the bus after everyone else had gone off for the day. He didn't. That night, he wrote his own excuse to give the teacher the following morning. It said “ Please excuse Josh he was sick” signed Betty. The teacher called us the following day and told us about it. She sent the note home with Josh. That note, the “ Please excuse Josh he was sick” signed Betty excuse was printed in large letters on a big piece of yellow school paper in brown crayon. Busted! For all you old people out there, like me, don't you think Art Linkletter would have loved this one.

Baseball Trips

December 19, 2012

 I sure wish I could remember ever details from some of our trips. I have plenty of pictures and of course his score keeping books. Those will come in handy one day and a great story telling source for Jack. Jeremy and went to well over 100 parks, this included Major League parks, minor league parks, college stadiums, little league parks and retired parks.Oh his love for baseball was deep, we went to movie sets (Field of Dreams in Iowa), museums for various themes (college based teams, Bob Feller), grave sites for deceased players. Those were our vacations most of the time. Once he even drove cross country starting in PA through the Quad Cities, into the Dakotas, out to Seattle, the whole coast of CA and back via Colorado. I made part of that trip with him. He really enjoyed the crowds at each stadium. He even got to be on the local news at one place, need to find that video for sure. I had actually emailed a lot of the stadium GM's to ask if they could provide a more authentic experience. Most places loved by providing him with memorabilia, tickets, food, tours and of course a local snip it on the news. We even traveled to Japan for games. I recall a few of the ball players we saw in the minors and it was neat to then see them be called up later in the season. It was a really great experience, maybe one day I can chronicle our travels.

Special Olympics

December 19, 2012

The story is much better told by those ladies & gentlemaan on the field. Jeremy truly had a blast on the field, he was a partner but overall they were all teammates.He learned just as much about the game as those guys did from him. We had been participating for almost 10 years with these guys and seeing true growth. Even when we moved to Florida we would make the trek back up over our anniversary weekend.
I played on a different team, so I can't really share, but I do know that the guys loved Jeremy and very much respected him. Sometimes they would tattle on him as there were things he should be more careful about - like hurting himself before our wedding. He pulled his groin and was very much black & blue. He went up to play in 2009 when I was pregnant, he would not allow me to go despite being only about 6 weeks along. We even got up there this year 2012 (May), the guys were so excited and Jeremy played just as hard as ever. It was pretty inspiring and he wanted to special treatment. It made me nervous as heck, but he was having fun so what more can you ask for.
The Special Olympics motto is 'let me win but if I can not win, let me be brave in the attempt.' I think it was words he really followed. The guys still write and keep in touch and a few even honor his memory when they win an event or tournament. I think they may even retire his number, they gave him his shirt to take home to remind him to fight as he would be returning this year. Of course I still have that shirt & hat he wore. Just wonderful memories and let me tell you those guys will never forget.

Santa Jeremy

December 9, 2012

Jeremy liked to give, he was very fortunate to have a job that allowed him to give back and he had a big heart. He very must supported individuals with disabilities. So for about 3 years running he would be the Santa Claus for the Knights of Columbus kids Christmas party. He really felt comfortable around the kids & loving playing a role that was out there but yet in disguise. He really did not want the recognition because it was not about that for him. He really looked forward to it every year. Jeremy always liked Christmas of course I was always his toughest critic because he never knew what to get me. Yet he amazed me every year with very thoughtful gifts of course usually bought the day before Christmas. He always bought me socks because my feet were always cold, it really went to great lengths to find something goofy or that fit my personality. Last year he got me ones with squirrels because that was one of Jack's new words. So many stories circle around this holiday, such as the tree if you saw the pictures on facebook, his mother used to make ornaments over the years and we always hung them on the tree. I also every year tried to get him an ornament that was important to us over the year like the hot dog. Another event was Christmas 2008 when he decided to get all my cousins presents, the kids and there are a few of them. We had not been able to have kids yet and he really enjoyed all my young cousins. That was a great gesture and really showed me his devotion, of course the next year we were finally going to get our present. Thanks for letting me rambling on - christmas meant so much and it was those small moments not just getting presents but the sentiment & memories that are made.

Turn it up to Eleven

December 5, 2012
Rocky Theme Tune

 Jeremy's Grandma Schuchert is a brilliant Scrabble player. She has played in tournaments and is always ready to accept a challenge. Growing up as a Schuchert boy you were going to be competitive. There was nobody more competitive than Jeremy. He wanted to the best at anything he ever tried. (Except maybe for the violin) . Grandma never laid back, threw a match or took a dive when it came to playing Scrabble against Jeremy. He probably lost 50 times in a row. This did not weaken his self esteem or crush his spirit. We did not grow up in the era of participation trophies or the “I'm proud of EVERY student at _________ fill in the blank school.” Winners got trophies, honor students got bumper stickers and everybody else needed to work harder. Jeremy was in total agreement with Ricky Bobby of Talladega Nights fame when he said “If you ain't first, you're last!”

 When the day came that Jeremy beat Grandma in Scrabble you would have thought that he won the lottery, Olympic Gold or homered in the bottomed of the ninth in the 7th game of the World Series. Arms extended skyward, belting out the Rocky Theme, he was the WINNER! Not necessarily a gracious winner just the winner. He retired that day as the Scrabble champion never to play Grandma again.

 When we played on a coed CHURCH softball team he played with the same intensity as always. He was an adult at the time , probably in his early 20's. The guy that manage that team was a mild mannered nice guy, Ned Flanders before Ned Flanders. He once told Jeremy, after some questionable managerial moves enabled the opposition to score 8 runs in the last inning to beat us, to relax and have fun. The manager said that he felt sorry for the other team and wanted them to have a chance to win and feel good about themselves. If we had won that game we would have been in the playoffs. Jeremy was more than a bit upset. He told Ned Flanders that winning was fun. Being in the playoffs would have been fun and that throwing the game was unfair to all of the players on the team that showed up for every practice and every game.

 Fortunately, he turned the intensity dial down from 11 to about 8 with the Special Olympics teams he coached. Thinking back, maybe I should have told him to not take it so seriously when he was between the white lines. But maybe that competitive drive that was instilled in him made him the success he was in all aspects of his life. I'd like to think so.

Lemon Tree Very Pretty

December 5, 2012

Jeremy requested that his memorial site include a Meyer Lemon Tree. He really liked this fruit and we used it in a lot of the fancy dishes that we'd create. The Meyer Lemon is a cross between a true lemon and a mandarin orange, another favorite of his. It is sweeter and less acidic than ordinary lemons.

The tree has blossoms on it now and will produce a lot of fruit in the next couple of months. According to plan, we are to pick the first ripe one, slice it up, put a slice in the beverage of our choice; vodka,ice tea or a cold Corona. We will then make a toast to Jeremy, telling him that we miss him, love him and thank him for choosing Meyer Lemons and not Brussels Sprouts as a part of his memorial site .

The Computer Commercial

November 14, 2012

Jeremy's Father-in-law Lou, knew Jeremy was smart because he married his daughter . But he also tells a story about one of the first times he realized just how sharp and observant Jeremy was.

The Harlows, Lynda and Jeremy were sitting around watching TV when a commercial for some computer company, IBM perhaps, showed elementary school students in the USA and their counterparts in China having an interactive chat session or lesson. It was a video connection much like Skype.

 Lou said that he thought that was a great thing that the technology was there to allow the kids of two different cultures separated by more than 7,000 miles to communicate with each other while in school.

 Instantly Jeremy said “That's the stupidest thing I've seen. It's a BS commercial. When the kids are in school in America, it's the middle of the night in China.” I bet nobody at the ad agency thought anybody would catch that.

The Golden Goat

November 14, 2012

When Jeremy and Josh were young, somewhere around 10 and 7 , we would often grab a couple of large plastic garbage bags and go on really long walks in Virginia Beach picking up discarded aluminum cans along the way. We'd gather up as many cans as we could find and take them to the "Golden Goat" for recycling. The "Golden Goat" stood in a corner of the A & P parking lot. It was a big noisy machine that counted, crushed, weighed and paid for the cans you deposited in the hopper. As I recall, we were getting 24 cents a pound for the scrap aluminum. The two boys would share the money that the "goat" spit out and frequently spent their cut at Flipper McCoy's Video Arcade.

 

The walks were great exercise and a lot of fun. Being an admitted statistics freak, I thought it would also be a good opportunity to teach them something about data collection and analysis. One day after walking a couple of miles and filling up a couple bags with cans, I pointed out that there were at least ten times as many beer cans as soda cans. I also mentioned that there were many more Budweiser cans than any other brand. After making this observation, I said " I guess this tells you that Budweiser is the most popular beer in this area."

 Jeremy looked at me ,shook his head and said "No, not true. All you can infer from this data is that more litterbugs drink Budweiser."

Trying to show off your "intelligence" to Jeremy would be like bragging to Jerome Bettis that you scored 2 touchdowns in one game when you were in Junior High.

Gone fishing

October 20, 2012

     Every year Jeremy and I would go spend our summer vacation with grandma and pap.  In that time, we would go with them to Saint Barnabus nursing home to help volunteer with the patient's bingo and summer picnic (on a side note... it was this experience that led Jeremy to his choice of career in the nursing home field.).
      One of our favorite parts of the summer was the combined trip: of taking Joey Palumbo ( a cerebral palsy patient at Saint Barnabus and close family friend) to camp lend-a-hand in Conneaut Lake, PA,  followed by fishing at Uncle Tom's, and a trip to the Conneaut Lake amusement park.  So, there we were: Jeremy, Joey Palumbo and I on the deck at Uncle Tom's fishing for bass and catfish.  Jeremy and I were using artificial lures and just crushing the bass. Meanwhile, Joey was on the deck with a worm and bobber not catching a thing.  That's when we decided to do something to make Joey's day.  We snuck around the pond out of sight and caught a real nice bass.  Jeremy stayed in the trees with the bass as I went back on the deck to fish with Joey.  I recasted his line into the trees near Jeremy where he took the bobber out of the water and manually hooked the bass before putting it back in the pond.  You should of heard Joey screaming in excitement as he reeled in that bass!  As happy as he was over his fishing victory, we were even happier just knowing how much we made his day! 

Our Home

October 9, 2012

 Our lovely country home in Doswell, Virginia. It has 2.5 acres. Jeremy and I built a wiffle ball field in the back yard to resemble PNC park. We had chickens and ate lots of eggs. He got to shot foxes, ground hogs and racoons, well he attempted anyway. We had a garage that could fit like 10 cars, of course we just used the yard. We did tons of painting, flooring and knocking down walls. As you can see the landscape was real nice in the fall & winter. It was a very fun home!

Relay for Life 2011

October 1, 2012

I had always wanted to do Relay for Life as both of our families have been affected. Yet usually a baseball game or work got in the way. Yet Jeremy had made it through the spring months & I decided that in 2011 I was going to make a team. I asked a co-worker what would be a good name she said Team Jeremy of course. So I found the closer one to us in Rockledge in was on May 14th, one year after they said he had 6 months to live. We had 6 weeks to raise money, so we went on-line and just solicited. I only made it to one team captain meeting, but we raised $7500. I was just amazed at our friends & family both near far and those we had not even seen in years. The date of the event came, it was hot, there were love bugs and eventually rains & storms. Yet Cancer does not sleep and after the year we had all this just seemed really easy. As you can see as a family we held strong. This was during the Lumanria event where you remember those that ran out of time because of Cancer. I was very glad that Jeremy was still standing with me at this date. Again another brave & wonderful memory for Jack.

Rehearsal Dinner

October 1, 2012

 Jeremy proposed on 10/31/04. I said "yes" of course full knowing my future held a lot of baseball. I had to become a fan pretty quick as I really had not been one prior to us dating. Now you know baseball was somehow going to be part of our wedding. It was, I had actually researched having it at Space Coast Stadium where the Brevard County Manatees play. With the whole package, came the ability to throw out the first pitch. Jeremy honestly did not care about the cost or food, but that chance. We both threw a perfect strike or so we were told by our cousins out the berm. It must have looked really good if you could see it from there. it was a very beautiful day with friends & family. Good thing too it was no so stuffy.

Special Olympics

October 1, 2012

 Jeremy started volunteering with Special Olympics while we started dating, a big bonus for me as it was the field I worked it and it really showed he respected that. Of course he loves playing ball too so I suppose that helped as well. Jeremy was a bit hit on the field, but he also learned a lot from the guys he played with to have fun, not stress and just play. Yet a few of them were rather competitive themselves on the field. Everyone we participated in a tournament in Bedford, Virginia. We even returned there every year after we moved to Florida despite the fact it was usually near our anniversary. In 2009 Jeremy would not let me go because I had just found out I was pregnant so I could not play. In 2010 we did not make the trip because this is when Jeremy was rediagnosed and pretty sick at the time. Yet the team wanted him to know he always had a place on the field, and made sure he was. So they mocked up a stick Jeremy to be with them at all times. Luckily, 2010 & 2011 we were up there again to play and let me tell you the guys were so excited when Jeremy was out there playing. They accepted him and loved playing ball with him and it was very much reciprocated by Jeremy himself. Thank you Hurricanes!

Jeremy's New Job

October 1, 2012
Honorary Assistant Coach for Commonwealth Exterminators, Jeremy was asked by one of my friends, Amy Clary Williams, to be an assistant coach for her daughters team. They had never met and she lived in Virginia. Yet he was excited as he is an avid sports fan and listened to their games on line the previous season. He would give feedback and congratulations on her great stats. He then was able to actually make it up to a game in May on our way to Bedford. Above is the picture he took with the team, nice pink huh. He wore it with pride and even posted it as his new job title on Facebook. And most recently right after his passing, Maddie had a great game of pitching and hitting then shared that she played that game for Jeremy. He was so truly blessed and such a great story & picture to share with his son.

Jack's 2nd Birthday

October 1, 2012

 Jack & Jeremy in the bounce house we got for Jack's Birthday. It was a very wonderful day as Jeremy was not even supposed to be here for #1. Yet he fought real hard and lived a lot during that time. And on Jack's birthday even got into the bounce house, such wonderful memories made. Daddy loves you so much Jack.

Christmas in Rockledge

September 29, 2012

There may not be any snow in Rockledge, Florida on Christmas day. But there is baseball. Frosty stays cool as Santa get ready to deliver some high heat.

This was the Christmas decorations at Jeremy and Lynda's house. Do you see a recurring theme?

The New Bat

September 29, 2012
The Brian Setzer Orchestra (Batman Theme)-[www_flvto_com]

Jeremy came home from work one day and said “Hey Dad, I got a new bat.” Naturally, I figured he picked up that 33 inch , 31 ounce Easton aluminum bat that he saw and coveted at Kmart. I was wrong!

 The school building where Jeremy worked that summer, the site of the legendary Pennies saga, had a problem one day that was significantly bigger than one “Ignernt” (that's Pittsburghese for rude and discourteous) parent.

 When Jeremy and Arthur, his coworker , opened the door to the school gymnasium they were greeted by a very unexpected surprise. As soon as they turned on the lights, they heard a deafening noise and the ceiling was engulfed in a large dark cloud as a few hundred bats flapped their wings and flew frantically overhead. They apparently found a hole in the eaves and made their way into the building.

 They propped the door open and hoped the bats would exit before the kids started to arrive about 10 minutes later, but they did not. Jeremy ran back into the building and got to the office, closed the door and called the city's animal control people. They got there quickly. By now some of the children had started to arrive and Arthur kept them all outside on the playground.

 Unable to lure the bats outside, the animal control guys had to set off some heavy duty industrial foggers. The bats succumbed to the gas and fell to the hardwood floor. The exterminators swept and shoveled them up and put them in big plastic trash bags. But they missed one. One bat was down but not out. Jeremy picked it up and put in a jar, punched some holes in the lid, like you did when you captured fireflies as a kid. He was determined to save that one and bring it back to health. I have no idea how he planned to do it. I don’t think he did either. He was just being compassionate and possibly in shock after the morning he just had.

 They kept the kids outside all day. Fortunately, this happened on a Friday so the place had all weekend to air out.

 At the end of the day, Jeremy and his bat in the jar, got into the car and drove home. Excited, he came into the house, with his hands behind his back he said, “Hey Dad, I got a new bat.” He then proudly handed me jar. For a minute, I thought he was totally nuts, but I knew he was serious so I tried to help. The bat did not make it but I always remembered Jeremy concern for what most people would consider an insignificant and repulsive animal. He was one of a kind! .

The Road Trip Part One

September 25, 2012
Willie Nelson - On the Road Again

Jeremy, Lynda and their great friend James made the greatest road trip I could ever imagine. They traveled to virtually every Major League and Minor League Baseball park in America. At last count, Jeremy told me he believed it was around 160 different ballparks. Lynda and Jeremy also visited all of the stadiums in Japan! There will be more stories about the road trip to come. With all the photos and notes Jeremy took while on the adventure, there may even be a book in the future.

The Baby Ducks -Shared with me by David

September 25, 2012

David and I worked together at Wachovia Bank and again at Southern Air. We have known each other and have been friends for many years. Two years ago, David's daughter Sylvia passed away.

I notifed David of Jeremy's death because I knew he would want to know and that having been there, he would impart something of value. He did not let me down.

***************************************************************************************************

David shared with me the following email he received from Fred Newton, a man we both know and admire:

David, I did not call yesterday because I know how much you loved Sylvia.
I am sad for you,but I am unusually happy for Sylvia. The joy that we must
have when our soul first experiences after life must be that much greater
for her when her soul experiences the freedom to be unbound by her wheel
chair and the bodily limitations she had in life.

My wife often bought baby ducks for our children. I do not know if you
have ever seen it but the boundless joy and excitement that those ducks
have when they first find water at a few weeks old is amazing, heart
warming, and confirming of God's plan. I hope you can relate to what I am
saying about the overwhelming joy of those new baby ducks, because they
are what I first thought of when I thought of Sylvia's soul being
liberated from her wheel chair and experiencing so many new happy things.

**************************************************************************************************

Simply change the name from Sylvia to Jeremy and change the wheelchair to a hospital bed . What a beautiful analogy . David shared this with me and I want to share it with you.

 

The Rosey Grier Story

September 23, 2012

When the boys were young, about 10 and 8 years old, I worked at a hotel in Virginia Beach. We often had celebrities stay at the hotel. One time the legendary football star Rosey Grier was a guest. He was in town to make an appearance on the 700 Club TV show. I had the privilege of driving Rosey to the TV studio and spent a couple of hours with him talking religion, sports and family. He asked me bring my boys to the hotel that night so he could meet them. So I took them down to the hotel later that day and we sat around talking with Rosey Grier. After conversing for a while, Rosey said to Jeremy “You're pretty smart for such a young man. How did you get to be so smart? Where does that intelligence come from?” I think that Rosey wanted to hear that it was a gift from God. But Jeremy glanced over at me and with a grin told Rosey Grier,”Thank you, I get it from my mother.” Years later as a college student at James Madison University, he and some buddies were sitting around watching a movie on TV that starred Rosey Grier. It think it was The Thing with Two Heads. Very casually, Jeremy said that he was friends with Rosey Grier. Of course the other guys said that he was full of bull. Jeremy bet them $20 that he could prove it and they took the bet. He called me and said that he needed the photo of him and Josh with Rosey mailed to him right away. I sent it to him. He won the bet and they paid up! The moral of that story is simply don't bet against Jeremy.

The Pennies

September 23, 2012

When Jeremy was in high school, he worked a couple of summers for the Virginia Beach Department of Parks and Recreation. The Rec department had a program for working parents to have a place their kids could go on workdays in the summer so they wouldn't be at home alone. They'd play games with the kids all day and the kids loved it.

 It was quite affordable for the parents , At just forty bucks a week and open from 8 A.M. UNTIL 5 P.M it was a real bargain. .To encourage people to be on time when picking up their child and to not take advantage of the staff, the department had a policy that every parent signed off on. For every minute after 5 P.M. that the parent was late retrieving their kid, they were to pay one dollar. For example, if you showed up at 5:10, you were to be assessed a fee of $10.00. It very seldom happened and when it did, knowing what a deal they were already getting, they paid up without grumbling. 

One day, a parent showed up at 5:16 to get her kid. Jeremy told the mother that he was supposed to collect sixteen dollars but after hearing her excuse, he told her to just give him a dollar so he could show that he was doing what he was supposed to. She went nuts, complaining about the damn dollar instead of being grateful. She told him that she did not have any cash on her and that she'd pay up the next day. And then she stormed out.

The following morning, she dropped off her son, walked up to Jeremy and handed him a piece of cardboard upon which she had glued 100 pennies. Ten rows, ten pennies in each row and said here's your damn dollar. Politely, Jeremy took the coins and gave her a receipt. He took a dollar out of his wallet and put it in the cash box and stashed the cardboard with pennies in his desk.

Now it is a widely known fact that Jeremy has always thought a few moves ahead of his competitor. Much like a chess champion.

A week later, the Rec Department was taking the kids on a field trip. Each parent was to prepay 75 cents for their child to get a soda or a snack while they were on their excursion. That same lady walked in the morning of the field trip and handed Jeremy a dollar bill for her kid's snack. Jeremy calmly walked over to his desk, took out the cardboard with the pennies glued to it, grabbed a pair of scissors and cut off 25 pennies. Five rows, five in each row. He handed her the change along with her receipt. 

She took the items from Jeremy, eyes to the ground, tail tucked between her legs, said thank you and shuffled out the door.

CHECKMATE!

 

 

T-Ball

September 22, 2012

So much of Jeremy and what I remember about him revolves around baseball. Jeremy and I played T-ball together as kids. His dad Jim coached. Lynda's post, where I found out that Jeremy had passed, said he passed at 11am this morning. That was also the moment my twins started their very first ever T-ball game.

A Dedication from Jack and Lynda

September 22, 2012

Uncle John

September 22, 2012

Uncle John Schuchert has been a great friend to us all. He has served as an inspiration to everyone in the family. His kindness and generosity is legendary. John has been a good son and has done a lot for Grandma. I owe him big time for that.

He is the real musician in the family. We all dabble with an instrument or two, John plays them. He bought Jack a very nice miniature piano for Christmas. Jack plays with it everytime he is at my house. Maybe his musical talents will show up in Jack's genetic makeup. That would be cool!

In addition to being the IT director for a large law firm,  John is the musical director at a large Chicago area church. He is an accomplished singer as well. Jeremy and I both wished that we could sing. We were envious of his talent. When we try to sing it was often compared to the sound you might hear if Bob Dylan was gargling with a mouthful of aquarium gravel.

John was always a gracious host when any of us would visit him in Chicago. He took us all around that awesome city, visiting the Navy Pier and of course, Wrigley Field.

I have said that Pap (Jeremy's Grandfather ) was the kindest person we know. If he is Number 1, John is definetly 1A.

Lynda and Jack

September 22, 2012

Lynda was the love of his life. Jack was his miracle baby. It was the simple fact that these two people were the most important thing in his life. They were what kept him going far beyond the doctor's prognosis.

They  made him so happy. If you read and listen to the musical dedications from Jeremy, I know that you will understand how much he loved them both.

 

I want to thank you for being his soul mate and for giving him a son that he loved so much.

Pam, his Step-Mother

September 22, 2012

Three years after Jeremy's mother died, I had the great fortune to marry another wonderful woman. Pam has two children that live in Virginia, Katie and Andy. When it became apparent that Jeremy was going to need some help, she insisted that we pack up and move to Florida to help Jeremy, Lynda and Jack in whatever way we could.

She arranged a transfer with the company she worked for. They allowed her to work independently from the rest of her department which was located in Chesapeake, VA. The transfer meant that she would have a 40 mile drive to Orlando everyday.  Pam did this without grumbling. She withdrew a very large sum of money from her own retirement funds so we could buy our house in Florida while trying to sell our old house in Chespeake.

Without complaint, she moved far from her own kids because she knew how much it meant to me to help my son. Her children are still in Virginia and she misses them a lot but has never regretted the move because it was the right thing for me as to do as a parent .

She has been a great help to me and I know that Jeremy appreciated all that she has done for the Schuchert family.

His Mom

September 22, 2012

Jeremy's mom was out of this world. In fact she was from Mars.

Mars, Pennsylvania, a small town about 20 miles north of Pittsburgh.

Jeremy's mother was a school teacher whose students were young men with MS and CP at St. Barnabas Home in Gibsonia, PA.  I believe that Jeremy's love of the nursing home business was passed on naturally. She also taught in Virginia Beach after we moved from Pennsylvania.

She was a country girl that loved the simple life. Her desires to make healthy food for her boys got her deeply involved in home canning. Her homemade jellies were always on the thousands of PB & J's Jeremy took in his school lunches.

She was also an award winning cook that inspired us all to learn more about food preservation. Once on a whim, I suggested that she enter some of her homemade jams in the Virginia State Fair. The first time she entered, she won. She was hooked! For years after that  she entered a myriad of canned foods, taking home dozens of ribbons. Being the competitor he was, Jeremy decided that he was going to enter something as well. He made homemade peanut butter and an assortment of flavored vinegars that also won year after year. The two of them were perennial winners with whatever they entered. Her hero was Aunt Bee.

When she wasn't teaching, she worked at a restaurant at the beach. At some point, we all worked there in the summers. Josh learned about the restaurant business at Seafood Harbor and went on to become a chef while in college. He is still the best cook I know.

Jeremy's mom passed away 13 years ago at the age of 50 after a three year battle with ovarian cancer. I wish she could have met Jack. She would have loved him like she loved her boys.

 

Grandma & Pap

September 22, 2012

If there are two nicer people in the world, I don't know who they'd be. Jeremy's Grandfather (Pap) was the kindest man on the planet. As an adult, Jeremy always strived to be more like Pap. When he arranged the trip for Dee Dee, I told him that he was getting more like Pap everyday. He said that that was the biggest compliment he ever received.

Grandma has been an inspiration to him from the time he was a baby. He enjoyed talking with her and challenging her intellectually. Grandma is one smart lady. Even at 87, she is sharper than a box full of ginsu knives. Up until last year,  she ran her own income tax service, only retiring due to diminished eye sight.

Grandma is a brilliant Scrabble player that had a winning streak longer than Rocky Marciano until the day Jeremy beat her. His greatest victory, is how he described it. He would never give her a rematch as he wanted to retire a champion.

Brother Joshua

September 22, 2012

Like normal brothers, Jeremy and Josh had their moments of sibling rivalry. They'd fight, make fun of each other and two minutes later they were best friends again. They loved doing outdoor things together. Clamming in Ocracoke was always fun,  crabbing in Virginia Beach was another.

The two boys went crabbing one night in the Chesapeake Bay. They took one big cooler to store their catch. After just a couple of hours, they returned home and gathered up every cooler they could find and returned to the pier. When they returned the following morning they revealed their catch. Over 650 crabs! We spend hours that morning peeling and steaming crabs. We shucked until our hands were raw. Resisting the urge to eat them as we cleaned them, we wound up with  40 pounds of crab meat in or freezer.

They did some seriously dumb stuff together too. There is a State Park near where we lived in Virginia Beach called Seashore State Park. During the tourist season, Memorial Day through Labor Day, Park attendants in standard forestry service uniforms would stop each car that entered and collect a $1.00 admission / parking fee.

About a week before Memorial Day, before the real attendants starting manning the booth,  Jeremy and Heath a friend of Jeremy's, concocted a plan in which they would dress younger brother Josh up in a boy scout uniform and have him hand out admission tickets that they found in the empty guard booth to all incoming cars and collect the dollar fee. Josh agreed to be the attendant, as though he had any choice in the matter, while the two older boys would hide out in the woods by the entrance to warn him if a policeman or a real park ranger was approaching. A couple of dozen drivers fell victim to their scheme.

They came home later that afternoon with a huge bag filled with Burger King food. When I asked where they got the money for all that food, Jeremy told me the story. He was proud of his successful plan. I know I should have been pissed but in all honesty, I thought it was pretty creative and darn funny. I could not help but to laugh.  Being a good Dad however, I made them give me a Whopper or I'd rat them out to their mother. 

When Jeremy moved to Florida, Josh came down here from Northern Pennsylvania and helped him renovate some rental properties. Josh is a contractor, quite skilled in carpentry and is a world class Jack of all Trades. They  had great respect for each others talents. Good kids, Good brothers. And I am so proud of both of them.

 

Jeremy and Katie

September 21, 2012

Jeremy wanted people to treat him like they did before he got sick. He wanted as much normalcy as possible. That meant talking about baseball, fishing with Josh and visiting with friends and family provided they did not offer sympathy. He wanted to spend what time he had left just being Jeremy not the poor patient. We have a saying about where you can find sympathy. He never searched for it.

He talked about how much he enjoyed his visits with his step-sister Katie. Katie is smart. He liked being with people that put a value on knowledge. In his words,she never treated him like an invalid. Katie and Jeremy both graduated from James Madison University. I think that he may have played a part in her decision to attend JMU and to enjoy her time there to the fullest.

Katie, we want you to know that your contributions to making his life better are truly appreciated.

More

September 20, 2012
Bobby Darin-More

I guess you could say that Jeremy had an eclectic taste in music. From Glenn Miller and Frank Sinatra to Men at Work and Devo. From Wheezer and Green Day to Harry Connick Jr. and Bobby Darin. 

Always the planner, Jeremy preselected this song as performed by Bobby Darin as another dedication to his beloved wife Lynda and his precious son Jack.

 

More than the greatest love the world has known
This is the love that I give to you alone
More than the simple words I try to say
I only live to love you more each day

More than you'll ever know
My arms long to hold you so
My life will be in your keeping
Waking, sleeping, laughing, weeping

Longer than always is a long, long, long time
But far beyond forever, you'll be mine
I know I never lived before
And my heart is very sure
No one else could love you more...

 

I'm on your side , When times get rough

September 18, 2012
Simon & Garfunkel - Bridge over troubled water (with lyrics)

'Guffy' McGovern had them in the outfield. George Bailey had Clarence. And we had them right here in our house. I am, of course, talking about Angels. Ours were not Hollywood creations.

It is said that Angels are here to help steer us through the difficulties we encounter by providing insight, awareness, support and encouragement in every situation that is faced in a human's lifetime. This is the very definition of the role the angels played in Jeremy's life. Our Angels were the wonderful ladies from the Hospice of St. Francis in Titusville, Florida.

 Dawn, Debbie, Robin, Janice, Gidget,  Dr. Galfo and the entire hospice staff treated us with compassion and a level of care that far exceeded our expectations. They provided medical care for almost two years.

His will to live kept Jeremy with us much longer than the ordinary hospice client. They could have bailed out long ago when the insurance coverage ran out, but they did not. Jeremy was a real person to them not just another patient or a case number. I am willing to bet that every person that they care for is treated in the same respectful manner.

 They were always cheerful and came in with a smile. They took the time to get to know him as a person. There were conversations about cooking, sports and family. It wasn't just all medical talk. At times, it was more like a friend popping in for a visit than an exam. He felt like he was in good hands and important. Jeremy always felt a little bit better about the situation after their visits. They never took away his dignity and most importantly, they never took away hope.

 With true admiration and gratitude, I dedicate this beautiful song to them.

 

Please consider making a contribution in Jeremy's name to the Hospice of St. Francis so that they can continue their excellent work and help others like they helped us..

 

Please send your donation to:
Hospice of St. Francis, Inc.
1250-B Grumman Place
Titusville, Florida 32780

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Train

September 14, 2012

Jeremy and I worked for many weeks on the train set for Jack. He wanted to make it representative of Rockledge, Florida, Jack's hometown. You will see Rockledge Gardens, Ashley's, McLarty Park and Harvey's orange groves. In the background sits the Wildlife Refuge complete with alligators.

You will also notice Jeremy's Hot Dog Stand. Although not a real Rockledge business, it was a dream of his to open a Hot Dog Restaurant that would feature a variety of hot dogs and toppings like those he sampled on his tour of America's ballparks.

This special gift for Jack from Daddy will always be a special part of our Christmas decorations.

 

 

Egrets, I've seen a few, But then again too few to mention.

September 13, 2012

As a Sinatra fan, Jeremy couldn't help but paraphrase a line from The Chairman of the Board's My Way.

He was a very accomplished photographer and enjoyed taking pictures of the wide assortment of birds at the Merritt Island Wildlife Refuge. We'd go there pretty often so Jeremy could shoot gators and birds.

Look at the gallery for more of his wildlife photographs.

The BIG SHOE DANCE

September 10, 2012
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Jeremy and Josh could really bust a move to this tune! You will surely hear Wagner's Bridal Chorus, Here Comes the Bride, at every Schuchert wedding. But you can bank on this happening  at every Schuchert  reception and party. It has become a tradition.

You must learn this dance, Jack! It is your duty as a Schuchert to have fun and be a goof every now and then.

Centerfield

September 10, 2012

A Dedication from Jeremy

September 9, 2012
I Remember You----Slim Whitman-[www_flvto_com]

A few months ago, I played this song for Jeremy.   He told me to play it again some day and dedicate it to Lynda.


I remember you
You're the one who made my dreams come true
A few kisses ago

I remember you
You're the one who said I love you, too, I do
Didn't you know?

I remember too a distant bell
And stars that fell like rain out of the blue

When my life is through
And the angels ask me to recall the thrill of them all
Then I shall tell them
I remember you

 

Quotes from His Friends

September 8, 2012

 

Josh KelloggNot so much words, but how to treat people. In school, everybody hangs out with certain types of people. Not Jeremy. He was everybody's friend. I never heard him say anything bad about anybody or heard anybody say anything about him. Some kids had a lot of fun. Some kids were really smart. Jeremy, a rare case, was both.

 

Heath Holden The Bloom Factor: We used to build ramps to jump on our bikes. Jeremy designed them on his computer. This was 1986... Let that sink in. Anyway, there was a guy named Paul Bloom who ALWAYS wrecked on our ramps no matter how small or large the ramp. The computer program would determine the Bloom Factor (likelihood of wrecking) based on several factors including height & elevation, etc.

 

Heath HoldenI was quite enamored by my Wiffle ball pitch, the Killer Kurve. Jeremy was not so impressed.

 

Jaime Sprouse Jeremy is the only person I know of to build a wiffleball field in his backyard. Oh, and the great wisdom of teaching me I have no business playing fantasy baseball! :-) XXOO

 

Stephanie Huggins Jeremy was the admin at my job. I learned from him just to live life...I remember him showing me his wall in his office. He had all of his baseball tickets that he visited all around the world..I love how he just wanted to live. Also one day he called me to his office to let me know that hes going to be a daddy. I was so happy for the both of them..Things that he thought was impossible was possible. I will NEVER forget the joy that he brought to anchor. Awesome person.. Mrs.Lynda continue to stay strong. You are his angel..

 

James Chafin Jeremy taught me: (1)How to buy a limo on eBay (2) how to negotiate an international dispute on foreign soil with French Canadians (3) why unlimited miles on rental cars is essential (4) why you never take your eyes off the road or fall asleep while driving (5) that I'm money and I don't even know it.

 

Heath HoldenJeremy Schuchert, Joshua Robert Schuchert, Trey Hannah(my brother), and I used to go to the beach with one of these small inflatable boats. One of us would curl up in it in the fetal position while the other 3 would position the boat. If done correctly the wave would rush you toward the beach, the wave would break & recede while leaving you momentarily floating in the air (much like Wylie Coyote) before dropping straight down to land with a thud on the hard sand. Fun times .

 

Kimberly Pennington Spencer I learned two very important things from Jeremy...1. We can't play on the same side of the infield and 2. if J is throwing you the ball make sure you catch it with your glove rather than your head!

Susan Fussell Whiteside Another fav song - Take Me Out to the Ballgame. Jeremy taught me the correct line is "Take me out with the crowd" even though everyone always says "to" the crowd.

 

 

 

The Talent Show

September 4, 2012

Some kids sang duets, some danced, some played the piano but only one had the nerve to dress like this and do a stand-up comedy routine. Any guess who that was?

Yes, this is the outfit that Jeremy chose to wear when he performed as a stand-up comic at his elementary school in 4th grade.

Even at age 9 his delivery and sense of humor was pretty darn sharp. The audience howled at his material. I guess that when you don't have to open a book to get all A's in school, it's okay to spend time watching SCTV and Don Rickles.

This is one bit he performed at that talent show:

The bishop decided that he would personally conduct interviews for the bell ringer job at the cathedral. He went up into the belfry to begin the screening process. After observing several applicants demonstrate their skills, he had just about decided to call it a day. But just then, an armless man approached him and announced that he was there to apply for the bell ringer’s job.

Shocked, the bishop said, "But. . .you have no arms!"

"No problem," said the man: "Watch!"

And he began striking the bells with his face, producing a beautiful melody on the carillon. The bishop listened in astonishment, convinced he had finally found a suitable replacement for Quasimodo.

But suddenly, rushing forward to strike a bell, the armless man tripped and plunged headlong out of the belfry window, falling to his death in the street below. The stunned bishop rushed to his side. When he reached the street, a crowd had gathered around the fallen figure, drawn by the beautiful music they had heard only moments before.

As they silently parted to let the bishop through, one of them asked, "Bishop, who was this man?" "I don’t know his name," the bishop sadly replied, "but his face rings a bell."

 

Over the Rainbow / What a Wonderful World

September 2, 2012
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This was one of Jeremy's favorites.  Just  relax, sit back , enjoy  the video and listen to the incredible voice of Israel "IZ" Kaʻanoʻi Kamakawiwoʻole . I hope you can put a smile on your face as you watch and think about Jeremy's wonderful world.

Like Lou Gehrig, he thought he may have been given a bad break. But even until the end, having Lynda and Jack made him feel like the luckiest man on the face of this earth. Although it was much too short, he did indeed, have a wonderful life.

Dee Dee's Wish

August 26, 2012
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This story is but one example of his kindness and caring. He made Dee Dee's wish come true in just a couple of days when a famous wish fulfillment organization said there was nothing they could do to help. He took it upon himself to see that Dee Dee's wish was granted.

 

 

A letter from ericastaley:

Anchor Care and Rehabilitation Centers' Residents' Dream Comes True!
Who would have imagined that asking someone to be a friend on facebook® would lead to a lifetime dream coming true? This happened recently for resident Dee Dee Ryan at Anchor Care and Rehabilitation Center in Palm Bay, FL. Dee Dee is 43 years of age and has 3 wonderful children. She was struck late in life with a fatal neurological disease called Cerebellar Degeneration. Dee Dee has a great spirit and is a devout Roman Catholic. On March 18, 2009, Dee Dee went to the Administrator, Jeremy Schuchert, and asked if he would be her friend on her facebook® page. Without any hesitation, Jeremy said yes. As soon as he received his friend request, he immediately accepted the invitation. To learn more about his new friend, he scrolled through her facebook® page and came across her wishes. She only had two wishes. The first was that she wished she had a million dollars, which obviously Jeremy wasnt able to help with. However, the second wish was something the facility thought they might be able to do; she wanted a hug from hockey superstar and Tampa Bay Lightning Captain, Vincent Lecavalier. So, the next day Jeremy and the Anchor Care team contacted The Vincent Lecavaliers Foundation to see if Dee Dees dream could come true. That Saturday evening, Jeremy, Dee Dee, and Fran Day, a nurse from Anchor Care and Rehabilitation Center, travelled to Tampa to see Vincent play a sensational hockey game. After the game, Dee Dees dream came true. Vincent came to meet Dee Dee; she was so excited to see Vincent walking her way! She had a smile from ear to ear because she was able to meet him. To everyones surprise, Dee Dee had brought an inspirational gift that she wanted Vincent to have. There were pictures taken and then the big moment she had wished for came true: he gave her the hug she wished for!

The Famous Drag Video

August 26, 2012
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Jeremy knew that  it was probably too late for any studies, trials or drugs  that might help him. But he truly wanted to help make a difference for others down the road that could benefit from more Cancer research. He would do anything it took to help with this quest. This video shows the lengths he would go to raise funds for the eradication of cancer. Even in the worst of times he did not let this horrid disease strip him of his sense of humor.

 

There were some that found this video to be offensive. It seems that some  people are  just unable to perceive comical things. Since this was made as a fund raiser and not intended to upset anyone, Jeremy was really irritated by the humorless few that didn't get it. After seeing that his video raised a great deal of money for cancer research, he had just two words for those people.

 

Please consider making a donation to the American Cancer Society for Team Jeremy in the Relay for Life.

 

Contributions may be sent to:

J.R. Schuchert

1425 Golfview Drive

Titusville, FL 32780

 

 

STAND BY ME

August 26, 2012

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