Words of Tribute

Marian H. Widdifield

On Saturday evening March 23rd 2013, we said our final farewells and I Love You’s to a vital  individual within our two families. We bid our goodbye to my wife Penny’s mother, Marian Helen Widdifield.  She  was finally overwhelmed in her 9 year long fight against Alzheimer’s disease. At the time of her passing, Marian had been a resident of the Asian Community Center Nursing Home for over five years.

Marian was the reason we retired my wife from her career in 2004 in order to transition Penny into her challenging new role as a full-time caregiver. Primarily for both of her parents, but mostly for her mother who appeared, at the time, to be under the clutches of AD. Since we began our caregiving activities on behalf of her, in time, we learned that AD had probably gained a foothold with mom as many as 15 to 20 years earlier.

Marian, for me, also came to be that spark, that igniting force that compelled me to begin researching about AD and dementia and to consider taking up writing and blogging as my vocation in the later years of my life.

Marian’s wish was that she be cremated with her urn placed in a niche at the East Lawn Cemetery on Folsom Boulevard in Sacramento, California. A gathering at the chapel in that facility followed by her placement in her niche for close family, friends and caregivers has been scheduled for Friday April 19th 2013. 

Mom had a zest for life and her family. Penny and I drew inspiration from her each day in terms of how she persevered against Alzheimer’s.  Penny, in particular, was able to tune in to her mom and learn the sign-language-like subtleties, of quirks, nods, emotional moods and vocalizations that is a challenge to interpretation but is known as “Alzheimer’s World.”

God Bless You Mom. We are all Thankful for what you bestowed upon us and all of that wonderful spiritual energy that came across in the makeup of who you were. You  will always be remembered for your courage, positive spirit and feisty tenacity.

Jeff Dodson

March 26th 2013