[bksvol-discuss] Re: Sorrowful tidings of Mayrie ReNae
- From: Cindy Rosenthal <grandcyn77@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: bksvol-discuss@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Sat, 1 Dec 2012 20:19:03 -0800
Dear Lissi, thanks for that beautiful obituary; I have nothing to add
except that I also remember that she was willing to be a mentor a job
which requires not only a lot of time but an ability to express one's
self with clarity (which also takes a great deal of time and effort (so I
don't offer) . And if I remember correctly, she brought in her daughters
and their friends --Girl Scout troop? to help scan and proof books for
young people like The Princess Diaries (a long series which would have
taken forever f not for their work. And she was a wonderful organizer and
helped me to put various lists of who was doing what into useful lists
instead of the scattered messed up lists they were. She will be missed,
but I am glad she died peacefully n her sleep and is no lunger suffering
she was.
Cindy
On Sat, Dec 1, 2012 at 7:57 PM, Estelnalissi <airadil@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> Dear Booksharian Friends,
>
> On the last morning of November Mayrie Renae peacefully died in her sleep.
> She wasn’t finished living and loving and being a dynamic force for good in
> Bookshare, but she was spared increasing suffering as her illness worsened.
> I finally brought myself to write to you because I think it is better for
> you to hear this from a friend.
>
> I am passing this sad news along today so that we may react as caring
> friends and volunteers this weekend expressing our grief and comforting one
> another unencumbered by list rules and guidelines for if there is ever a
> time when our community feelings are more important than the business at
> hand, it is now.
>
> In my case Mayrie was a cherished friend and usually, though not always, a
> like-minded volunteer.
>
> She was an impeccable proofreader and scanner. Initially she set out to
> make many more books available to young readers. Eagerly she incorporated
> tips she gathered from this list and was soon developing new ones of her
> own. She recruited the help of volunteers who, like herself, were committed
> to dependability and accuracy. Her prodigious output proved to volunteers
> and to the Benetech staff that blind Booksharians could produce accurate
> work at speed. In fact, she was hired as a professional proofreader and
> expanded her skills to include list advisor and technique developer while
> at the same time continuing to scan books for long-time friends and
> newcomers.
>
> Mayrie set a high example of work ethic for volunteers and staff alike. In
> answering questions on and off list she was patient. Without neglecting the
> wishes of her friends, she found time to train and channel scans to
> beginning volunteers. She adjusted to change gracefully. When many of our
> books were replaced by PQ books, she celebrated the overall gain to readers
> though her entire Sammy Keyes series was replaced along with many other of
> her submissions. Mayrie respected confidences and never gossiped or
> fostered any kind of hard feelings. If Mayrie had a fault it was believing
> that anyone, paid or unpaid, could work with her tireless dedication.
>
> Please know I’m writing as Mayrie’s grieving friend and not officially.
> Mayrie and I fed each other’s passion for books and Bookshare. By example
> she showed me how to keep the goal of helping develop a huge accessible
> library before any frustration or hurt feelings. Negativity must never
> obscure pursuit of the greater good Bookshare accomplishes.
>
> I want to wind down on a more personal note. I believe Mayrie wouldn’t
> mind me sharing a few facets of her sparkling personality.
> Mayrie loved chocolate and peanut butter, especially peanut butter pie.
> She was always in search of a recipe for putting more peanut butter in
> cookies while maintaining good texture and improving flavor.
> Mayrie loved books where the woman got her man as well as mysteries and
> well written books for teens and middle-schoolers.
> She loved coffee.
> She was far more likely to cry tears of compassion than of self pity.
> She loved teamwork in the kitchen with John.
> She let the child in her enjoy children’s music and build with Legos.
> Keeping promises was important to Mayrie.
> Nascar on the radio was fun.
> Exercise wasn’t fun.
> There was nothing more satisfying than contributing a complete series of
> books to Bookshare.
> The artist in her chose colorful skirts and played guitar.
> Mayrie’s winters could be dreary and her summers too hot.
> She was gleeful when she found ways to work around any roadblocks posed by
> her blindness.
> Potatoes with the skins on roasted with butter and Lipton’s dry onion soup
> on top were one of her favorite side dishes.
> She was a fan of folk and country music.
> No librarian could have kept the prodigious number of print books she
> hoped yet to scan better organized.
>
> Mayrie was such an intelligent, vibrant person. But think, she was but one
> of many of Bookshare’s fascinating, vibrant volunteers, staff and members.
> With each person lost and gained Bookshare’s history and future grows
> richer.
>
> Mayrie left us the link to a song to help us cope with her passing.
>
> http://hkc.im/1ij
>
> Always with love,
>
> Lissi
>
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