[bksvol-discuss] Re: Sorrowful tidings of Mayrie ReNae
- From: Regina Alvarado <reggie.alvarado@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: <bksvol-discuss@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Sun, 2 Dec 2012 17:57:23 -0500
Lissi:
What a beautiful post. We have lost someone whose legacy is not only her
books but the love she had for all her fellow booksharians. Thank you for
being so kind by letting us know, and I am so sorry for your loss as she was
a good friend to you.
Reggie
_____
From: bksvol-discuss-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:bksvol-discuss-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Estelnalissi
Sent: Saturday, December 01, 2012 10:58 PM
To: bksvol-discuss@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [bksvol-discuss] Sorrowful tidings of Mayrie ReNae
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> http://hkc.im/1ij
Always with love,
Lissi
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