I received word yesterday morning from Shari Hampton Garber, that Shirley Hampton, her mother passed away during the night. Shirley was my dad's first cousin, but we were closer together in age than the two of them and from the midst of my young adulthood, our friendship and connection seemed cast in stone. I found both Shirley, and her Aggie husband, Col. John Hampton [Retired, USAF], delightful. They always had fun together and they were fun to be around.
I don't remember the year with certainty. I think it was 1973 or 1974. We were living in Southwest Fort Worth at the time. My grandparents came from Forestburg to visit. While they were with us, we drove over to visit Shirley and John. If memory serves me correctly, we left my grandparents to spend the night and we picked them up again the next day. Shirley and John had just moved into their retirement home, and they had invited my grandparents to visit.
Shirley and John were equally yoked. Shirley had a mischievous smile, a spirited personality, and a heart of gold. From my perspective, those are the building blocks for great stories and a great life. Shirley and John were an equally matched pair who lived life to the fullest and added quality and enjoyment to the lives of others fortunate enough to share time with them.
Shirley was very fond of my grandmother. Her mother was Granny's youngest sister. After moving into their retirement home, it was not uncommon for Shirley and John to stop-by to visit Granny and Granddaddy in Forestburg on occasion. Familial ties strengthen one's identity and no one was more aware of that than Shirley.
Through her due-diligence, Shirley garnered the reputation for being the family historian. She had a treasure chest of old family photographs and she gladly shared historic photographs and the stories associated with the Lander's family history. I marvel at her knowledge and her ability to make the past come alive with details.
My grandmother, died on December 10, 1989, at the age on 90. Her brother Robert, who also lived in Forestburg, died the following day. Since both families would be attending both services, it seemed as though it made sense to combine the funeral services. I was privileged to officiate at the portion of my grandmother's service.
Following my grandmother's service, Shirley sought me out to ask a favor. She asked if I would officiate at her funeral when the time came? I was honored to be asked and it came as an incredible compliment. From that day until now, it has been my full intent to keep that commitment across almost 3 ½ decades. In addition, I was privileged to officiate at Col. John's service several years ago. It was a great honor for me to be provided that opportunity.
Let me hasten to say of Shirley, she always provided me the gift of encouragement. When I expressed the hope of one day being a writer, Shirley gladly reviewed the drafts of what I had written and was a perpetual favorable influence. When it came to having a cheerleader, they didn't come any better than my cousin Shirley.
During my son's multiple deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan, Shirley often offered wise counsel to my daughter-in-law through responses to Facebook postings. Shirley had invested years as a military wife, while maintaining the role of being the primary caretaker for their children. She always advocated for doing everything possible to support John, particularly when he was in harm's way.
News of Shirley's death hurts my heart. It is also coming at a time where I'm at a loss to keep my earlier commitment. I'm still dealing with acute Bronchitis and Laryngitis. In addition, I'm recovering from surgery to repair a ruptured R Achilles tendon. I'm literally off my feet for an extended period.
My heart goes out to Shari, Steve and Sue as they deal with the sadness associated with their mother's death. For many of us, Shirley's mischievous smile, spirited personality and heart of gold will not diminish with the passage of time. The gift of memory associated to her embrace of life, familial ties and quest for all that is good will continue to be a guiding light as we move forward in the future.
All My Best!
Don
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