LOCAL NEWS

OCT-NOV 2012

COPYRIGHT 2012, The Compassionate Friends, Inc.

LOCAL NEWS

Annual Worldwide Candle Lighting Service

Hosted by: The Compassionate Friends of Southern Maryland On: Sunday, December 9th From: 6:30-8:00 p.m. At: Good Samaritan Presbyterian Church (fellowship hall ) 13025 Good Samaritan Drive Waldorf, Md Please bring a dessert or healthy snack to share as well as your child's picture or memento for display on our memory board For more info or to volunteer with readings or set up/clean up call : Janet Sutton 301-9327335

OUR MISSION When a child dies, at any age, the family suffers intense pain and may feel hopeless and isolated. The Compassionate Friends provides highly personal comfort, hope, and support to every family experiencing the death of a son or a daughter, a brother or a sister, or a grandchild, and helps others better assist the grieving family. For more information call Pat Pruss at 301-934-1688 or email patpruss@, or call 1-800-TCF-7301. Visit our website at

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MONTHLY MEETING SCHEDULE

INCLEMENT WEATHER POLICY: Mtg. is cancelled if evening events are cancelled in that county.

Charles County Group For more information call Pat Pruss 301-934-1688

Calvert County Group For more information call Carol Paschall 301-855-3068

Good Samaritan Presbyterian Church (Fellowship Hall)

Meets the 3rd Monday

13025 Good Samaritan Drive

of the month at 7:30 p.m.

Waldorf, MD (south Rt. 5 across

Oct. 15 and Nov. 19

from Billingsley Rd. next to

Grace Brethren Church)

Trinity Methodist Church (Parlor)

*Meets the 4th Monday

90 Church St.

of the month at 7:30 p.m.

Prince Frederick, MD

Oct. 22 and Nov. 26

(Rt. 231 East, crossover Rt. 4)

St. Mary's County Group For more information call Brandy Tulley 240-434-8414

First Saints Community Church

Meets the 2nd Thursday

25550 Point Lookout Rd

of the month at 7:00 p.m.

Leonardtown, MD

Oct. 11 and Nov. 8

(On Rt. 5, just past Moakley St.,

on the left before St. Mary's Hosp.)

Love Gifts

The Compassionate Friends have no dues or fees. One way you can support us is with a love gift. Many families make donations, usually in memory of their children.

Thank you for the following Love Gifts:

Charles & Elsie Tyler In loving memory of their daughter

Heidi M. Tyler

THE COMPASSIONATE FRIENDS ......OUR CREDO.....

We need not walk alone...We are The Compassionate Friends. We reach out with love, with understanding, and with hope. Our children have died at all ages and from many different causes, but our love for our children unites us. Your pain becomes my pain, just as your hope becomes my hope. We come together from all walks of life, from many different circumstances. We are a unique family, because we represent many races and creeds. We are young, and we are old. Some of us are far along in our grief, but others still feel a grief so fresh and so intensely painful that we feel helpless and see no hope. Some of us have found our faith to be a source of strength; some of us are struggling to find answers. Some of us are angry; filled with guilt, or in deep depression; others radiate an inner peace. But whatever pain we bring to this gathering of The Compassionate Friends, it is pain we will share just as we share with each other our love for our children. We are all seeking and struggling to build a future for ourselves, but we are committed to building that future together as we reach out to each other in love and share the pain as well as the joy, share the anger as well as the peace, share the faith as well as the doubts, and help each other to grieve as well as to grow.

We need not walk alone. . . We are The Compassionate Friends

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***OUR CHILDREN REMEMBERED*** SUNRISE

Please accept our apologies in advance if we have any errors/omissions in the "Our Children Remembered" section.........please call Janet Sutton @ 301-932-7335 so she can print a correction in the next

newsletter and make the database manager aware of the issue.

Timothy Alger Son of JoAnn McMullen October 1979 to January 2000

Carson Daniel Koch Son of Ashley and Mark Koch October 2006 to October 2006

Aaron Blaine Gough Son of Judy and Leon Gough October 1971 to May 2002

Matthew Aubrey Harris Son of Maureen and Keith Long November 1975 to March 2002

Nick Sinfel Son of Becky Sinfel October 1993 to September 2010

Gary Joseph O'Brien Son of Shirley A. Soucy October 1955 to April 2004

Michael Reardon Son of Lynn Bridges October 1983 to December 2008

Michael Martin Son of Bill and Mary Jane Martin November 1971 to December 2002

Heidi M. Tyler Daughter of Charles and Elsie Tyler November 1962 to January 1992

Markus Neal Allen Son of Leigh & Shawnnette Allen October 2004 to February 2005

Donna Smith Daughter of Phyllis W. Smith November 1970 to March 2007

Sarah McSweeney Gray Daughter of Bob and Kathy Gray November 1983 to September 2003

Carl G. Hayes IV Son of Carl & Cheryl Hayes November 1980 to February 2006

Jack Gregory Rogers Son of Helen and Charles Rogers October 1953 to June 2001

Mike Browne Son of Glinda and Skip Browne October 1981 to November 2006

Taylor Hubbard Son of Kay and Wayne Hubbard November 1989 to May 2010

Brandi N. Savoy Daughter of Mark Savoy and Kim Savoy November 1988 to October 2003

JeanVette (Nykki) Nichole' Carter Daughter of Lisa-Maria Carter October 1982 to September 2004

Stephen Justin Dyson Son of Jane and Francis Savoy November 1978 to June 2001

Reality M. Nolen Daughter of Leigh R. Allen & Kea Linden October 1996 to November 2002

Kevin Sperka Son of Lisa and Ken Sperka October 1971 to March 2009

Charles S. Ferguson II Son of Jacqueline Williams October 1976 to June 2000

Jerry Norvell III Son of Jerry & Jessica Norvell October 2001 to October 2001

Kevin Christopher Stavely Son of Steve and Sue Stavely October 1989 to June 2007

Elizabeth Anne Paschall Daughter of Lamarr & Carol Anne Paschall October 1994 to May 1999

John Ward Son of Carole Elliott October 1970 to August 2005

Darnell Gunter Son of Olivia Gunter November 1984 to February 2000

Kevin Jason Proctor Son of James & Brenda Proctor November 1976 to April 2004

Ashley Younger Daughter of Stephanie Younger October 1990 to September 2008

Robert (Bobby) T. Ching Jr. Son of Linda and Carl McInturff and Robert and Diane Ching November 1976 to April 1999

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***OUR CHILDREN REMEMBERED*** SUNSET

Please accept our apologies in advance if we have any errors/omissions in the "Our Children Remembered" section.........please call Janet Sutton @ 301-932-7335 so she can print a

correction in the next newsletter and make the database manager aware of the issue.

Ross Asher Son of Sandy and Alan Asher April 1984 to November 2003

Sharon King Sister of Cheryl Galope March 1951 to November 2008

Chris Rogers Son of Gingell Rogers February 1990 to November 2003

Christy Bowie Daughter of Cathy & Richard Bowie March 1968 to October 1984

Carson Koch Son of Ashley and Mark Koch October 2006 to October 2006

Michael Sandy Son of Mary A. and Stephen R. Sandy April 1980 to November 2008

Mike Browne Son of Glinda and Skip Browne October 1981 to November 2006

Jonathan Chapman Son of Lisa Chapman April 1991 to November 2007

Mary Ann Daugherty Daughter of Norma & the late Aaron Edwards December 1954 to November 2002

Mark DeFranco Brother of April SanLuis September 1974 to November 2003

Peter Krall Son of Lisa and Daniel Krall April 1999 to November 2000

David Locks Jr. Son of Sheila A. Simms February 1980 to November 2006

Paul Nash Son of Joan and Jim Nash July 1964 to October 2005

Reality Nolen Daughter of Leigh R. Allen & Kea Linden October 1996 to November 2002

Brandi Savoy Daughter of Mark Savoy and Kim Savoy November 1988 to October 2003

Adam Sutton Son of Janet and Rich Sutton February 2009 to October 2009

Lily Thomas Daughter of Christina Thomas August 2002 to November 2002

Eric Ware Son of Angela and Byron March 1997 to October 2006

Samuel Gross Son of R. Lenoir Green September 1974 to October 2006

Jerry Norvell III Son of Jerry & Jessica Norvell October 2001 to October 2001

Chris Whetsone Son of Kim Fox December 1963 to November 2006

Laura Hayes Daughter of Lin Hayes March 1983 to October 2006

Nicole Pitonyak Daughter of PJ and Rick Pitonyak February 1991 to November 2008

Kathryn Whetstone Daughter of Kim Fox March 1975 to November 2006

Martha Horton Daughter of Martha and Russ Horton May 1953 to November 1975

Francis Reidy III Son of Francis and Cheryl Reidy March 1981 to November 2002

DeAndre White Son of Cherly and Mark White December 1992 to November 2010

Dawn Jackson Daughter of Diane and Preston Clark July 1965 to November 1983

Noel Reynolds Son of Randy and Jerri Reynolds December 1990 to October 2007

Tionna Renee Wicks Daughter of Ms. Toni Bishop July 2006 to November 2006

The Compassionate Friends of Southern Maryland OCT-NOV 2012 Page 5

Happy Halloween

For me, Halloween marks the beginning of the holiday season. This used to mark the start of an emotional decline that ran straight through Valentine's Day. October has Halloween; November has Thanksgiving Day; December has my birthday, my Cathie's birthday, Christmas, and New Years Eve; January has New Years Day (the day the accident happened) and January 13th(the day she died). So when Halloween came, I would just as soon have gone to sleep and wake sometime in February! As the children came to the door and called out, "Trick or treat", I would cringe because I would never hear Cathie say those words again. That was "then" and 15 years later, I am able to hear those words; and as I hand out their "goodies", I inwardly thank them for letting me remember when Cathie did go "trick or treating" and had so much fun..and having those oh-so very good memories, because they are good memories now; and it's all those good memories that keep me going...even after all these years.

Submitted by: Cherie Gordon, TCF N.dades/S.Browand, FL

Memorial Candle Lighting

The room is dark; one candle leaps into flame. A grieving father feeds another candle, and another, and another. A wave of flame sweeps the ballroom, slowly spreads light of grief, of hope, of love, and of compassion. Healing fire nears me. A nourishing spring rain of gratitude moistens my eyes and cheeks. Compassionate Friends tremble with tears and soft sobs. Mine seems to be the last candle to catch the wave. A toast, a thousand voices echo: "To our children". I say, "Hugs all around" encircle the circular table with Beth hugs strong, loving, and true.

Submitted by: Bill Brown, TCF Albuquerque In Memory of Elizabeth Ann Brown

The First Thanksgiving

Today is Thanksgiving Lord and I don't know what to say. On June 15th of this fractured year, You took my son away. Why should I be giving thanks? It makes no sense to pray. If you were listening to my prayers, You would have let him stay. I have wonderful friends and relatives, Lord. Still, it's very tough. I love each and every one of them and yet, it's not enough. The pain is unbelievable; it cuts right through my soul. Although my family helps me to cope, we are no longer whole. Could you send a sign Lord that heaven does exist? Is my child at peace in a better place, not cursed by You, but kissed? I could give thanks once again, if I knew he was safe and well; and in spite of the hole in my broken heart, survive this endless hell.

Submitted by: Madelaine Perri Kasten, TCF Manhattan In Loving Memory of her son Neill Perri

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