In Memoriam (by Renelle)

Have you ever asked yourself, when something is donated “In Memory” of someone, what that person was like?  Saltmarsh Insurance, one of our sponsors gives their sponsorship

                                               In memory of Kathy Wright

Who is Kathy Wright?  Some of you will remember Kathy fondly.  Others of you never had the pleasure of knowing her.   Let me tell you a little bit about her.   Kathy Wright was an alto with the Mishawum Choral Society.  She sang with our group for at least 20 years.  During that time she served on the board of directors in several roles.  I first met her when I became a member of the group in 1995.  Kathy had this infectious laugh that drew you to her.  She had a quirky sense of humor and she would do anything for a friend.  There was a time when our chorus was experiencing some major difficulties.  To name a few; we had no funds, barely any men (1 tenor and 1 bass does not make for a good choral balance), the IRS wanted taxes from the group since we were not set up correctly as a non-profit, loss of a past president (this was an office at that time) and a current president resigning due to health issues.  I was the vice president during this time.  Everyone knows that VP’s don’t do much, or so I thought.  I was immediately thrust into the nightmare presidency!   Without missing a beat, Kathy stepped up and assumed the office of VP without even being asked.  She gave of her time and talents freely.  Needless to say, Kathy and I grew very close.  We spoke to each other nearly every day.   That hearty laugh and sense of humor of hers kept us sane.   We miraculously recruited a very respectable men’s section.  We amazingly didn’t go broke.  We stunningly got our non-profit issue straightened out and did not have to pay taxes.  I never could have done this without Kathy’s strength and assistance.  When it was finally time for us to step out of our respective offices Kathy really showed her hilarious self.  She got a small token gift for every single member of the group and gave them out with great flair at the annual banquet.  To give you a sense of the merriment of that evening, Kathy gave Phil Amisano a package of Twinkie’s since she had accidentallly sat on his and squashed them.  Our director got a roll of toilet paper in case of an emergency for her long ride home after rehearsals.  This went on all evening.  We sure did laugh a lot at that particular banquet!  Kathy continued to sing alto until she encountered some major health issues.  Her final concert was the Christmas Concert of 2008.  I was filling in for our accompanist, who was on maternity leave, for this concert.   I had been reluctant to fill her very talented shoes but was encouraged to do so by a very enthusiastic Kathy.  After the concert, Kathy hugged me tightly and told me that she was proud of me.  As I said before, Kathy and I grew very close.   We’d order fabulous steak tip subs from Gloria’s Pizzeria (another one of our sponsors) and spend Saturday evenings together.  She got me addicted to the television show 24.  I would go to her house and we’d binge watch an entire season at once.   When her health made it impossible for her to continue to sing with us she was able to attend one final concert.  She sat proudly in the audience, smiling brightly and clapping loudly.  I knew that this was very difficult for her and that she had a heavy heart because she was not performing with us.   She and I continued to remain close and spent many hours together.  I will state this yet again, we were very close.  I was with Kathy, holding her hand, when she took her last breath.   This amazing woman, taken too young at age 61, would no longer raise her voice in song with us.  Kathy loved the Mishawum Chorale.   She gave freely of her time and talents to the chorale. It was a very big part of her life, as it is of mine.  This group forges great friendships like this one.  I miss Kathy and her gift of song, sense of humor, and that infectious laugh.  I greatly appreciate that her employer continues to honor Kathy with a sponsorship to a group so significant to her.   I am thankful that you have allowed me to reminisce and tell you a little bit about Kathy.   Here’s to you Sherman Saltmarsh and to you Kathy Wright.

Note from your Webmasters: Thank you Renelle for sharing!