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Welcome and Opening Comments

by Dr. Tricia J. McMahon, Presider and Friend

On behalf of Dana’s daughter Amy, Amy’s father Charles, and Dana’s dearest friend Vicki, welcome to this gathering in memory of a beautiful Mom, and friend, Dana.

I first met Dana when she, accompanied by Vicki, came to our monthly ‘Threads of Hope’ breast cancer support gathering not even one year ago.  Within twenty-four hours I was the recipient of what I would come to know as a ‘Dana trademark:’ phone messages the very next morning.  One, two, sometimes 3 messages in a row offering her affirmation, insight, sometimes critique (always gentle and thought-filled), in thanksgiving and praise for what she had witnessed and experienced.  Her messages made me smile and feel so good simply because she cared enough to call.

My last such voice message from Dana was on September 16, 2002 after she heard my colleague Cheryl and I being interviewed on KOIT Radio. I always meant to leave her a message back to say ‘thank you.’

I am grateful that we are all here today to remember, honor and cherish Dana’s presence in our lives.  No doubt she is, in some way, here with us because she wouldn’t miss a party with people she loved.  Whether a friendship with her was for many years or only a few encounters, Dana gave wholeheartedly, intensely, thoroughly, effectively and lovingly to all she did, to all she cared for.

I thank you Dana for your persistence in loving me.

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On Sunday afternoon, October 20, 2002, friends and family gathered in the spectacular garden of Dana's best friend Vicki to remember and honor their dear friend.  The Memorial Celebration began with a lovely opening ritual honoring the four elements of creation:  water, wind, earth and fire.  Then beautiful poetry, music and stories were shared in Dana's honor, and daffodil bulbs were planted in tribute to her on-going presence in our lives.  As a closing blessing, Vicki offered a champagne toast in celebration of this special someone we all are grateful to have known, and will always remember. 

As the day drew to a close and most of the guests had departed, Dana's daughter Amy and partner Jeff announced to their families that:  "It has been a difficult week for all of us having lost a mother, friend...and yet there is some good news to share today too...Jeff and I are expecting a baby."

Amy found out she was pregnant while her Mom was away on a vacation to Greece.  Dana passed away suddenly just after returning from her trip, so Amy never had a chance to tell her mother she was expecting Dana's first grandchild.

What an amazing day to be remembering Dana and then also to be celebrating Amy and Jeff's new life.

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Above, Dana's daughter Amy, brother Don, and Tricia plant daffodils at Dana's memorial service. Below, it's Vicki's turn to plant. And just a few months later... the results!

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A Message from Dana's Brother Don 

Dear Family Members and Friends -

Thank you very much for the calls and cards of condolence and for the flowers sent to Vicki Holman's home in Fremont for the memorial.

About 40 close friends, neighbors, and family members gathered at Vicki's home last Sunday afternoon, 20 October, for Dana's Memorial.  Many brought flowers or food.  Amy's father, Charlie Curtis, and his wife, Beth, attended as did Jeff Rice, Amy's fiance, and his mother and two sisters.  Vicki, Dana's best friend in Fremont, distributed the small gifts and post cards that Dana brought back from Greece but never had a chance to give to her friends.  (Dana passed away immediately after her return from a two week singles tour to Greece.  The Alameda County Coroner has not yet determined the cause of her death.)

The memorial was held outdoors in Vicki's beautiful garden under a warm, sunny sky with birds singing and squirrels scampering about.  The memorial was orchestrated by Dana's close friend Tricia who gave the first remembrance, celebrating the four elements of sun, earth, wind and water, reading two short poems, and playing two songs that Amy selected ("I'll Follow The Sun" by the Beattles and "I'm Your Angel" by Celine Dion).  Tricia reminded us that in death, life is not ended; it is only changed.  Vicki then gave a moving remembrance which was followed by remembrances by four friends and neighbors and me.  In closing the memorial, Vicki offered a champagne toast to Dana and invited those present to each plant a daffodil bulb in her garden in Dana's memory.  It was, I thought, a perfect memorial.

Later, after the guests had departed and only family and a few very close friends remained, Amy surprised us with the good news that she and Jeff would be having a baby in May.

I've included below the obituary that Amy prepared and the remembrance that Janice D'Emidio [nee Raab], Dana's best friend during her high school years in the The Dalles, e-mailed to us.

Sincerely,

Don

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Dana's Obituary

Dana Rodman Curtis, teacher, traveler

Saturday, October 19, 2002 - FREMONT -- Dana Rodman Curtis was born June 13, 1941, in Rockville Centre, N.Y., to Richard L. Rodman and Lillian Fuhge Rodman. She died Tuesday, Oct. 8, 2002.

She was the middle child, between two brothers.

In 1942, her family moved to Oregon. Mrs. Curtis later attended the University of Oregon and earned a bachelor's degree in French and German in 1963.

In 1964, she married Charles Curtis and moved to Los Angeles, and then to Fremont in 1967. She taught German and French to junior high school students in San Jose for five years. After the birth of her only child in 1972, she decided to change careers. She earned her technical writing certification from San Jose State University and continued to work as a technical communicator.

She also was very active in local government, serving on the city of Fremont's Human Relations Commission. She lived a full and exciting life with many friends, fascinating interests and a love of foreign travel, said family members. She spent her last days touring the Greek Islands. She is survived by her daughter, Amy Curtis of South Lake Tahoe; and brothers, Don Rodman of New Hampshire and Dave Rodman of Oregon.

A memorial service will be at 2 p.m. Sunday in the garden of a longtime friend. For information, call (510) 657-0369. Memorial donations may be made to HERS Breast Cancer Foundation, 38775 Stivers St., Fremont, Calif., 94536.

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Remembrance by Janice D'Emidio

To those of you gathered together today to remember Dana and to celebrate a life well lived... I would like to add a few fond memories of a dear friend.

When I think of Dana, the words that come to mind are bright, intelligent, energetic, stimulating, enthusiastic--spending time with Dana was often an adventure--sometimes an outrageous adventure (like attending the tent revival in Springfield!) Time with Dana was never dull!

It may seem hard to believe, but Dana's many travels began with a Greyhound trip we took to San Francisco after our freshman year at the U of O. Our mothers saw us off with more advice than two 19-year-olds wanted--but we did go armed with antique hatpins to defend ourselves from the dangers of the "big city"! We visited the haunts of the Beatnik gurus, took a Chinese cooking class in Chinatown...and stayed at the "Y." It may seem tame now, but it was pretty exciting for us at the time--testing our wings for further adventures.

Dana & I might not see one another for several years, but when we got
together, it was as if time had not passed; we would just pick up wherever we had left off. Despite the fact that we had acquired families, jobs, responsibilities---when we got together, we were just a couple of kids again!

In a lifetime we are fortunate to have one or two friends like Dana! I was blessed!

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A letter from Steve Klitzing

Dear HERS Foundation:

I was just searching the web for acquaintances I used to know.  I was once a technical writer.  To my dismay, I discovered that Dana Rodman Curtis had passed on in 2002.  I didn't know about this because I am no longer an active technical writer and I no longer live in Fremont.  I don't think she ever realized how helpful she had been to me.  She was the ex-wife of my high school Social Studies teacher (from whom I took history courses back in the early 70's). She was one of the first people who greeted me, in 1990, into the Society for Technical Communication down in San Jose.  She once advised me to take a desktop publishing course offered at a local college, and was amazed, three months later, when I told her I actually took the course and finished it.  She also introduced me to the Oakland chapter of STC, where I met a contact who got me my first independent contract tech writing job.  Both the college course and the contract job led to my getting hired at a good company as a tech writer, and I was able to settle down and get married because of it.  She also suggested to me that, because I had a degree in computer science, that I should  become a programmer.  In 1994, I did.  And that changed my life for the better.  And that led to my becoming a university and college instructor.  The last time I saw her was probably 1993 or 1994, in Fremont, at the Fremont Art and Wine Festival, where I ran into her in passing in the crowd.  We spoke for a few moments.  I am sorry to find, four years later, that she has passed on.  She was a good person.  And she did more good than she ever realized.  Let this be a lesson, that the seemingly small but positive suggestions we make for the higher good of other people, can have far-reaching positive results that we never know about in our own lifetimes.  That good that we do lives far beyond us. 

Sincerely,

Steve Klitzing
Livermore, CA