ANITA IRENE WOOTON PLIES’ MEMORIAL SERVICE WAS HELD TODAY AT SADDLEBACK CHURCH in Orange County. La Verle and I drove up in mid-morning from San Diego to join the Plies family in remembrance of the woman who was wife, mother, grandmother – and special friend to hundreds. We knew Anita and her husband, Dan Plies, for more than 50-years, and regarded them with fondness and esteem. In the Christian faith memorial services are intended as life celebrations – and that was certainly true at Saddleback today. From moving songs of faith, sung beautifully by Kim Beaney, to Dr. Donald Hall’s fitting homily; from a wonderful montage of family photos choreographed by Anita’s son-in-law, Ed Komski, to Lifetime Memories shared by two of Anita’s friends, Sue Clarke and Gloyes Prichard, the memorial service was lovingly planned – and carried to perfection. I was especially impressed by Ms. Clarke’s tribute to Anita, her sister in the faith, who had been with her in a bible study group for 30-years. Ms. Clarke recounted those special times, but also shared stories of shopping trips with Anita to LA’s garment district, where they would wander down narrow alley ways hunting for bargains, while lunching on entrées from vendors’ carts. And, given Ms. Clarke’s testimony, and that of Ms. Prichard, Anita was obviously a world class bargain hunter. But, in the most profound, and fitting sense, she was best characterized, Dr. Hall said, by the word, “hospitable”; as Anita was a greatly welcoming person – and lucky were those who benefitted from Anita and Dan’s hospitality. If you’re fortunate enough to have a lived a rather long life, the passing of your friends becomes an inescapable fact, but the Christian faith promises life beyond life; that the journey we run here ends, but a new journey begins. Anita Irene Wooton Plies is now on that journey. May the God of grace and mercy, bless her memory.
Posted on: Sun, 07 Dec 2014 02:49:49 +0000
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