Don't Mourn for Me

   Mother, please don't mourn for me;
I'm still here, though you don't see.
I'm right by your side
each night and day
and within your heart I long to stay.

My body is gone but I'm always near.
I'm everything you feel, see or hear.
My spirit is free,
but I’ll never depart
As long as you keep me alive in your heart.

 
 I’ll never wander out of your sight-
I'm the brightest star
on a summer night.

I’ll never be beyond your reach –
I'm the warm moist sand
when you're at the beach.

I'm the colorful leaves
when fall comes around,
And the pure white snow
that blankets the ground.

I'm the beautiful flowers
Of which you're so fond –
The clear cool water in a quiet pond.

  I'm the first bright blossom
you'll see in the spring;
The first warm raindrop
that April will bring.
I'm the first ray of light
when the sun starts to shine.
And you'll see
that the face in the moon is mine.

 
When you start thinking 
there is no one to love you.
You can talk to me
through the Lord above you.
I’ll whisper  my answer
through the leaves on the trees,
And you'll feel my presence
in the soft summer breeze.

    I'm the hot salty tears
that flow when you weep
And the beautiful dreams 
that come while you sleep.
I'm the smile you see on  a baby's face.

   Just look for me, Mom,

   I'm every place!

         Author Unknown

It is certainly obvious that although David's life was very short he
 touched a great many people's lives by the number of people here today.
 David was always an observer of people and events.  When he felt
 comfortable he would join in.  When David was 3 months old he was the
 baby Jesus for the Nativity scene during the Christmas eve performance.
 Away in a manger was sung by the congregation.  He played Joseph in
another Christmas performance.  During his final days at school last
 year he carried the star of David for his class while they too sang
 "Away In a Manager.  This year he is a Christmas Angel.  For a little
 guy he certainly has played some very important roles.
 David was always interested in watching the birds that visited Grandpa
 and Grandma Reid's bird feeder.  Long before he started school he was
able to identify a large number of birds and make their sound.  Later he
used the bird book to read and identify many other birds .  He always
 enjoyed reading books and doing word searches with Grandpa Reid.
  His most favorite species of bird was Owls.  He could identify every
 owl, where they lived, what they ate and of course his most treasured
 possession "Ollie" his stuffed owl that he was rarely without.
  Although David was faced with this debilitating illness he continued to
 play has favorite game of hockey from his knees.  He was a very
 aggressive goalie and you needed to be careful to watch for the stick
> check to the shins.
  As many of you know David was given the opportunity of meeting Doug
 Gilmore.  David went on for weeks about his visit to Chicago and the
 many treasures he brought home with him. What a treat it was to see the
 constant smile as he talked about his new hockey sweater.
  David enjoyed his many visitors at home and in the hospital. His
 teacher, and classmates who helped to decorate his room with their art
> work.
  There are so many people who have been so supportive with their visits,
 cards, calls, offers to baby sit, drop off food and on and on to Karen,
 Brendan, Brady and Mom and Dad.  On behalf of our family all of these
 offers have been gratefully appreciated.  People who didn't get to know
 David but were still willing to help out however they could really
 helped to make each day a little more bearable.
  The Doctors and nurses who have given so much of themselves to make
 David''s hospital stay as comfortable as possible has been above and
 beyond anything our family could imagine.  They would take time from the
 busy schedules to talk to David , check up on him frequently and to talk
 with us whenever needed.  Their care and respect of David deserves all
 the praise and thanks we can give them.
  Although life dealt David a cruel blow he never stopped smiling, never
 gave up even though each day became more of a challenge for him.  He
 accepted things for what they were and did the very best with what he
 had with out complaint.  Although being only 10 years old he taught many
 of us a very important lesson about life. Enjoy each and every day and
 be the best that you can be. 
Thank you,  David.

Monday, December 20, 1999

For David Stamper's Funeral

Karen has asked me to pass along some thoughts and remembrances of David's life at school.

David attended Turnberry Central Public School from Kindergarten to Grade 4.  I was his teacher for Grade 3.  David came to me in
Grade Three with a keen interest in owls, whales and dolphins, soccer and hockey, playing guitar, and a love of reading.  He was
eager to learn handwriting, multiplication and division and fractions just like any other Third Grader.  David worked with great
determination, but some new skills did not come very easily, and some things that he had been used to doing were now a challenge.

David was very patient as the adults around him arranged for specialists in the educational and medical fields to try to figure out what
was the cause.  Several different paths were followed but none lead to any solution.  Then, after tests during March Break, Karen
phones to tell me the prognosis, and came to give me some information on this disease.  I was heart-broken for David, but his Mom
told me that he was relieved to find out there was a real cause.  You see he had decided on his own that the reason for his learning
difficulties had to be that he was stupid.  Everyone knew that is except David.  This disease with its complicated name at least took
away that idea.

I talked with his class mates on a morning when David had an appointment, and tried to explain the situation as it stood.  I promised
to answer their questions as well as I could and to be honest with them.  They asked about David's participation in classroom
activities, about medicines and treatments, about how David felt.  We discussed the uncertainties and the ultimate certainty of this
disease, and then we tried to pick up the pieces of our routine because David was due back at school any minute.  An atmosphere
of respect, giving , helping, forgiving and encouragement took over in or classroom.  It began for David, but soon grew to include
everyone.  I believe that was a special gift   he gave us.

David was great at sharing.  He shared his trip to Florida, his incredible hockey weekend, his story about a whale named Suzuki. 
One time, when we were in the midst of the Grade Three Assessment Unit, I included David in a story and a poem we were enjoying
about robots.  Even though he was not participating in the Assessment, he always enjoyed being read to, and I thought he might like
these two selections.   The next day he brought in his Buzz Lightyear with all kinds of buttons and lights to activate, and a Star
Wars movie, Because R2D2 and C3P0 are robots.  We watched it for the whole week at lunch time and it was a great anti stress fix
for the whole class.

Our classroom family grew to include Mrs. Werth, who came to be David's friend, care giver and support.  She played an increasing
role in David's life as he moved into Grade 4 Mrs. Folkard's room.

David has not been at Turnberry since last January, but every so often someone asks about him, or a student comments on
something they remember about him.  So you see, he was not really absent from the classrooms and halls.  Several friends visited
him occasionally.  Mrs. Werth has kept us in contact, sometimes delivering books, cards and pictures.

Each of us has a special memory or two tucked away in our hearts.  I treasure a poem about a dog named Floppy, a map of his fort
and sandbox at the farm, a perfect guitar solo of Silent Night at the Christmas Concert, his body language while playing Treasure
Math Storm on the computer, and his giggles at the antics of Biff, Chip and Kipper in the Roderick Hunt stories.  I will never see an
owl, a whale or a dolphin, or read David Suzuki without thinking of David.  I think David would have been a biologist or conservationist.

We gathered David's classmates together last Friday.  They are in two different classes now because of split grades.  The students
remembered and reflected.  To some of them this sense of loss is something they have not experienced before, and they are
struggling to find expression for their feelings.  For others it reminds them of the loss of a parent, grandparent, or a special pet, and
they are dealing with new grief as well as that previous sadness.

I am certain that one of the most important lessons of life has been illustrated for them and for me.  David has shown all of us how to
encounter life and death with dignity, pride, bravery, and humility, and to take joy in the world around us, and in friends and family.

We always live in the hearts of those who love us.

Written by Mrs. Pat Evers