NOTES FOR MY EULOGY FOR TINA SU COOPER, 05.03.22

 FAMILY AND FRIENDS, THANKS FOR COMING.

“WORK IS LOVE MADE REAL.”

 

[COUGH]

FEBRUARY 2004 – TINA CHOKED, INHALED, INFECTED, AMBULANCE

MY DELAYED ARRIVAL AND COUNTERMANDING HER ORDERS

COMA FOR A WEEK

QUADRIPLEGIA, VENTILATOR, SPEECHLESS

EVENTUALLY: I DID THE RIGHT THING; SHE WANTS TO LIVE

100 DAYS IN THE ER

HOME OR HOSPICE, ONLY MONTHS TO LIVE

CHRISTMAS IN OCTOBER?

 

TAKING OVER FROM NURSING SERVICE FOR 17 YEARS:

TERRY BUSH, DIANE BEGGIN, VERLEEN LEWIS, DORI OSKAM, MARY WILKINSON, AUDREY POTTINGER, KATE MURPHY, HEATHER GEIB, JACKIE OAKLEY, ANGELA MULLINGS, DENISE BINNS, ABBY BOPELA, KATHY KARPIAK, STEPHANIE KAUFMAN, BOBBIE RIEMER, KELLI RAMSEY, SONIA RICKS, MELISSA VARIANO, GLORIA WOOD, CASEY PARTRIDGE, BARBARA GEORGE, TARA O’BRYAN

SEVENTEEN YEARS OF “EXTRA” LIFE.

 

WHO IS TINA SU COOPER?

KUNMING, CHINA, WW II, 4/3/44

2^ND DAUGHTER TO DR. AND MRS. SU

MIT, CHIAO FAMILY

ALLIED PETROCHEMICAL FACTORY

1946 TO AMERICA

PROF. SU @ UNIVERSITY OF ROCHESTER

“IRENE AND GENE AND TINA IN BETWEEN.”

ROCHESTER-HENRIETTA HS.

          VALEDICTORIAN, CLASS PRESIDENT, YEARBOOK EDITOR

CORNELL UNIVERSITY, AB 1966 W/DISTINCTION

          PRE-MED TO ASIAN STUDIES (CAT KILLED HER MD CAREER?)

HARVARD UNIVERSITY, MS 1968, EARNED DOCTORAL CANDIDACY

          ASIAN STUDIES

          MRS. INSTEAD: MARRIED DR. KWEN-SHENG CHIANG

 

CHICAGO: EDITORIAL STAFF, ENCYCLOPEDIA BRITANNICA

          THEODORE CHIANG, 1973

          PHILIP CHIANG, 1981

          MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS PARALYSIS / DIAGNOSIS

STRESSFUL MARRIAGE OF A TRADITIONAL CHINESE PROFESSIONAL MAN AND A MODERN, INDEPENDENT ASIAN-AMERICAN WOMAN.

MY 1983 BUSINESS TRIP TO CHICAGO AND CALL. STILL LOVE HER.

“NOTHING HAS CHANGED FOR ME IN TWENTY YEARS.”

MEETING. ALL I EVER WANTED IN A WOMAN.

M.S. REVEALED: USUALLY MILD, SOME SEVERE.

MY SLEEPLESS NIGHT: CAN I HANDLE THIS IF NEEDED?

“WILL YOU MARRY ME?”

“YES, YES, YES!”

 

FIRST:  TEN EASY YEARS OF BLISS.

NEXT: TEN VERY HAPPY YEARS WITH PARAPLEGIA AND HELP.

THEN: 17 YRS QUADRIPLEGIA, VENTILATOR, HOME NURSING CARE (IBM).

 

TINA’S AND MY THANKS TO IBM AND THE NURSES AND DOCTORS.

WE ARE GRATEFUL FOR ALL OUR 37 YEARS OF MARRIAGE AND THE 17 EXTRA YEARS AFTER THE “HOSPICE” ADVICE.

 

WITHOUT TINA, WE WOULD NOT KNOW TED, PHIL, LISA, AND LEO

 

TINA’S DEPARTURE LEAVES A HOLE IN OUR LIVES.

 

POET ROBERT FROST WROTE ABOUT WHAT EVE GAVE TO THE GARDEN OF EDEN (SEE THE MEMORIAL CARD):

“NEVER AGAIN WOULD BIRDS’ SONG BE THE SAME.

AND TO DO THAT TO BIRDS IS WHY SHE CAME.”

 

FOR US, TINA CHANGED SO MUCH, TOO.

 

NEVER AGAIN WILL OUR LIVES BE THE SAME.

OUR LOSS IS HEAVEN’S GAIN.