Eucelta Agnes Herman

MAY 20, 1934 – AUGUST 22, 2016

Once upon a time, not that long ago…it was a Sunday… May 20, 1934, Eucelta Agnes Robinson Herman, our Mother, whom my sister and I have always called “Mommy”, was born.

Mommy was born in Vermont Village, Saint, Vincent, British West Indies. She was the daughter of the late Thomas Emmanuel Adams and our beloved grandmother Eliza Ernester Robinson Walsh, who passed away in 2001.

Mommy had five (5) siblings: the late Selvin Walsh; the late Anesta Walsh; Eldon Walsh who resides in the State of New York; Merlin Adams, who resides in the State of New York; and Thelma Soremekun, who resides in England.

Mommy immigrated to the United States in 1963. She resided with relatives in the State of New York while she attended Nursing School.

It was during that same year that she met our Father, Ignatius Saint Jean Herman, a Laboratory Technician at Elmhurst General Hospital located in Queens, New York. They met at Hanson Place Seventh-day Adventist Church. The date was February 1963.

During the church service, Mommy was talking with her cousins, and our Father told her to be quiet. That, of course did not sit well with Mommy. After the church service, Mommy and her cousins returned to their home for Sabbath lunch, and our Father showed up at her home. He asked to speak to Mommy, and she was brought down to meet him. Our Father asked Mommy what her name was, and she responded, “Eucelta Robinson”. To which our Father replied, “Eucelta Herman”. Mommy quickly corrected him and stated, “No, Eucelta Robinson”. To which our Father stated, No, Eucelta Herman, I was not asking you, I am telling you.”

Approximately, six (6) months after their initial meeting in church, Mommy and our Father were married on August 25, 1963 at Hanson Place Seventh-day Adventist Church. They were the first couple to be married in that church.

One year later, on their first wedding anniversary, my sister, Cheryl Roxanna Herman was born in the State of New York. Six years later, I arrived in the State of Maryland. After my birth, our Grandmother, Eliza Ernester Walsh arrived from Saint Vincent, British West Indies, to take care of my sister and me. In 1977, our family relocated from the State of Maryland to the State of Florida. Our Grandmother remained with us until her death in 2001.

In 1979, Mommy obtained her Bachelor of Science in Nursing Degree from Southern Missionary Collage (now known as Southern Adventist University). Our Father had also furthered his career and education from a laboratory assistant, and had obtained his Doctoral degrees in Sociology and Psychology and became a University Professor; Counselor/Social Worker; and, Community Organizer for the remainder of his life. Our Father passed away in 1993.

So who was Eucelta?

E= EFFERVESCENT:

Mommy was a woman that was always full of life. She was a “fun Mom”, but not a “friend Mom.” She took her parental responsibilities of child rearing seriously. She ensured that our spiritual needs were met – not solely by sending us to Seventh-day Adventist schools for our entire educational endeavors, but most importantly by ensuring that our Christ was in our hearts and home through daily family morning devotions, and evening worships. Mommy was our example of how Jesus wanted us to live. All things that she did was enveloped and doused with love. She was NEVER angry, never entertained a malice thought. She taught us that there was never any place for sadness when God is in control. Her Faith and Trust in God was unwavering. Because of her devotion to instill, protect and preserve our spiritual, physical and psychological well-being, our childhood was truly idyllic.

Mommy was an amazing woman!

U= UNAFRAID

Mommy feared NOTHING. That always amazed me as a child and now as an adult. She taught us that there is no room for fear if we put our entire trust in God. She was an incredibly strong woman. Her faith amazed me, and still does. “Everything happens for a reason”. For Mommy, the reason was never important. What was important was for us to learn to take our life experiences, good and bad, and learn from them, not run from them or find some sort of escapism. . The caveat, however, was in order to properly learn from these experiences, she taught us how to be still and listen for the wisdom of the Holy Spirit. She always made it look so easy to walk throughout life without concern. For her it was extremely easy, because her faith in God was amazing! Although Mommy instilled this quality in us, I struggle still with doubt, worry, and escapism. I used to question “why”, when bad things occur. However, over these last six (6) years, I have finally learned that “why” is not the proper question . . . but rather, “why not?” Why not me when bad news comes my way, or death or disease rears its ugly head. Mommy would remind us that we live in an imperfect world covered in sin. But… BUT … God is stronger than any bad news, disease or death, and He would never place upon our shoulders any burden that he did not already give us the strength to get through. With the exception of our Grandmother and my Sister, I have never known such a strong woman. Mommy remained unafraid up and through the very end. It was witnessing her strength first-hand, and God’s enduring love for me visible through His every day miracles that has brought me through to this point in my life today. Although I know that I still have a long way to go on my path to complete trust, I KNOW that I am not alone. God is before me, behind me, and beside me through everything that this life has to offer me.

Mommy was an amazing woman!

C= COMPASSIONATE

Mommy was the epitome of compassion. I have never known Mommy to place her own needs, wants or desires before that of her family, especially us, her children. Our Grandmother was the same way, as was our Father. We were taught since the day we were born that life is not what we can gain or receive, BUT WHAT WE CAN GIVE AND OFFER TO OTHERS.

Mommy would sacrifice all of her worldly possessions for the sake of her children. My Sister and I were blessed by her sacrifices. Because of Mommy’s sacrifices, we had everything that we needed. Private education from Kindergarten through graduate school was not cheap. However, she was determined that our worldly educational surroundings always maintained the component of the love of Christ that she had instilled in us at home. She prepared us so well for the higher education that we had to complete at private, but non-religious educational institutions, that our faith in God remained strong, and by our actions, we became a source of light and hope for the other students and faculty that interacted with us. Her level of compassion that she instill within us has made us better able to not only tend to the physically and emotionally sick on a physical plane, but spiritually as well. Now here we sit with you today as a Medical Doctor and Attorney, who have natural ability to infuse our patients and clients with the hope, love and compassion that we all seek. Allowing all we encounter to have the realization that people do care, and hope is not lost, even when the outcome is not what was desired. We were always taught that how we treat others, will have an impact on their lives that we may never know or see. But the fact that a person’s suffering may be lightened even in the slightest bit, will always allow the slightest bit of hope to thrive and grow, allowing the Holy Spirit to give these people the strength to endure their respective trials and tribulations.

Mommy did not just shower her compassion upon her family, but to any person that ever crossed her path. As a Critical Care Nurse at Florida Hospital for approximately thirty (30) years, she had the opportunity to touch so many people’s lives, and she took full advantage of her God give opportunities. Even after she retired in 2005, she continued to share her compassion with the sick by becoming a “Pink Lady Volunteer” at Florida Hospital, by delivering mail to the patients, and witnessing to them about the unconditional love of God.

Mommy was an amazing woman!

E= ENCOURAGING

For Mommy, there is no such thing as impossible. She would always tell us as children … and adults that we can do anything that we set our minds and hearts to accomplish, WITH the grace of God. With God all things are possible…she would always say. And she was always right. She taught us that life can be difficult for every human being, and that that was the consequence of living in a sinful world. However, God ALWAYS keeps his promises, always loves us, and will never leave our sides.

As a deaconess of Orlando Central Seventh-day Adventist Church, her encouragement to others was without boundaries. She always visited the sick, called upon the elderly; visited the nursing homes; took care of the homeless and down-trodden; helped the orphaned and displaced children; encourage young single un-wed mothers. Mommy was always busy helping others, and she taught us to do the same. She would always remind us of the hope that we have in Jesus Christ, and that we MUST … at all times…use our hope to uplift others around us. There is no time to wait for someone else to help a person in need. If we see it . . . we MUST help to fix it.

She taught us the importance of how we communicate. She and our Father valued the meaning of words. They taught us to actively listen to what people say to us . . . searching for any signs of sorrow or distress, and to always use our words to build up others, and NEVER to demean, destroy, or denigrate.

Mommy was an amazing woman!

L= LOVING

God’s love is unconditional. If there ever were a human being that could even come close to the love that God freely gives to us, it would definitely be Mommy. There was nothing that we could ever do that would make her love us any less. Believe me, although my Sister was the exemplary student in school – never in trouble – straight A’s – and, always pleasant, I on the other hand was an entirely different story. Ever since Kindergarten, I was always in trouble for speaking out of turn. Sligo Elementary; Orlando Junior Academy; Forest Lake Academy; and, Andrews University I was ALWAYS in trouble for speaking out on behalf of other students that I believed were wronged. The phone calls came on a daily basis. I do not think that there was one (1) day that Mommy did not receive a phone call from the respective principals and/or deans of the schools that I previously mentioned. But it did not matter . . . Mommy did not love me less, she loved me the same, and even encouraged me to continue to fight for the rights of others, at all costs. Now today as an adult, I fight. I fight for truth and justice. I fight for those who cannot fight for themselves. I fight for those who do not yet realize that they have been wronged or taken advantage of. Basically, I fight, and I will continue to fight as long as I see people being treated wrongly or unfairly. Mommy allowed me to develop my personality in such a way, that I had the fortunate opportunity to fight for her life, when she was unable to. For me that was the hardest but most spiritually satisfying fight. I know that many of the hospitalists and other medical professionals looked at me as if I was some sort of crazy religious fanatic . . . but guess what . . .that is exactly what I am. There is no shame is speaking the truth, just as there is no shame is fighting against words of darkness with the hope of light. Moreover, to that extent, I have no shame when it comes to sharing the love of Jesus Christ. But I have to say, fighting on a daily basis with the medical professionals was quite draining . . . but seeing the miracles that God blessed Mommy with, and the two (2) main angels, (Dr, Raul Castillo and Dr. Nicholas Avgeropoulos), that were at my side during Mommy’s battle against Cancer gave me the continued courage to continue that fight to the very end. By the grace of God, those two (2) doctors that God had sent to take care of Mommy, were able to fight her cancer, and allowed her to have a wonderful quality of life for approximately six (6) years. It was not the cancer that took Mommy, but septic shock. Once again, God blessed Mommy with a peaceful exit from this sin-filled world, as she fell into eternal sleep at 2:39 a.m. on Monday, August 22, 2016, and we anxiously await her awakening at the return of Jesus Christ.

Mommy was an amazing woman!

T= TENACIOUS

Mommy would never stop fighting or pleading on behalf of others until, whatever the situation was would be made right. When she would tell you that she would be praying for you . . . she really did, and invited others to also pray for you on your behalf. She was a staunch believer in intercessory prayer. She was a staunch believer in prayer period. Anything that anyone would ask of her, she would do with vigor and strength until the task was completed. Mommy would relentlessly fight for her family, friends, patients and strangers, and would never cease until whatever the situation was either made right or satisfactorily resolved.

Mommy was reliable. When she would say that she would do what was asked of her, she would actually do it. She would not delegate it to anyone else, nor place it to the side to address later. She knew that the future is uncertain for all of us, and the time to act is now, in the present. Mommy could never be described as lazy, or lackadaisical. When she would start a project, she would go full steam until the task was completed. Mommy’s tenacity allowed her to be a dependable resource to others in need. Mommy was happiest when others needs were met, mainly because that then allowed her the opportunity to then share with others the goodness of God.

Mommy was an amazing woman!

A= ASSURED

Mommy always knew that she would see Jesus when He returns to this corrupt world. She knew and recognized that Jesus was her hope and salvation. She has always placed her complete faith and trust in God. Mommy’s life has always been richly blessed. By her strong conviction in God, we were able to see God’s goodness in our lifetimes. The miracles upon miracles that God has bestowed upon our family, was not by chance, but by and through faith. Mommy taught us that we are never alone, and should never be afraid of anything, including death, because Jesus is our light and guide. She taught us that the end of this life should not be mourned, because the glorious awakening is just around the corner for those that sleep in Jesus. She always emphasized that we must always give an account and confess our sins to God, not just daily, but at all times. We are to live in the present. The past is just that . . . passed. The future is not promised. It is in the present that we are able to commune with God and feel His Holy Presence envelop us with His Peace. She always reminded us that we are God’s children, and just as we are her children, we need to obey our Sovereign God. We need to keep our eyes on Him and guard our thoughts and hearts. She instilled in us the hope and belief that we will see our Mommy again on that glorious day when Jesus returns to take us all home with him. She taught us, and showed us by the evidence of her life that our God is truly an awesome God, and that He will never forsake or leave His children. During Mommy’s cancer treatment, she had several other life threatening issues arise, some even worse that the cancer diagnosis. I saw with my own eyes how God could cure some of the medical issues that medical science could not explain. I would always tell Mommy that she is “God’s favorite child”, and even as of August 22, 2016, she would remind me that God has no favorites, and that we are all His beloved children…but I KNOW Mommy was His favorite!

MOMMY WAS AN AMAZING WOMAN!

In Lieu of Flowers Please make donations in memory of Eucelta Agnes Herman to Orlando Central SDA Church