Vera Vee Rah Reay Edwards

I am the proud daughter of Vera Reay Edwards, who arrived at the Pearly Gates in the wee morning hours on New Year’s Eve, 2014, in plenty of time to rest up and put on her dancing shoes in time for her first celestial New Year’s Eve Celebration. So many family members and friends were fortunate to share in Vera’s 94 fun and love filled years. Yet no one felt more fortunate, than I, to bask in the bright light of Vera's love and devotion for almost 7 decades. Perhaps you'll find it interesting to learn that Vera, an Okie from Muskogee, was born to Ora and Roy Reay in 1920. Her only sibling, Bernard Reay, arrived five years later, and from that day forward Vera and Bernie kept things rocking all over Muskogee.

Mom graduated with honors from Muskogee High School at age 16. Then enthusiastically launched herself into the excitement of college life to serve on every committee, campaign, club, and charity available while training to become a champion debater. After graduating Valedictorian, Northeastern Oklahoma State University, at age 20, her first teaching assignment in a one room school house, served students in grades 5-12. Some of her senior high students were older than she, though she kept everyone on track with her beguiling personality and confidence that she could remain ‘in charge’.

It wasn’t long before the love bug struck, and Mom fell head over heels for Franklyn Rose Edwards, marrying her handsome beau after a six week courtship, in 1942. Oh my! Son, Richard Franklyn Edwards, arrived in 1944 and I, Laurel Gay Edwards, joined the family in 1946. Jobs were scarce in Oklahoma, and my Dad heard the call, ‘Go West Young Man.’ So, he loaded up his family and set our course for a new life in the booming town of North Richland, WA, where the Hanford Nuclear Power Plant was under construction, set down in the middle of an immense desert.

Upon arriving in N. Richland, Mom hit the ground running with a new job as a PE teacher at John Ball School and the first female disc jockey for the only radio station in the Tri Cities at that time. Vera was recruited into the Richland Schools to teach speech, drama and social studies at Carmichael Jr. High about the time Dad finished building our W. Richland home, where my parents would remain for the next 60 years. While involved in a highly service oriented teaching career, Vera arranged poetry seminars for public schools throughout Eastern WA, earned runner up status for the Woman of the Year in Richland, organized the Richland Girl of the Month Recognition Programs, and established the scholarship program for the Richland Schools. Vera also penned the first Junior High Speech Program for Eastern WA in the 50's along with a supplement to WA State History Curriculum for Secondary Schools.

Vera moved to Chief Jo Junior High when Rick and I entered Carmichael in ’58. Mom earned a Master’s Degree in school counseling at Whitman College, Walla Walla, WA. Vera, one of the first full time counselors at the elementary level loved her young counselees, but her true calling was satisfied through an invitation to transfer to the brand new Hanford complex, where she was delighted to counsel 7-12th grade students. BTW, did you know that Vera wrote the school pep song for Hanford High School? Go Falcons!

In Vera's spare time, she and Frank became owners of the Great Northern Parakeet Company, housing over 1500 rare breeds of parakeets. Vera served as a reporter for the Tri City Herald and achieved top salesmanship status for Lawrence Mabry Real Estate in Kennewick. Upon retirement from teaching and counseling, Vera became very active in WEA-R, and served as chair of the communications committee and editor of the WEA-R newsletter. She dove into the WEA-R political campaigns to elect both a WA state Senator and Congressman. Vera also created Vera's Verses featuring her own poetry. Vera enjoyed her role as a district officer for her beloved Altrusa Service Club, helped form Desert Vision (a program to help street kids in Mid-Columbia), volunteered at the Domestic Violence Center, and worked for the Tri City Blood bank (where she was fondly called the 'head vampire'). Bethany Church was a favorite of Vera's. Born into a Southern Baptist traditional home, she was relieved to join a Presbyterian Church where ‘dancing’ was allowed. Woo Hoo! There Mom served as a church Deacon and pianist. With Vera on the piano and best friend, Mayme Brown on the organ, the congregation enjoyed plenty of toe tapping fun throughout the Sunday morning services.

Happily, Rick married his high school sweetheart, Patricia Krueger, and they presented our family with a beautiful child, Shannon Edwards. Shannon gifted us with Mom’s precious great grandchildren, Cannon and Cate Cartier. These youngsters brought joy and pride to their great grandmother over the years.

All of the above is interesting and certainly provides a nutshell view of Vera's exuberant lifestyle and personality. Yet, as Vera’s daughter, the following is what I’d really like you to remember about my Mom. Vera was a Wizard with Words. She had a knack for making you laugh and cry in the same verse of the countless poems, stories and eulogies she created over the years. Vera reached out to strangers with the same loving energy and compassion that she bestowed on her family and friends. She never wasted a precious day of life with regrets or depression. Vera was a pick yourself up and dust yourself off kind of gal. With a silly facial expression or a corny joke, she'd have us in stitches on even the darkest of days.

Following all of her happy times and community building during her first 84 years, I felt distraught to ask Mom to give up her friends, her work, her beloved church and community, to begin anew with me in Spokane. By the year 2004, Dad and son Ricky had gone home to God, and the need for a daughter's watchful eye had become apparent. From this point forward, it was just Mom and me…just the two of us…and the gazillion new friendships Vera would create in Spokane. Fortunately, we both had the wisdom to select a large independent living facility as her first home in Spokane. As was her style, Vera hit the ground running, declaring herself the official greeter and social butterfly of a community of 100+ residents at Harbor Crest, South Hill Spokane. Amidst daily social events, she met and fell head over heels, once again, with the second love of her life, William Carr. Bill was a fabulous addition to our lives and brought with him a loving and delightful family. We called Bill and Vera, THE TWINS, because they were inseparable for the next four years. Bill, a fabulous dancer and big kidder, kept Vera happily entertained; so it was no big surprise that they asked us to help them create a public commitment to one another. What became one of our happiest memories ever, on March 9th, 2009, Bill’s kids and I orchestrated a delightful commitment ceremony for Bill and Vera, complete with a room full of loving friends, flowers, cake, minister and dancing to an album of my Bro’s own country western band. Such Joy!

As time marched onward, we lost our dear Bill and it seemed time to move Vera to a much smaller, more family oriented setting. Again, I felt concern. Would Vera adjust to a home with only 6 residents and 24/7 caregivers? Hmmmmm… this was my social butterfly I was asking to move into a totally new and much quieter setting. We were immensely fortunate to find Bella Vita ~ A Beautiful Life ~ adult family home. And much to my delight, my Vera Doll hit the ground running, once again declaring herself the official greeter and ‘mood elevator’ as each new resident arrived. Mom, still highly mobile, never passed by a resident's chair without a pat on the shoulder and an “I love you” deposited into each friend's sweet ear.

Vera was spirited, like a young foal in a full out dash on an early spring morning. Vera danced her way through life, enticing everyone she met to find the ‘magic’ of life, the love in relationships, and the inner strength and compassion to go the extra mile for those less fortunate.

For me, Vera Reay Edwards, was the finest example of one's ability to embrace JOY throughout the challenges and opportunities innate to humanness. Vera remains my Mother, my Best Friend, my Soul mate. I was born lucky, it seems. Lucky to have a Mother who truly ‘got who I am’, my champion, my mentor, my protector. The last ten years of Vera’s life were devoted to reminding everyone she met just how unique and special they were to her. She modeled how to spread unconditional love liberally, selflessly, and to greet each fresh day with gusto and a full dose of humor, while singing ‘full volume’ with the birdies upon rising.

Vera is ‘up there’ now. Watch out, God! She’s arrived with her own agenda, and a long list of vital new committees to chair. And it’s surely a given, that Vera has appointed herself the official Gossamer Winged Greeter just over there at the Pearly Gates. So, please, if you arrive before I do, give my beautiful Vee Rah a big hug and kiss for me. And remind her that all of us lucky enough to have enjoyed her guiding light on this earth plane, are doing our very bests to spread the love that she so joyously sprinkled within our hearts.

Lovingly, Laurel Gay