The Celebration of Life

We awoke the morning of Saturday October 18 to a beautiful sunny day - exactly what we had hoped for when we planned the event. Vicky and Mark headed in early to continue the set-up in the basement at Goward House that Vicky, David, and the Madronas had started the day before. On the drive there, as the car turned a corner near Goward House, a bald eagle flew overhead - and the first painting Mark noticed upon entering the space was one Marika had made of a bald eagle. A good ome, we all thought!


The downstairs space looked lovely - it really is a stark room ordinarily, but with the photo displays, paintings, and flowers all over, it was thoroughly transformed. We set up the DVD player so that the slideshow could play on the large screen. The caterers (Cook's Day Off, who did a wonderful job) showed up at 1pm and started setting up, and everything started to fall into place.

Some people started arriving before the 2pm start, and then they just kept on coming in. We had several people from out of town - from Vancouver, Prince George, Montreal, and Washington DC. Marika's sister Gyongyi was present with her husband Jerry and children Randi and Stephen. The room started filling up very quickly and we got to speak with lots of people.

We had to crank the music quite loudly to get people's attention at 315 for the start of the speeches - everyone seemed to be having a good time and very much involved in their conversations. Dad went first, and delivered a moving speech. He had been nervous that he would not be able to get through it, but he did marvelously, adding a few spontaneous touches (and a funny Freudian slip). Then Gyongyi shared briefly about childhood with her sister and how she misses her best friend. Mary Baldwin, a friend of over 40 years, gave a very comprehensive overview of Marika's academic life and accomplishments. And then Annelie Dominik crowned the speeches with a glorious tribute to Marika the artist, ending with a beautiful image of a Hungarian Firecracker letting off an "explosion of energy shooting up into the skies, transforming into an array of glittering stars and a rainbow of color, then descending and sprinkling us all with a little magic."

The party continued fully despite the fact that the main food from Cook's Day Off had been gobbled up! They had seriously underestimated the vibrant appetites of Mum's friends! Fortunately we had ordered some Hungarian apple squares from Mum's friend Katy, and these certainly were welcome additions to the menu.

We were happy that Dr. Wild from Hebden Bridge came by - he arrived in the middle of the speeches and was looking around very intently, taking in the life of a woman he had only known as a patient in hospital. He said that he had had to walk half a mile down the road because of all the cars of attendees - and this was apparently not a Yorkshire exaggeration! Vicky tried to get out to take a picture but with all of the social interactions that spontaneously popped up she didn't get one - so if anyone did get a picture, please send it along!

Near the end of the party, Vicky and Mark presented each member of the Madrona art group with a paintbrush from Mum's collection. It was a lovely way for us to gift her dear friends with something meaningful that they could use.

The three hours flew by and it was a really wonderful party. Of course, more than one person said that they wished Marika had been there - but she certainly was in spirit, and she was the glue that bound everyone together that sunny October afternoon, and who continues to be a part of the lives of countless people. Thank you to all those who attended, and to those who were unable to attend but sent their wishes. Another celebration was taking place in Prince George, and one is scheduled for November 9th at Concordia University in Montreal.