Billy Dean Stearman, 1928-2007

My father passed away on Thursday, April 26, 2007. The good thing about Dad's passing is that he saw it coming. He was told that he was dying and had days to live, so he was able to say goodbye. I talked to him on the phone the day before he died and he told me he was not afraid of dying, not at all, but he wasn't in a hurry either and would try to be there when I arrived, but he passed the day before. My dad loved to talk, and even though he would have to stop and catch his breath, and his voice was wheezy, he talked and sang his way to death's door. He decided to die at home, and so arrangements were made for hospice care. He gave directions to the ambulance drivers and told them, just a quarter mile now, but those were his last words. As they were wheeling him into the house on the gurney, they look down and saw that he had gone still. They got a faint pulse, but he passed quickly. He made it home, but just.

The Memorial was organized very quickly, but everyone worked on their part of it. It was a beautiful service, lasting for an hour-and-a-half and attended by around 100 people. There were four ministers, including a catholic priest with whom dad was friends and shared a birthday (year and date). He joked before his death that he had been administered to by ministers from our church and given absolution by Father Kaiser, so he was prepared to go.

I organized a slide show with photos I had scanned at home and photos sent to me by other relatives. I selected the song: "I'll Fly Away" from the movie soundtrack of "O Brother Where Art Thou." I liked the message, but also the old-time country gospel feel and sound. I knew my father liked classical music and had originally thought to go in that direction, but this song changed my mind. When I played the slide show for family, my nephew Luke recognized it immediately as one of Dad's favorite songs, one that he listened to in the car and sang along with. Later, my brother, Jerry, told me it was probably the last song Dad ever sang, because he sang it to his roommate in the hospital.

On Tuesday, May 1, Dad's urn was placed in the mausoleum at the Veteran's Memorial Cemetery in Higginsville, MO, receiving full military honors.