Friday, July 03, 2009

We Ride the PMC to Honor Survivors and Angels

Each year, we ride the Pan Mass Challenge to "honor" people who have battled cancer. Some have won the battles, some are winning, and some have passed away. Reading the stories from friends, and their friends, about loved ones is a highlight that brings us closer together. I hope you'll add your friends, family, and loved ones to our growing story by commenting to this post, and by joining our PMC PaceLine, a cool fundraising tool in which you can create a rider who'll join my "PaceLine." Please click to make a donation to our effort to fund cancer-curing research at the Dana Farber Cancer Institute.

To start, let me introduce a few people we'll think of as we ride this year. If you'd like to read (a lot) about some very special people we focused on last year, please visit the Team Avanti site.


Ernest H. Bluman
was my grandfather who died too early for me to know him well. Because I lost him at the age of 6, I really never knew any of my grandparents. It makes me sad to have missed that and angry at cancer to have taken my last grandparent. And I'm sad and angry that my kids never got the chance to know my Mom. On the other hand, I also have a great appreciation that we live just 3 miles from my kids' wonderful, generous, funny maternal grandparents, and that they got to spend as much time with my dad as they did before he passed away. ....from John Marchiony

for Bootsie and Charlie Carothers, as well as my aunt, Sally Windle (died of breast cancer at 43), my aunt, Dicker Ryder (ovarian), and several friends who've survived breast cancer: Elissa Wolf-Tinsman, Susan Gallo, Meg Hausman.... from Lalla Carothers

Debi Finnerty was an angel on earth, brightening the day of children, their families, her friends and colleagues. The world was brighter every day that she shined her happy smile and loving heart. She battled valiantly, but lost in 2006.
…from John Marchiony

Jennifer Kay: After a valiant two-year battle with renal cancer, Jennifer Kay, Dartmouth '86, succumbed to the disease on May 1, 2006. In 2001, Jennifer decided that she wanted to use her math abilities to help young, underprivileged women. Without any training as a teacher, Jennifer joined the math faculty at Holy Family Academy in Bayonne, New Jersey and later at St. Aloysius High School, in Jersey City, both inner-city Catholic schools. One former student attended Dartmouth and credits Jennifer with teaching her the skills and fostering the drive needed to be successful at Dartmouth. Jennifer was truly devoted to the goal of promoting and improving the study of math and science by young women....from John Marchiony & Gary Greene

for Eve Marchiony, my Mom, and her best friend Helga Strowbridge. They were quite a pair, playful and just throughout their lives. ....from John Marchiony
They -- Eve and Helga -- both color my life with their acts of generosity and humor.
...from Judy Siegel
Ride for your Mom! I think your rid noble and therapeutic. Good luck and carry your heart high!
...from Jane McKee Douglas

Ev May was one of the greatest friends I have ever had. In a very real way, he saved my life....from Rob Rodgers

for Patrick Rafter, who confronted a cancerous brain tumor ten years ago. He lost half his hair to the chemo, shaved the rest, survived having his skull opened up and yet lost none of his humor and grace, I assume, 'cause he's damn funny and thoroughly genuine.....from John Marchiony

Thanks for sharing! Please add my mom, Nancy Woodbury and four classmates who are surviving and I hope thriving - Sue Garrat, Lois Burrill, Judith Sallet and Emmy Marks. Three of them were part of Junior year Abroad in Geneva. ...from Betsy Rowe


17 comments:

Anonymous said...

Ride in memory of Stephen Voysey's mom, who died of lung cancer in 1968.
Stephen Voysey

Anonymous said...

Ride in memory of German and Ligia Campos.
Judy Campos

Anonymous said...

For Eve and Helga, Rhea and Leslie - keep it up, John and Team Avanti!
Bill Marchiony

Anonymous said...

Thanks for your efforts, I have one brother, a sister in law and a nephew to thanks to past research. Good Luck!
Chris Moore

Anonymous said...

My husband Richard had very aggressive non-hodgkins lymphoma in his lower spine and has been in remission since 2001. Was a rough time. Erica was a baby. He was in NYU for 2 months and then home not working for a year and a half. His sister Rita died 21 yrs ago of an astrocytoma. CNS cancer runs in his family. Good luck on your ride, John and thanks.
Anna DiVito

Anonymous said...

OK, John -- thanks for doing this in their honor and in their memory. Here are some names of people I love dearly who have battled cancer:
Gloria Turnheim -- my wonderful mom, diagnosed with breast cancer during our freshman year at Dartmouth, buried on my 25th birthday. Helga Turnheim -- my grandmother, died of cancer on my 12th birthday. Earl Freer -- coolest grandfather in the world and my favorite partner in crim, died of cancer. Palmer Turnheim -- my darling dad, diagnosed with pancreatic cancer December 4, 1998, died January 4, 1999. Nancy Turnheim -- my sister, died of a brain tumor at age 9. Sandee Smith -- my husband's aunt, lost the battle in January 2008. Pam Champine -- one of my best best friends from my law school days, wife of another close friend and mother of my amazing goddaughter, diagnosed with breast cancer fall 2001, died March 2009. Lynne H. and Lynn G., both of whom were diagnosed with breast cancer and are winning the battle.

Joy Turnheim Smith

Anonymous said...

My grandfather, Jack Gannon, recently passed away due to cancer, as you know, and a friend of my family, and also the mayor of our town, Laura Wheat, has battled breast cancer three times, all successful battles.
Lela Gannon

Anonymous said...

Can I give you names? The world has lost some wonderful people: Suzanne Bennett, Elaine Isenberg and Judy Gordon. Noelie Reed battled and won. Jessica van Lingen is battling for a second time.
Davida Sherman Dinerman

John Marchiony, Co-founder, Team Avanti said...

John Burns, co-founder Rosie Robotics, Team 839, Agawam HS, Agawam MA. John passed 14 April 2008, 3 weeks after Rosie's Chairman's win in Boston, and the day before the team left for Atlanta. A very tough trip for all involved, celebratory and mourning all wrapped up in one.

Dana P Henry

Anonymous said...

My husband Richard had very aggressive non-hodgkins lymphoma in his lower spine and has been in remission since 2001. Was a rough time. Erica was a baby. He was in NYU for 2 months and then home not working for a year and a half. His sister Rita died 21 yrs ago of an astrocytoma. CNS cancer runs in his family. Good luck on your ride, John and thanks.
Anna Divito

Anonymous said...

John,
I've attached a picture of Robin that was taken just months before she died- it was such an incomprehensibly fast trajectory towards the end. I'll be thinking of you as you ride and will be sending prayers of strength (especially for your posterior!). I love the image of Robin hanging out with Eve and Helga- what a wonderful and comforting thought.

Maybe sometime when the dust settles, we could pull off a reunion- it's been much too long since we've all been together.

Much love,

Jen (aka Jenny)

Anonymous said...

Ride for Lena & Jan Sullivan.

Two more victims of cancer. Lena died of cancer in her 80’s in 2007 and Jan, her daughter-in-law, in her 60’s, just a week or so ago (lung cancer). Lena was a smart investor who raised 3 great kids after her husband died young; she was a great cook and a Giants (baseball) fan.

She went on lots of trips with her friends and enjoyed all those adventures.

Lena’s daughter Katey married my Dad after my Mom died and so the Sullivans are members of my extended family.

Jan was Katey’s brother Mike’s wife. She was an OR nurse and a Mom of three.

Let’s beat this damn disease!!

Anonymous said...

Debo Hildreth was my mom's college roommate. She lived in Maine and took me under her wing when we moved here. She was diagnosed with cancer a few years ago and carried herself with grace and courage. No matter how hard her situation was, she always asked me and Olivia how we were doing and really listened. She was so excited when I told her we'd decided to adopt a baby from Guatemala. I'm only sorry Benny never met "Aunt Debo," although I suspect she and Bootsie are getting a kick out of his and Olivia's antics. Like Mom, Debo was funny, smart, and caring. I miss her.
from Lalla Carothers

Anonymous said...

Hi John
Can you please add Barbara Richmond to the list of "fighting and surviving."
Best, best of luck this weekend.
Davida

Anonymous said...

Ride for Doris Kliegman, my favorite aunt.
Dave Metsky
(who added: "Legs of steel, heart of gold, brains of spam.")

Anonymous said...

A couple of more names -- both fighting hard -- my friends Amy (our age and newly diagnosed) and Mikayla (age 7 - just successfully finished more than a year of chemo for a brain tumor).
Joy Turnheim

Anonymous said...

For Denise's Dad, Jesse (angel), and for my Mom Cindy (survivor).
Rob Mosher