Born in 1961, it was always known that our Chummy had some special talents. In kindergarten he took an IQ test and made an outstanding, definately above-average score for his age. He picked up the piano mainly on his own but then began taking lessons. He had mastered "In the Mood" by age 8, playing with both hands and with the pedals. He strived for perfection, was always smiling and cheering you on, and was never tired of listening to others. At age 19 he moved to Paris, France. He was making a whopping $100,000.00 a week there, but he sure deserved it. He worked around the clock continuously as an arranger, composer, and of course pianist, in many different jazz and swing bands there. He was definitely "livin' it up," as he liked to put it. There in Paris, he spent some of his most memorable and enjoyable years. He attended college in New York, lived there for about nine years, and then moved to the Los Angeles/Beverly Hills, California area. Wherever he went, he brought smiles to peoples' faces, life to the party, and music to the world. His goal in life was to make known not himself, but to make well-known once again Glenn Miller and his Orchestra. He was a very unselfish person. He spent his time loving, giving, and caring. Chummy always saw and brought out the good in others. He offered hope to those feeling hopeless, happiness to those feeling sad, and himself to those feeling hurt and alone. When diagnosed with brain tumors in late March of 2005, he often told those around them to "cheer up. It's not so bad after all. Things are gonna be just fine no matter what." He was a man of great faith. Like everyone, he sometimes had his doubts, but in the long run, he always had faith, hope, and definately love.
After receiving the news that he was terminally ill, Chummy definitely had his bouts with severe depression and anxiety. However, he always said he was not afraid of dying, but only afraid of not being here to take care of us, and afraid of what would happen to his body after he passed away.
On December 16, Chummy finished his chemotherapy treatments and we headed back home to his place, where he began hospice home care. One week later, on December 23, 2005, at 3:28 AM PT, Chummy took his last breath here on Earth, and became cancer-free and pain-free. It was not a last breath of defeat, or one of sadness, but rather one of victory and of happiness to be up in Heaven now. He may have lost his battle here on Earth, but won the ultimate prize of being up in Heaven with the Lord. No matter what happened, he still would have won.
Chummy, you will be missed always. There's no way to even begin to say how devastated we are without you here. No one to talk to, to laugh with, to watch TV with, to get online with, or even to tease! Life has been bland lately. You told me that you'd always be with me, so I'm trying to make the best of things. Without being able to see you and all it's really hard, though. I really miss your smile, as I miss everything else about you. It's really hard to cheer up these days.
We love you very much and will never forget you.
Tell everyone up there "hi" for us.
~Your Folks- Don, Joey, Glenn, Maddie, Molly, Sarah, and Will
Written by "Glenny Boy," as you called me. Remember? ;-)