Saturday, November 24, 2012 • The South Whidbey Record
www.Southwhidbeyrecord.com
Page A9
turkey CONTINUED FROM A1
Wednesday night at St. Hubert Catholic Church in Langley. Head cook Al Jones had already cooked 17 turkeys, deboned them and taken them to the Langley United Methodist Church to be refrigerated over night. “We’ve got lots of help,” Taylor said. St. Augustine’s and Trinity Lutheran were also involved, as well as many others who just wanted to help. Sixty or more volunteers helped organize and deliver the meals Thursday. “There’s a lot of people helping make Tommy’s dream come true,” he added. The Mobile Turkey Unit has extended its reach considerably over the years. One special delivery meal was made to a Navy pilot shipping out to Afghanistan in the next few days. His wife in Southern California had called the Mobile Turkey Unit last week. She said it was the first Thanksgiving that he hadn’t been home with her and their two young kids, so the MTU made the special delivery. Another driver called Taylor at St. Hubert’s to say
Laura Canby photos
Laura Canby photo
The two food assembly lines completed packaging 380 meals within an hour and a half. that 14 homeless people were waiting at the Bayview Valero. “This was the first time we’ve had people waiting at one of the service stations we deliver meals to,” he said. At 8 a.m. volunteers ringed the walls of the community room at St. Hubert’s while Fr. Rick Spicer said
a blessing on the effort. Then the food assembly line began. They completed assembling the meals by 9:30 a.m., when the first drivers arrived. Final cleanup was completed by noon, though most volunteers were gone to start their own Thanksgiving meals by 11 a.m.
“This was the first time the event was held at St. Hubert’s and it went very smoothly. We are all looking forward to next year and would welcome a few more people on the organizing committee,” said one of the organizers, Laura Canby.
Th ank You
Dear Friends, With all the fervor of the general election behind us, I wanted to take this opportunity to thank all the hard-working and dedicated individuals who made it all happen. Campaigns offer a unique opportunity to share views on how our government should be operated. Everyone wants the very best for our district, state and nation. I want to thank Mary Margaret Haugen for her service over the past 30 years and wish her the very best for the future. I especially want to thank the hundreds of volunteers who helped make my campaign a success. Your dedication and hard work meant everything to me, and I am forever grateful. As we move forward, everyone needs to know that my door is always open. I look forward to working for you and with you on issues that affect our district and state. You have given me a great honor to serve as your State Senator. I am optimistic about our future. Working together and across party lines we can accomplish more than we can imagine. Sincerely,
Above: Working the potato shift for the Mobile Turkey Unit Wednesday evening at St. Hubert Catholic Church were Betty Clark, left, and Dorothy Taylor. A woman’s work is never done. “I’ve got to go home and do my own!” said Clark. Below: Brian Maddux was part of the cleanup crew in the kitchen, while his sons Michael and Ian helped clean the tables.
OBITUARY Gerald (Jerry) R. Brown
Gerald R. (Jerry) Brown was born April 17, 1950, in Coupeville to parents Jesse (Bob) and Sally Brown. He died Nov. 15, 2012 after a long and courageous battle with diabetes. Jerry died peacefully at his home in Reno, Nev. He is survived by his brothers, Robert T. Brown of Freeland; Jack L. Brown and his wife, Margaret, of Redmond; and sister Marilyn Williams and her husband, Karl, of Cornville, Ariz. He is also survived by his nephew, Ron Brown (Lori) of Clinton, and his niece Joye Brown Veit (PeeWee) of Clinton; nephews Joel Christoe (Jona) of Napa, Calif., Brett Christoe (Cindy) of Ashford, Wash., Paul Christoe (Alta) of Tacoma, niece Suzanne Forsberg (Rob) of Manteca, Calif., niece Diana Cormier (Rick) of Belfair, Wash., niece Jennie Gilbert Brown (Matt) of South Prairie, Wash., and nephew Patrick Sjodin (Susan) of Warrentown, Ore., along with numerous great nephews and nieces and friends. Jerry’s work career consisted of being an expert house painter and casino dealer in Washington and
Gerald (Jerry) R. Brown Nevada. Jerry’s smile, quick wit and lively humor always filled a room with laughter and good cheer. Jerry graduated from Langley High School in 1968 where he was an outstanding athlete. He was an avid sports enthusiast following closely Husky football and basketball as well as the Seahawks. Those in his life have been blessed with a loyal friend, a dear brother and a fun uncle. He lived and went the way he wanted to; it was far too soon for those of us who knew and loved him, and we will miss him more than words can say. Due to his fondness for animals, any donations can be made to WAIF.