I Walked Through the Rose Garden Today

Life is getting back to somewhat normal around here after the tragedy for this family. It was a terrible and horrific loss to us all. If anyone is interested we placed a video on Youtube to watch. It's about 5 minutes long and shows Bill through his life. This is a man who never ever complained about his circumstances in life. In the first picture he is the second from the left and also he is the saxophone player on the audio. I suggest you put youtube into full screen mode and turn up the sound to hear what a talented saxophonist he was.

Bill Cormier
November 1962 - May 2009

I thought I'd share some of his garden with you today. He absolutely loved tending his garden and had so many rose bushes we couldn't keep count, well over a hundred.

Let me tell you what this valiant young man went through.

In his early 30s he started losing his kidney function through a disease he had with his blood and too much protein in it. He was started on steroids knowing full well the eventual outcome of steroids eating away joints. He endured numerous operations including one where his father donated a kidney. It worked for about 3 days and then they had to go back in and remove it as it was being destroyed by his disease. He had knee surgeries, a hip replacement, a shoulder replacement, diverticulitis and eventually a part of his colon removed and so as to not get graphic he was on immodium every single day his whole life after that operation, the fistula on his left arm to bring the vein to the surface so he could receive dialysis easier with the full knowledge that his arm could burst at any time and he would bleed out. He was to have that replaced with a cow or pig vein and then faced a shoulder replacement a few months after that would have been done. He died before that took place with his arm bursting open and bled out within 2 minutes just as they had warned him. Last year his face seemed "frozen" on one side and he and Nan thought it might be Bell's palsy but it turned out to be a tumor on his ear so they operated on that ear, cut out the tumor (benign) and he was deaf in that ear. Only then did he ask his mom "what did I ever do to deserve this?" He never ever complained up until that time. He and Nan traveled, camped and never let it get them down. We had to fight with him to get a handicapped sticker for his cars because he hated them and rarely used them although he was so sick. He wouldn't even park in the handicapped place at work or at dialysis center since he thought other dialysis patients would need it worse than him. He would only use it when we visited with them and since we're "older" he'd use it then—for us and not himself. (We truly didn't need it.) His co-workers were stunned when he died because only his immediate boss had any idea of his circumstances and he didn't know how bad it was. They wanted to bring in grief counselors because of that. He was Director of Product Development at his Silicon Valley company and absolutely loved going to work each day. They loved him. The chapel was full at his memorial service.

I've included roses from his garden. I went out friday evening and photographed them and then cut one from each bush to put into a boxwood wreath we ordered online.

The bushes are in bad need of trimming but he didn't have the time to do that since he was still recuperating from the operation. The gardener will prune them soon.

The roses almost seem as though they know Bill is gone and won't be tending them again. Some are wilted and some are budding out but a few are in full abundant glorious bloom.

He had all colors in the yard. This one is especially beautiful I think.

This is his favorite rose outside their kitchen window on the deck.

Another photo of his favorite rose.

This one is truly exquisite looking in its colors.

From the front of the house looking across the street.

Hubby got in this picture!

I gathered up a basket and clipped these to put into the wreath for his memorial. He wanted donations to the kidney foundation in lieu of flowers but his company and co-workers sent some bouquets.

All the roses in the wreath are from his beloved garden.

This phrase is said so often and truly meant by those who say it but he truly was a brave and dear young man who will be greatly missed by all.