Celebration of Life Service for Tess

Rev Richard Weidler

Sam

Me

We are here for a celebration of Life

What Tess always said… When you have My Gathering 

And now here you all are and I thank you

And I think, How did we get here?

Sometimes it’s the Little Things that turn out to be the Big things

Little things like having friends Dave and Alice who encouraged me to visit them in Spartanburg SC

I got the job as school social worker at Cedar Springs

I went to an orientation class where the instructor made us laugh explaining how deaf kids communicate, as Tess would call them, the Bad Words

We dated, I played catch with her son Eric. Who knew every Indian tribe, every shark, every dog breed and a million other bits of information. Tess and I  fell crazy in love and we were married by The Reverend William Ralph Carter who we called Papa.

Suddenly her Papa and mother Lee Lee and brother Barry & Shirley and Michael became my family. I can only image poor Papa thinking OMG how did my daughter get hooked up with this red neck yankee from New Jersey?

That on Friday night of our wedding Tess and I jumped into my little Green Gremlin and flew down for our weekend honeymoon in Charleston. I said flew but I doubt my Gremlin could barely do 60. Nonetheless it was fast enough for us to get a 40 dollar speeding ticket so there went half our honeymoon money.

We took that famous horse and carriage tour of Charleston. Well we did so much ride in the carriage as ride our bikes behind it and tried to listen to the tour.

We had our baby girl Lauren, the happiest day of our lives,

Some 20 years later we went back to Charleston to see our baby girl 

Graduate from the Medical University of South Carolina, the proudest day of our lives

So there it is; the day we met and married, the happiest day of our life

The day our baby girl was born, graduated and married, the Proudest days of our life

And now, today, I know it’s a celebration but forgive me, the saddest day of my life

But Tess and I have lived such a wonderful life. Together we have been blessed in so many ways with so many friends and family; Linda, Fred and Dara &  Adam, Noel and Pam and Mike & Julie, Sam and these to precious boys Nolan and Wes. and it all began 46 years ago when I spoke these simple yet such ever more meaningful words:

Our wedding Vows

 I, Peter, take thee, Tess, to be my lawfully wedded wife

For richer, for poorer,

In sickness and in health 

I promise to, Love, Cherish, Honor and 

obey

From this day forward 

Till death do us part

Silence

I know, it was a lot more fun the first time- but I would like others to have a chance to share their thoughts and memories at this time

Thoughts - others speak

John, Marion, Phil, Skip, Debbie

Conclusion 

Tess honey, my precious angel, you made all of my wildest dreams come true. I’m so lucky that you let me Drive you Crazy for all these years. You tried to straighten me out tried to raise me right. But You accepted me will all my flaws and still you loved me. You gave my life meaning and purpose and a reason for being. We lived together through every season of love and I will learn from you, love you and honor you all the days of my life now and forever.

Cue the music 

https://churchstreetfuneral.com/obituary/tess-elaine-tintle/