A Great Lady Passes

Twin sisters Suzanne, Bethanne and I watched our mother, Ettie, take her last breath on March 17th. Each of us no doubt had our own private and complex way of weighing at that intense moment what it meant to be alive. What I realized then was that her greatest gift to me, other than my birth, was her example that nothing is more important in life than to place our humanity above all else. She taught me to care.

we all come and go alone
flesh and bone
keeping us apart
between the cradle and the stone
we are shown
all that matters is the heart
but more than this is that the heart can share
the best we are is when we learn to care
what we are is what the heart can bear
to hold
call it love
call it what you will
it's when we share
that we find out fill
arms entwined we climb our hill
to reach our final goal

What is the meaning of life?
Right now? Right here?
Isn't it to give life meaning?

ETTIE B. HAYES, 89

WINTER HAVEN - Mrs. Ettie B. Hayes, 89, of Winter Haven, Florida, went to be with the Lord on March 17, 2011 due to complications of pneumonia.
She was born February 19, 1922 in Jarrow, England to William and Susan Hill. Ettie graduated valedictorian from St. Bedes and was a munitions worker during WWII in London. She became a war bride and moved to Port Huron, Michigan where she worked as a proofreader for the Times Herald. Ettie married Allan C. Hayes on December 6, 1952 and together they raised six children.
Ettie was an avid golfer and loved to ballroom dance. She attended Parkland Baptist Church and was a member of the Moose and Elks Lodges.
Ettie is survived by her husband, Allan, children, Alan Heath, Ocala, Michael Heath, Maureen Heath, Daniel and Bethanne Carr, Susanne Hayes, and Kathleen Hayes, all of Winter Haven, FL, as well as several grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by her parents, brother William, sisters Doris and Mary and grandson Jason Heath.
A celebration of life will be held at a later date. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Ettie Hayes Christian Scholarship fund, administered by Parkland Baptist Church, 1800 8th St. SE, Winter Haven, FL 33880.
A special thanks for the extraordinary care given by Dr. J. Randall Edwards, Dr. Jose' Martinez-Salas, Ronnie Rowe, and the staff of MICU at Winter Haven Hospital.