Jerry Holland ([email protected]) is Decedent Affairs Coordinator for the Class. He may also be reached by phone at 703-425-3468 (home) or 703-967-6137 (mobile).
Send all notices of death and associated services, etc. to Jerry with copy to BR ([email protected]).
Job Description: USNA Class of 1955 Decedent Affairs Coordinator
The Class Decedent Affairs Coordinator is the single point of contact for the class to whom reports are made by the Naval Academy Alumni Association or by classmates/relatives who report the death of a class member, grad or non-grad. Very often the first report of the death of a classmate comes from a classmate who is a former roommate or close friend who has been notified directly by the widow! The Alumni Association has an obituary clipping service and e-mails the newspaper obituary or any report received directly by USNA or by the Alumni Association to the Decedent Affairs Coordinator. The Decedent Affairs Coordinator for the class of 1955 has been delegated the authority by the class leadership to prepare and release the broadcast communication to the class of the death of a classmate or the death of the spouse of a classmate. Every effort is made to include in the broadcast announcement of the death of a classmate the:
a. Name and company number
b. Location and cause of death
c. Time, date and location of memorial service and/or interment/inurnment event
d. Name of widow and children present with widow
e. Snail mail address of widow. The Email address of the widow is not included unless she wishes it to be
f. Lucky bag photo of classmate. We now have on file the photos of all of our classmates.
The information above is gathered from the newspaper obituary, from the classmate who e-mails or calls about the death, or from the widow who is contacted directly. The '55 On Line Class Directory contains NOK contact information. Normally a delay of one or two days will be allowed before the broadcast message is sent to the class to determine the particulars of funeral arrangements. Often funeral events occur within a week of death. The object of the broadcast announcements is first to enable local classmates who wish to do so to attend the services, second to enable classmates to send condolences to the family, and finally to let the class know of the passing of a classmate and friend.
3. A decision is made as to which service (Memorial or Interment/Inurnment) to send class flowers.
4. The widow is phoned if contact has not been made earlier, condolences are offered on behalf of the class, and assistance is offered. See the link below “Death of a Veteran.” When the time is right, assistance is also offered in preparing the obituary for “Last Call” in Shipmate. See the link below “Write Your Own Obituary.” If helpful, Class Reunion Year Books are researched at this point to assist the widow in recalling details of the military career of the deceased. The widow's email address (or the email address of one of the children with whom the widow communicates) is an important piece of information obtained in this conversation for follow-up purposes!
5. After working with the widow, the obituary is submitted to Shipmate confirming for Shipmate the widow's approval of the obituary and the widow's permission to use the Lucky bag photo (or one of her choosing).
A sample of a class announcement: |
[Lucky Bag Photo] (Lucky Bag) “Excerpted from USNA Class of 1955 “Lucky Bag” yearbook.”
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| Classmate Water Tight (Leaky) Door, fourteenth company, died suddenly on Monday, February 29, 2050 of heart failure. We honor the life and memory of Leaky, our classmate and friend. A Memorial Service will be held at Bartonville Central Church (www.bartonvillecentral.org), 1300 West Mifflin Road, Bartonville, MD. 21093 (410 123 4567) at 11:00am on Wednesday March 6, 2050. A luncheon will follow the service. “Receiving of friends” will be held at Quality Funeral Home, 1050 Thomas Road, Bartonville, MD 21093 (410 765 4321) from 2-4pm and 7-9pm on Tuesday, March 5, 2050. The funeral home will shortly have an opportunity available to post condolences at www.qualityfuneralhomes.com. A service of inurnment of ashes will be held at the USNA Columbarium on Monday, March 11, 2050. Leaky’s wife of 55 years, Faith, now lives at 1955 Academy Road, Bartonville, MD 21093. Children, Hope and Charity, are by Faith’s side. |
Below are links to information that may be helpful.