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Thread: Tribute to Jay Gatsby

  1. #1
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    Default Re: Jay Gatsby has passed away

    Thank you all for your wonderful notes of encouragement and support. It has been (and continues to be) a difficult period of adjustment here without the Great Gatsby who was the center of our lives, and your notes have been a source of comfort throughout. Some of the warmest notes we received were from people that had just followed Gatsby's adventures from afar. It really touched us how many people actually knew of him and the battles he was waging.

    The weekends following Gatsby passing were intended to be two parties to celebrate his 17th birthday. We did have the parties but they became rather celebrations of his life. My wife has spent the last two weeks working feverishly on a video encapsulating his final journey, and asked that I share it with all of you - http://tinyurl.com/jaygatsby

    Thank you again for the support and well-wishes, and we hope that you enjoy our send-off for Gatsby. And we hope that everyone that is dealing with Cushings and other health issues (such as Gatsby had) may take some encouragement that you can manage these issues and still enjoy some wonderful moments with your loved ones.

    Best,
    Derek & Amy

  2. #2
    mytil's Avatar
    mytil is offline Administrator and always In Loving Memory
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    Default Re: Jay Gatsby has passed away

    Oh my gosh, I watched the video, not once but twice and plan to again. Thank you so much for sharing this with us - she did a wonderful, splendid job! I cried, I smiled and I laughed as I watched many who loved him shared their wonderful stories; he touched so many and will continue to. He will always be with you.

    Take care and please drop in again - we all like to know how our cushfamily is doing.

    Terry

  3. #3
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    Default Re: Tribute to Jay Gatsby

    It's been quite a while since I've been on the Board. Its been a tough year with our cat who's fighting oral squamous cell carcinoma However, my wife wrote a tribute to Gatsby for our holiday newsletter that I wanted to share:

    On the afternoon of Saturday, April 16, 2011, demolition crews descended upon the once elegant Long Island mansion that inspired F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel, The Great Gatsby, and tore the bulk of the mansion to the ground. Twelve hours later and 700 miles away in our little home in Indiana, our beloved 17 year-old dog, Jay Gatsby, sat up from a deep sleep a few hours before dawn, and took several labored breaths. Minutes later, with Derek’s hand on his chest, the dog who brought love and joy to our family for so many years, who had defied the odds so many times, who was so strong that it seemed he might live forever, quietly slipped away into eternity.

    The Great Gatsby house in New York, and our beloved Jay Gatsby here in Indiana. Both grand in their heyday. Both faded by time. Gone within 12 hours of one another.

    April 18th and 19th found the final melancholy stages of the Great Gatsby house demolition winding down. Across the country, on the Midwestern prairie, a steady stream of family and friends were paying their respects to our Jay Gatsby, remembering happier days, when youth and good health were on our side, and we had years of life and love still stretching out ahead of us.

    On April 20th, Long Island workers bulldozed the last two chimneys of the Great Gatsby house, completing the farewell passage of the once magnificent relic. Meanwhile, in sleepy Shelbyville, Indiana, our family and friends were gathered at a 140 year-old funeral home, celebrating and remembering our Jay Gatsby, as he was cremated and prepared for his final journey home. A journey made with the reflections of a beautiful life that was lived long, and lived well, fading sweetly in the rearview mirror.

    The property where the Great Gatsby house stood from 1902 until this Spring will now be divided into five lots for the construction of modern “McMansions.” The shadow of the once-magical Gatsby estate will surely dwarf the characterless structures built in its place. In the same way, the love our Jay Gatsby brought into our lives eclipses even the brightest treasures. Of the many blessings we’ve received over the years, none has been greater than the privilege of loving him. In the end, it was an unassuming hound dog who spent his first two years of life in a shelter who showed us just how much we could love someone.

    Through its lyrical descriptions, The Great Gatsby still transports readers back to the house that inspired the great American novel, with the moon out, music wafting through the air, and people dancing. Back to better days. And here, in our little corner of the world, beautiful memories still carry us back to our beloved Jay Gatsby, and the lessons he taught us about unconditional love, about life’s endless possibilities, and about what it means to be a family. Back to better days.

    Wrecking crews cannot destroy inspiration. And death cannot dismantle love.

    We’ve created a short movie of Gatsby’s friends across the country – from Indiana to Australia – celebrating his remarkable life. To watch the video, just type this into your computer browser: http://tinyurl.com/jaygatsby

  4. #4
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    Default Re: Tribute to Jay Gatsby

    With tears flowing, all I can say is what a beautiful tribute to an amazing love and life.

    Our thoughts and prayers remain with you and yours.

    Hugs,
    Leslie
    "May you know that absence is full of tender presence and that nothing is ever lost or forgotten." John O'Donahue, "Eternal Echoes"

    Death is not a changing of worlds as most imagine, as much as the walls of this world infinitely expanding.

  5. #5
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    Default Re: Tribute to Jay Gatsby

    Oh Derek & Amy,

    Truly what a beautiful tribute to Jay Gatsby. I, too, had the tears flowing while reading your loving words.

    Will be keeping you both in my thoughts and prayers.

    Love and hugs,
    Lori

  6. #6
    mytil's Avatar
    mytil is offline Administrator and always In Loving Memory
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    Default Re: Tribute to Jay Gatsby

    Dearest Derek and Amy,

    Thank you so much for sharing this with us. What a truly wonderful tribute to your special boy.

    Very special (((((hugs))))) and always In Loving Memory of the Great Gatsby.
    Terry

  7. #7
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    Default Re: Tribute to Jay Gatsby

    Leslie, Lori & Terry - thank you for your kind notes about Gatsby. He really was a once in a lifetime dog. All our best to you and your furry ones.

    Derek & Amy

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