Virginia Glist

Another Journey Ended This has been a rough couple of weeks for the remaining members of the “Greatest Generation”. Their numbers are rapidly dwindling. First my uncle died and now we lost my Aunt Jewel. She passed away a couple of nights ago. She did not go gently. She fought it every step of the way. Her death sort of typified her life philosophy that anything worth having is worth fighting for. Her life was never a cakewalk, but she lived it to the fullest. We always joked that she had nine lives. She was one of those people who has been on the verge of death for 50 years. She finally used up her last life at the age of almost 92. She outlived two husbands as well as her only son. The one obstacle she never really overcame was the untimely death of her son who was taken from us by a random act of violence. There are some psychic wounds that not even time can heal. She was a very funny lady with a center of sadness. Jewel was born in 1920 and may be the reason that decade was referred to as the Roaring Twenties. Never one to sit on the sidelines, she joined the army at the start of World War ll and served as a WAC. She was a phlebotomist and she said that when the soldiers saw her coming, they would exclaim “Look out boys, here comes Dracula’s daughter!” She always remarked that her time in the military was the best time of her life. It’s unfortunately ironic that during an errant needle stick, she contracted Hepatitis C that went undiagnosed for years and would eventually lead to her death. After the war she moved to Santa Barbara where she got her Masters in English at the University of California. She went on to teach English and drama for many years. She was a published novelist and was extremely active with public speaking. She maintained a lifelong involvement with Toastmasters International club and had great distain for anyone who lacked communication skills. She achieved the highest level of a Gold Communication leader and was awarded the honor of Distinguished Toastmaster at the age of 90. Fewer than 12,000 of the 4 million past and present Toastmasters have achieved this elite status. She continued to give public presentations up until her death. She always had a flair for the dramatic (she recently dyed her hair pink) and as a small child I found her outrageous hair, theatrical makeup and cackling laugh a bit overwhelming. She was never afraid to say what she meant and mean what she said. She was very free with her praise, criticism and advice whether you wanted it or not. It wasn’t until I became an adult that I gained a true appreciation for her sarcastic wit and sharp tongue. When I was first dating my husband, I brought him to meet her at my parent’s home. He was currently playing the Phantom in “Phantom of the Opera” and I had recently taken Jewel to see the show. When I proudly introduced Kevin as the Phantom, she sized him up and said, “I saw that show.” Kevin: “You did?” Jewel: “Yes … I didn’t like it!” I have to admire Kevin for not taking offense and running for the door never to be seen again. In fact, as the years went by, he became one of Jewel’s favorite people and they could always make each other laugh. And boy oh boy, could that woman laugh. Stricken with cancer, diabetes, liver failure, open heart surgery, high blood pressure, pleural effusions, joint replacement and osteoporosis, Jewel still managed to rally enough determination to be a member of Honor Flight when she was 90. This is a program sponsored by the Anschutz family that sends World War ll veterans to Washington DC to view the memorial and be honored for their service. I can still picture her coming off the plane, surrounded by her fellow veterans and met by an honor guard. She was front and center, acting like a queen and waving like the movie star she always wanted to be. One of my last memories of my aunt took place as her end was approaching. She motioned me to her side because she needed to tell me something. I got close to the bed and took her hand. “Yes Jewel, what did you want to tell me?” Everyone in the room leaned in to hear her words of wisdom. She looked me straight in the eye and said, “You don’t wear enough makeup. You’re too pale. You should wear more blush!” So, Jewel, in your honor, I’ll put on my brightest blush and my really red lipstick. Maybe I’ll even put a pink streak in my hair, and then I’ll march out and meet the world head on and tell the world exactly what I think of it! In loving memory of Virginia Jewel Glist 1920 -2012 The world lost a little color when you left it.