Emily E. Waddell-Calvert's Obituary
My daughter, Emily Elizabeth Waddell-Calvert, passed on February 24, 2016. She now walks pain-free with God…after twenty-four years of pain. Prior to her 11th birthday she’d had “perfect attendance” at Milam Magnet Elementary School for the Visual and Performing Arts…(her most wonderful year). Then she was diagnosed with Lupus which necessitated her move from Odessa to Dallas at the end of her sixth grade year. She attended Greiner Middle School for the Visual & Performing Arts in grades seven and eight. Her nine-twelve grade years were spent at Booker T. Washington High School for the Visual and Performing Arts. After high school she attended Richland College in Dallas County…where she took every music class available! Unfortunately, she attended erratically due to her conditions but still succeeded in studying choir, orchestra, (violin, of course) musical theater, music theory and so much more. Her hope was to “hang out her music teacher shingle” especially for Suzuki violinist (she started playing at two years old). Her dream was never totally realized, but she did succeed in teaching three students – who did quite well! From age twenty until now she was on dialysis. Over the last three years she met a fellow patient, Pete Gonzales, with whom she made 100% commitment. They wanted to get married, but the government would have taken away her benefits so they were going to have a commitment ceremony. Unfortunately, we were still waiting for her health to improve enough to do this, but they didn’t need a piece of paper to say they loved each other, they had a love big enough for the two of them! Em “had” her relationship as with her life without “giving up”. Over the last few months she was able to go off all the opiate medicine she’d been on. We were working together to prepare her for the kidney transplant list but in all honest, her condition would never have been resolved, therefore, this led God to take her in His arms without pain, in beauty, and in restful sleep – the angels sang her a lullaby much like the “never ending” types she would listen to every night from age 2 – high school, all this was a “good thing” for my precious girl. Emily was survived by her mother, Deborah E. Waddell; her father, Don Calvert; her uncle, Brad; brother, Stephen Liley; his son Ansel; Ron Gorham and his sons, Mike and Tory (her family of choice); her loving cousins, Syolney Howell, Rachel, Johnny, Peter and their children, especially Dora and John. Her “great cousin” Peter Hefner died last year and his family survived them both. Emily was preceded in death by her grandmother, Emily B. Waddell, her grandfather, John W. Waddell and her paternal grandparents William & Palma Calvert as well as her grandparents, Margaret Payne, Virginia Hesler, and Deegee Beck. Em currently has two delightful cats (Presto and Phantom……musical names of course!) Her dog Rascal died some years back – all of these pets cherished their Emily! Emily loved life even if her body rebelled. Her passion has been music since she was an infant playing her violin and singing musical theater. She also loved going to “live theater”, storytelling festivals, movies with her soulmate, Pete, shopping and more shopping and of course Starbucks coffee (her favorite was caramel with lots and lots of whip cream and layers upon layers of sprinkles – this is the reason we are celebrating her with an “Ice Cream Social” following the Memorial service. Emily was, is and will be more than a list of historical facts. She was a living, breathing angel with too short a time on earth. Em never met a stranger. She wanted to share and help everyone she knew, most especially her family and friends. Some people in her life did not understand her sort of passions along with her chronic illness. Many were judgmental when she didn’t deserve any form of negativity. Sometimes she “went on a little long”, but all must remember that she spent so much time in bed that when she could be around others she’d be bubbling over or very ill. She adored Face Book and having finally accessed her account I was dumb founded at her past and new friends…and all the words shared before and after her passing. (Thank you all). One Christmas eve I sat in a church pew and to my rear she stood in the choir loft- Floating from above my head I heard her angelic voice. I will never forget her song bellowing softly over the shoulders of the congregation (especially mine) as if we’d been blessed by a real angel. In fact she was a real angel (not perfect by any stretch of the imagination) and now she continues her heavenly walk with God. While we celebrate her life without sadness-rather joy of her musical soul. We don’t come to mourn and be sad. All of us will of course miss her and like myself who “simply wanted to hug her and make it better”, we will all miss her cheerful smile, loving words, caring outlook, musical passion and most especially, her brightly colored butterfly wings. God set her free rather than let her continue to suffer. She will hover in our hears with every musical note, kind word, and wonderful laugh (and tears). Today we celebrate this freedom and join together to wish her as long as its got a good beat! …Debbie Waddell her mom Emily’s remains were donated to science at University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center to the willed body program. Memorial services will be held Sunday, March 6, 2016 at 3:00 PM in The Wildwood Chapel at Restland Funeral Home. Immediately following the service Emilys’ family invite you to the Funeral Home for an Ice Cream Social in her memory. In Lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to the Lupus Foundation, P.O.BOX 810310, Dallas, TX 75381. Luupus-northtexas.org. Funeral arrangements have been entrusted to Restland Funeral Home and Memorial Park, 13005 Greenville Avenue, Dallas, TX 75243.
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