The idea for this kind of remembrance ceremony came after the death of a well-known and well-loved long-time Leader, Roberta Bishop Johnson, perhaps best known through La Leche League as the editor of Whole Foods for the Whole Family. Roberta lost a long and feisty battle with cancer on July 13, 2000. Her passing became the catalyst for an idea to honor all the Leaders who have died.

Nancy Franklin, a District Coordinator in Texas and LLLI alumnae Association Council member in charge of Special Projects, came up with the idea of modifying an annual ceremony that is done at the Texas A & M University called "Muster," in which they remember any "Aggie" (an A & M student or graduate) who has died in the past year. She suggested that a similar ceremony could be held for deceased LLL Leaders in conjunction with the Alumnae Tea during the Conference.

The Alumnae Association requested names, dates of death, and the hometowns of any Leaders who had died since the beginning of the organization. by the time of the Tea, on July 8, 2001--nearly a year to the day of Roberta's death--a list of 111 Leaders had been collected.

How to best honor these Leaders? The Alumnae wanted a simple, dignified, and heartfelt way to remember each Leader. They decided to use as a focal point a poem from the Reform Jewish prayer book, "We Remember," which is often read at Jewish funerals.

During the Tea, after the fashion show and the wonderful tales from the seven Founders, the lights were dimmed and serene piano music, played by Brian Harris, signaled a change in focus from festive to reflective. on a large screen, a picture of a warmly-glowing candle began a lovely slide show created by Joan Crothers, Leader from Rhode Island. Founder Marian Tompson and Nancy Franklin read the poem, and then began reading the list of names as each appeared on the screen, arranged by year of death.

The audience was hushed and subdued. Many held hands, and many shed tears. There were occasional soft gasps as someone recognized the name of a Leader whose death was previously unknown. At the end of the list, the candle reappeared, and the room remained hushed for a few minutes longer. nancy showed the group an album with the names written in beautiful calligraphy by Susan Baker, Leader from Massachusetts.

Nancy continues to collect the names of Leaders who have died since the conference, as well as those who died earlier but whose names didn't reach her in time for the last ceremony. This is sure to become a powerful tradition, and the perfect way to honor the lives of the women who have helped make La Leche League what it is today.

By Melissa Clark Vickers, Tennessee USA
[This article appeared in Continuum, Vol. 14, No. 3, 2001]