FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM JANUARY 16, 2020 • BUZZ • THE QUEENS COURIER 77
Victoria’s The spider web of life
DIARY
Victoria
SCHNEPSYUNIS
vschneps@gmail.com
tweet me @vschneps
It was a shock to hear of Ann
Jawin’s passing. I knew she
was in her 90s, but she acted
like a 50-year-old and had endless
energy and I felt she was
a fi xture in my life that would
always be there.
I hear her voice now because
we talked oft en. Ann and I suff er
from never giving up and never
taking no for answers. We were
sympatico and I had tremendous
respect for her fi ghting endlessly
for Th e Center for the Women
of New York facility.
I know the ribbon cutting
ceremony at the former bachelor’s
quarters at Bayside’s Fort
Totten just days before her
death was the culmination of
her dreams. It’s almost like she
achieved her goal, let down her
guard and let God steal her
from us. But ironically, for
me, it was not only a loss,
but a beginning too.
Ann’s funeral was
at her decades-long
place of worship: Th e
Unitarian Universalist
Congregation at
Shelter Rock in
Manhasset. For years,
I’ve passed their street
sign just across the
street from the Lord
& Taylor’s parking lot,
but I never took the road
to their place of worship.
Ann brought me there for
her funeral.
I turned up the tree-lined path
for what seemed like a mileslong
drive. When I arrived at the
place of worship I was amazed at
the impressive building, which
surprisingly appears out of the
woods.
As I rushed through the front
doors to the service, I was in awe
of the sanctuary and it’s pews —
each fi lled with song books —
as well as the enormous organ
pipes set in warm toned woods.
Th e service was run by the
eloquent minister Rev. Jennifer
Brower, who knew Ann well.
Her background and training
is on spirituality, health, aging,
addiction, end of life care and
grief work. Her calm, reassuring
manner leading the service was
moving and powerful.
I had not known of the mission
of the Unitarian Universalist
movement, but their brochures
speak volumes: “to build a faith
community based on mutual
respect and to practice loving
one another and reaching out
to help people.”
In this stressful world, it felt
like the congregation is an oasis
of outreach. I picked up some
fl iers featuring their activities;
one was for a ceramic workshop,
another for a march on Albany
to promote parole justice, and
yet another for a Call for Young
Artists for the art exhibit featuring
work created by the youth
of the community. Th ere was
also information regarding an
event for the LGBTQ community.
Additionally, there are several
more music and performing arts
programs.
I was hooked, and knew I
wanted to come back.
Th anks Ann! It was because
of you that I connected with
this wonderful congregation and
community group.
Let me share some of the powerful
“Litany of Remembrance”
for Ann created by Rev. Brower:
“In the rising of the sun and it’s
going down, we will remember
Ann. In the blowing of the wind
and in the chill of winter, we will
remember her.”
Yes, Ann, you will be remembered.
Rest easy, for your life
lives on in what you created.
Ann cuts the ribbon on the new women’s center at Fort Totten.
Ann with City Councilman
Paul Vallone.
A look at the worship room.
Tom Suozzi presents Ann
with a Certififi cate of Special
Congressional Recognition
to mark the grand opening
of the new Center for the
Women of New York facility.
link
/WWW.QNS.COM
link
