Thank you everyone for your prayers and condolences. I found out a bit more about what happened. His balloon failed and so they had to rush him into emergency surgery even though they knew that he wasn't really stable enough. About 2:30 a.m. CA time his heart completely failed.
My principal is taking me into G in about 90 minutes so I can pick up some snacks for the train, then leave about 7:30.
It's been hitting really hard off and on today, every time it hits the reality sinks in more. My brother is in the really angry stage right now. I hope I can help him through this. 
It sure doesn't help that grandma and aunt don't want our mom anywhere near whatever services we end up having. They blame her for most of his problems the past 9+ years (really long sad involved story.)
I plan on fighting that. No matter what her problems, or their problems, they did love each other. She was his one and only wife for a total of 26 years. Not to mention that she's our mom!!!
They also want to have a private ceremony because they're afraid that some horrible person is going to bring up a lapse of good judgement my dad had about 9 years ago (large part of the hell he's been through since then.) I feel strongly that that would be really dishonoring the good, loving, Christian man he was 99.9% of his life. I don't know how much I can fight this though, because they hold the power (i.e. money strings.) I just don't think that anyone would be so hard hearted or incredulously callous to inflict that kind of pain on the family of a dead man.
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We have already made one decision which I'm satisfied with - cremating dad and adding his ashes with his father's. He loved his dad very much, and has always said that when he died that he wanted the same song that was played at his father's funeral "Precious Lord, take my hand."
Another song I know he'd want - "I don't need to understand, I just need to hold his hand." He loved the musical group Ponder, Harp and Jennings and that was one of his most cherished songs of theirs.
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I guess when I get there tomorrow we'll have to start going through his things and divvying them up. That just feels like a horrible prospect to me, but I know it has to be done.
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I've told mom to please make sure her will is updated and that she has a list or general notes of what she'd want for her funeral. This having to fight it out with other family members and having to guess at it, is for the birds.
Thank You
June 6th, 2012 at 10:39 pm
June 6th, 2012 at 11:20 pm 1339024840
June 6th, 2012 at 11:26 pm 1339025200
Prayers for you and all your family. Take care.
June 7th, 2012 at 12:05 am 1339027546
June 7th, 2012 at 12:34 am 1339029263
June 7th, 2012 at 12:37 am 1339029476
June 7th, 2012 at 01:02 am 1339030965
Take care.
June 7th, 2012 at 01:54 am 1339034046
June 7th, 2012 at 01:54 am 1339034056
June 7th, 2012 at 02:09 am 1339034983
June 7th, 2012 at 02:16 am 1339035414
June 7th, 2012 at 02:17 am 1339035471
My deepest and sincerest sympathies to you, your family and your father's friends.
June 7th, 2012 at 02:33 am 1339036383
June 7th, 2012 at 02:34 am 1339036474
June 7th, 2012 at 02:47 am 1339037269
June 7th, 2012 at 05:43 pm 1339091039
June 8th, 2012 at 04:23 am 1339129419
June 9th, 2012 at 01:42 am 1339206145
Condolences and hugs sent. Please email me at beachgirlky@gmail.com.
June 11th, 2012 at 02:44 am 1339382665
June 30th, 2012 at 01:24 pm 1341062640
July 8th, 2012 at 09:22 pm 1341782546