“Don’t give up until the miracle happens.” —Janet Messineo Israel
The weather is warmer, and walks along the trails and beach are lovely.
Saturday friends and family filled the Ag Hall for Janet Messineo Israel’s memorial service. She was indomitable. A legendary surfcaster, master taxidermist, writer and author. She followed her passion, put in the time, found a mentor — Jackie Coutinho — and became a master.
We remember her ringing the bell signaling the start of the Martha’s Vineyard Striped Bass and Bluefish Derby and the charter fishing trips with the Derby team the late Ed Jerome and Janet donated to the Possible Dreams Auction.
Janet overcame hardships and found a master fishing friend, Jackie Continho, and her soul in the surf. Her memoir, “Casting into the Light,” is full of captivating stories and heartfelt descriptions of finding herself by feeding her passion fishing the waters from the shore. It is a book I like to give and reread. Mentors and friendships make a difference.
Last week marked the birthdays of three beloved friends and neighbors. Happy belated birthday wishes and lots of love to Jane Slater, who turned 93, and to Warren Doty and his wife, Nan.
Wishing Julie Flanders a happy birthday this week.
As the Chilmark Church community gathered to say a final thank you and bon voyage to Reverend Charlotte Wright, a large red-tailed hawk landed on the terrace, and with its easily recognizable fierce gaze, broad chest, and tall stance reminded us of the strength we have shown and to carry on wherever we are through the changes in front of us, powering on with our eyes wide open.
The world has lost a terrific human being, Tom Beauchamp. He was a gentle, brilliant, dear community member who was beloved by many. My heartfelt condolences to Tom’s wife, Ruth Faden, and to their children Karine (Richard Fiore) Faden Fiore and Zachary (Katelyn Esmonde) Beauchamp; and grandchildren Samuel Fiore, Mateo Gurria, Alex Fiore, Anna Gurria, Eleanor Esmonde Beauchamp, and Daveed Esmonde Beauchamp.
Tom was a brilliant philosopher who wrote books that didn’t just awaken our minds to ideas but called us to engage in “collecting evidence, reasoning, and specifying general principles.” He embodied integrity and was instrumental in halting terrible medical testing practices. His book “Principles of Biomedical Ethics,” coauthored with James Childress, and papers changed the way medical research was conducted on humans and animals. The book emphasizes the principle of respecting autonomy, of nonmaleficence: that intentionally or negligently causing harm is a fundamental moral wrong, and, so:, do not kill; do not cause pain; do not disable; do not deprive of pleasure; do not cheat; and do not break promises. Beneficence, the moral obligation to act for the benefit of others, and justice, that medical research is for the public good, must be accomplished in a broadly inclusive and participatory way.
For those interested in medical ethics and history, I also encourage you to read “A History and Theory of Informed Consent,” which Beauchamp coauthored with his wife Ruth Faden.
Notes of condolence may be sent to Ruth Faden at her Washington, D.C., address.
Tom raised his daughter, Karine, to live Gandhi’s words, “the best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others,” and she serves as Communication, Health, Advocacy, and Therapy (CHAT)’s president and CEO. Donations in Tom’s name may be made to: CHAT, 310 South Main Street, Suite D, Lombard, IL 60148. May Tom’s memory be a blessing.
There are no events at Pathways until March 4, but the Sewing Circle will meet at Pathways Friday Feb. 28, 2 to 4 pm.
There will be a monthly coffee hour at the Chilmark library with the Up-Island Council on Aging, Friday, March 7, 10:30 am to 12 pm.
Also at the library we can stop by and celebrate Keith Haring Day, Saturday, March 8, 2 to 4 pm. Enjoy their collection of Keith Haring toys, including magnets and stacking blocks, which are available to explore. We will be invited to draw on the wall, like Haring did in the New York City subway stations, or check out a book to learn more about him. They will also have blank T-shirts and tea towels, which you can use to print your own Keith Haring creation (while supplies last)!
Thomas Bena reports that Stillpoint is open and will install on March 2 an exhibit, “Revere Reflect Respect: Moments of Discovery, Observations in Time and Place.” On display will be plein air paintings by Liz Taft. Says Taft, “My paintings are a homage to a place, I hope showing a new truth, an essence revealed with a reverence for what is there at a particular moment in time.”
Also included will be photography by Janet Woodcock, who tells us, “I use photography to explore the ordinary and discover how extraordinary the ordinary is, peeling back the layers to reveal what is hidden.”
Botanical compositions by Peggy Turner Zablotny will be part of the show as well. “For me,” she says, “it’s about searching, looking, seeing, and understanding how amazing the world is right in front of us each and every day.”
Breathe in, breathe out … Nurture the good things in life. We all need a little beauty right now.
If you have any Chilmark Town Column suggestions, email Claire Ganz, cganz@live.com.
