Posts

featured post

Louise's older sister passes away, Oct 2024

Louise's older sister Zoe passed away in Liberia Oct 10 2024. Funeral is Oct 25. She lived and worked in Liberia. She studied in the US and got her MBA from St John's University in New York in 1973. During the civil wars she and others in her family endured point blank encounters with rebels, and came of out it still alive. Notice from her alumni association. Cuttington University is an Episcopalian-affiliated college in Liberia, and is among sub-Saharan Africa's oldest private coed colleges. Recent photo from Facebook.

Update June 18 - the refrigerated body arrived successfully in Liberia, West Africa. Funeral services were held and she was buried in the village alongside her parents.

Image
Tuesday June 18   Funeral services were held in Liberia and she was buried in the village on the family plot alongside her parents. The scheduled funeral service was held as planned in the Gardnersville section of the capital city of Monrovia. Afterwards a group travelled north some 60 miles to the Kandakai village family plot. This is their rainy season and it could have disrupted travel, transport and burial. But sister Grace reported "I was worried about the heavy rains that had fallen all week, but God answered our prayers and gave us wonderful weather on that Tuesday, 18th June". LK's son Everest Thomas sent a link to a 9 minute movie of part of the services. The first half is the funeral service in Monrovia by the Olumba movement Brotherhood of the Cross and Star that all of LK's sisters belong to. The second half shows where the burial takes place.  The movie plays much better on a computer than on a cellphone. Just click the forward arrow at the bottom left; ...

Louise's early history in San Antonio (and how I got in good with her)

Her day job was with the Microbiology section of a food and water testing laboratory. We both transferred here late summer 1993 along with several others. I got on her good side for two reasons. First, there was some mystique about us transferees to the San Antonio lab. She was (in hushed tones) "The African" from the Maryland lab. I was the mass spec specialist from the San Francisco lab.  She arrived 2 weeks later than the rest of us transferees. I had time to check out the bookstores in San Antonio. This was before the mega stores like Borders and Barnes & Noble. By the time she arrived I was getting around to all the spiritual type bookstores. I was somewhat jaded or spoiled coming from San Francisco-Berkeley (Fields on Polk, Shambala on Telegraph).  Unlimited Thought Bookstore on Blanco was the biggest thing here in the area north of downtown. I suggested that she go there to see about doing Readings. The woman who ran the bookstore had Louise audition; it did not go...

Livestream Mass on YouTube & Facebook Wed 5-22 12 noon CST

Image
The entire 1 hour 25 minute Mass can be viewed on the church's YouTube and Facebook pages below. Father Jimmy Drennan did a wonderful job, and everything ended on a happy note. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YbyNpWujQ4I The Mass was Li vestreamed at YouTube.com/StMargaretMarySA Facebook.com/StMargaretMarySA Wednesday, 22 May 11:00-11:45 viewing 12:00-1:00 Mass service 1:00-3:00 reception  Funeral will be at St Margaret Mary's in SE San Antonio St. Margaret Mary Catholic Church https://www.stmmcc.org 1314 Fair Avenue,  San Antonio, TX 78223-1438 The service will be livestreamed and available online after. The funeral home can take donations with a phone call.  Olinger-Saenz Mortuary Services : San Antonio, Texas A nice statement by her sisters Cornelia and Grace and Zoe. She never forgot (or attempted to hide) her humble beginnings. Since their father was a minister, they had to move to various parts of the region regularly. We, the siblings of our beloved Sister Louise V...

Louise's passing

This is to report the death of Louise Kandakai of San Antonio TX. She passed away at home last weekend at age 80. She remained active up to the end, chugging along and ever cheerful. Cause of death was heart related.  This is a hastily put together webpage, informal and unpolished, by her coworker Dan Harring.  She wanted to be buried on the family plot in Liberia, West Africa. No open casket viewing, no cremation. (None of her siblings, parents or grandparents were cremated. That was the family tradition and belief.) We are working on getting the body there . Prayers and good wishes please (that the 18 hour plane ride requiring 3 transfers is successful, and the refrigeration temperature legal requirements are maintained throughout). Louise was a lifelong Episcopalian and recited daily prayers to the Saints. Her father Rev. Dr. Christopher Kei Kandakai was Liberia's longest serving Episcopal priest.  She joined St David's parish after getting a job transfer here 30 years...

Some photos

Image
In the lab on the bench, Microbiology testing laboratory Always on the go Traveling to Liberia. Long trip ahead. Stay out of her way today St Mary's MLT class.  Minneapolis - St Paul in the groovy '70s  Reportedly one of the female teachers was especially hard on her but she's still smiling. Undated photo Most recent drivers license photo, they don't always turn out decent like this for us older people At one of our many lab luncheons/parties, with Col Layton and Luz D. She was a great friend all 30 years, gave LK rides when she first transferred here, was a huge help with the Funeral Mass and notifying all the former co-workers, and saved me a cross-town trip to the funeral home when I got sick. LK spoke highly of Col L; apparently he treated her fairly during his stint as Director of the Maryland lab. That's M.P. he's talking to. =================================================================== For her mystical-minded friends, the lyrics to the opening track...