Venetian Serenade and Memories

Venetian Serenade © Marian Fortunati 14"x11" Oil on RayMar Panel
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Another in my Series of Paintings of Venice, Italy
One evening while my husband and I were visiting his family who now live on the "mainland" near Venice, Italy, we decided to enjoy special treat.

The gondolieri was a friend of my brother-in-law and we all enjoyed the ride through the beautiful and serene canals of "The Most Serene Republic -- La Serenissima".   As the sunlight faded, the moonlight and the lights from the cafes and stores along the canals cast reflections on the calm water of the canals.    We all enjoyed our Venetian Serenade.

Memories of our "Goodbyes"

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Sunset from my house after                  our stormy day
Watching the video that Dad              created -- "Memories"
Floral Arrangement           from the Star Dusters

On Friday the family said our goodbys to my Dad, James Boyd Beach.    Our goodbys were said in the midst of an unusual late wild windy and wet California storm.  The wind was whipping and the rain was flying sideways.  Dad, though would have been proud of his family.  My son, Jon-Paul, and grandson, Tyler, held his urn so it wouldn't blow off the stand while Father Greg read some beautiful passages from the bible.  Then all of us said our goodbyes -- even his youngest great-grandson, Cooper.  My cousin and his family came out from Oklahoma to say goodbye.

We placed his urn next to Mom's.  Now they are on another adventure!   They look out over the San Fernando Valley where they've lived since 1940.  They have a great view over the area where Daddy worked at Lockheed for so many years.   Later on that stormy day, the clouds began to clear and we looked out over a beautiful sunset.

	Enjoying friends, beautiful weather and memories
	My family raising a toast in his honor
	Ed Glasgow talking about the Star Dusters Scholarship for a worthy child of a Lockheed employee in Dad's honor

On Saturday we had a Celebration of Dad's Life.   He would have been so proud.  About 90 of us were there at the home he built in 1948 to celebrate and raise a glass to his life.  As you can see the weather was vastly improved over the previous day.  Gastone cooked all day preparing delicious food and my son and daughter-in-law and some friends helped arrange furniture and drinks and all that was necessary to make the guests feel welcome.  There were so many people from Dad's life there.  People he worked with, people from the Lockheed Star Dusters and the Lunch Bunch with whom he socialized.  There were people from his video clubs and so many friends from all the years -- some I hadn't seen in 30 or so years!  And of course the family -- everyone wanted to see Jim's great-grandbaby.  Tyler walked all around and took photos.  It was wonderful.  The Lockheed Star Dusters (which are retired Lockheedians) honored Daddy by providing a scholarship in Dad's name to a worthy child of a Lockheed Employee.   They also sent THE most gorgeous flower arrangement I've ever seen!

What a gift to have been raised by such a wonderful father and mother!

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