In Memoriam
Arthur Edwin Shields Jr. (1944 – 2023)
Longtime APD board member Arthur E. Shields Jr. passed away peacefully on December 17, 2023. Born on June 22, 1944, Art grew up in Sparrowbush, New York, where he was known as “Skip” among family and friends. In 1963, Art graduated from Port Jervis High School in Port Jervis, New York. Motivated by the assassination of President John Fitzgerald Kennedy in November 1963, Art enlisted in the United States Marines. Trained as a radio operator, Art deployed to Vietnam in 1964 where, in spare moments, he entertained members of his unit with spontaneous guitar medleys. Art was injured in action on the outskirts of the Imperial City of Hue in central Vietnam, for which he was awarded the Purple Heart Medal. Art spent 13 months in Vietnam, then returned stateside and was honorably discharged from the Marines in 1968.
After his discharge, Art landed a job with IBM, where he specialized in database architecture. On October 4, 1969, Art married the love of his life, the former Kathleen Corcoran. Kathy and Art would give birth to four children. Art spent a total of 31 years in the employ of IBM, traveling to all corners of the United States and across four continents.
By nature, Art was a fixer. If something was broken, whether golf clubs, watches, radios, computers, wheelchairs or television sets, you could call on Skip. And on so many occasions, during times of need, Merica House and the APD did exactly that. Art reveled in fixing things for two reasons: first, he was energized by the challenge of restoring a device or piece of equipment to working order and, second, fixing things allowed him to fulfill his passion for taking care of those around him. The world would come to know Art primarily for his competitive spirit, his protective nature, his love for his country and his deep faith in the Almighty.
Art was preceded in death by his daughter, Maureen, a longtime resident of Merica House. He is survived by his wife, Kathy; daughter Deirdre, a Merica House resident; daughter Jennifer; son Andrew; and his four grandchildren, Major, Kiera, Wesley and Olivia. Art’s loving and caring attitude, his dedication to Merica House and its residents, and his concern for others in all walks of life will be deeply missed.
Passing of Maureen
Maureen Elizabeth Shields of Falls Church, Virginia peacefully passed away at her home in Williamsburg, VA on October 29, 2022. She was born on August 4, 1979, in Goshen, New York. Maureen’s independent, fiery spirit, infectious laugh and kind heart touched all that knew her.
Maureen was a resident of Merica House for the past 10 years. She was an active member at Specially Adapted Resource Club (SPARC) and she sang in the choir at Our Lady Queen of Peace Church. She always looked forward to going to her SPARC programs as it gave her a sense of independence and purpose. Maureen often advocated on issues such as transportation and spoke to governmental channels on behalf of adults with disabilities. Delegate Marcus Simon recently presented Maureen with the SPARC Volunteer of the Year award for her advocacy on behalf of her peers.
The AAC is the leadership group for SPARC. Members meet weekly to discuss policy issues. Over the past two years Maureen spoke before the Fairfax County Government’s Long Term Care Coordinating Council’s Social Engagement subcommittee on barriers to transportation. Maureen also was a featured speaker at our ribbon cutting for our fifth location at the Church of the Good Shepard. She addressed over 100 attendees who included members of the Board of Supervisors, the Greater Reston Chamber of Commerce, families and friends.
Maureen was a gifted and talented artist among her many accomplishments, her work hangs in the Arlington Mill Community Center and is a powerful example of her intelligence, sensitivity and ability to convey her world to all. Maureen is a cherished and beloved member of the SPARC community and she will be deeply missed.
Maureen’s love of food probably started during her many trips to Costco with her mother as a younger child. She was the youngest of four and owned that role like the stereotypically baby of the family. She could be loud, boisterous, feisty all at the same time caring and just wanting to connect and be with the ones she loved. Maureen enjoyed bingo and trivia where her competitive spirit would shine through. She frequently attended National baseball games with her brother Andrew and sister Deirdre. She was an amazing friend, confidant, and roommate to her sister Deirdre. The two sisters held a special bond that words cannot explain.
Maureen is survived by her parents Arthur and Kathleen Shields, sister Jennifer Shields Mercer, brother-in-law Mark Mercer, and nephew Major Mercer, sister Deirdre Shields, and brother Andrew Shields, sister-in-law April Shields, nephew Wesley Shields, nieces Kiera and Olivia Shields.
A celebration of life will occur at 11:00AM on November 10, 2022, at Our Lady Queen of Peace in Arlington, Virginia. Private interment, will be on November 11, 2022 at Saint Bede’s in Williamsburg, Virginia.
Donations may be made in Maureen’s name to Specially Adapted Resource Club (SPARC) at P.O. Box 2082 Reston, Virginia 20195 or to Merica House.
A Tribute to Sharita
On January 24th, 2019, Sharita Caple, one of our residents, slipped away from us and moved on to her mansion in Heaven. She took her big personality and her great sense of humor with her. We were incredibly fortunate to know her and to love her.
Sharita was born in Washington, D.C. in 1969 and grew up in Alexandria, VA. Her Mom passed away when Sharita was only four years old. She was raised by her grandparents and her dad. She was very proud of her dad. She told me, “My Daddy was the biggest influence in my life. He talked to me and taught me things. I really miss him.”
By the time I met Sharita, all the relatives she had left were some cousins and her Grandma. She and Grandma spoke lovingly on the phone almost every day.
Sharita had cerebral palsy. Her speech was impaired, but that didn’t stop her from developing relationships. She told me, “I am determined to express myself, so I help people to understand me by repeating myself multiple times.” Sharita and I communicated by text. She would be in her bed and I would be at my desk so when she needed something, she texted me. We had some interesting and funny conversations. Many times she ended her texts with, “I love you.”
Sharita was a smart lady. She had excellent spelling and punctuation. I know that from her texts. She learned new things easily. She used a computer, an iPad, and a cell phone. As for Merica House, Sharita said, “I love everyone here! We’re like family, although like most families, there are times when we don’t get along.”
Sharita was among the first residents to move into Merica House when it opened in November of 1995. Her childhood best friend, Cathy Parr, moved into Merica House at the same time. They were “sisters” since they were six years old. They grew up together. During their first year at Merica House, Cathy and Sharita accompanied Harry Merica to Richmond to speak to the Virginia General Assembly. They explained what Merica House meant to them.
In that first year, Cathy and Sharita attended Northern Virginia Community College at their Alexandria campus and studied English for two semesters. Sharita loved to write short stories and poetry. Under the pen name “Roxann”, she wrote several articles for a magazine.
For the first 15 years at Merica House, Sharita went to college classes, attended concerts at Constitution Hall and the Verizon Center in Washington, chatted online and met people on the internet. She made friends all over the world and was still in contact with some of them when she passed. She also attended movies, saw, the Ringling Bros. Circus, visited the National Gallery of Art, the Smithsonian, the National Zoo, the Capitol, and the Jefferson and Lincoln Memorials.
Sharita had very strong opinions about politics and was not afraid of expressing them. Our views were different, but I knew better than to get in an argument with her.
Sharita spent her days listening to rock music, reading or watching TV. She loved the channel ID (Investigation Discovery). She liked to order food and eat in front of the TV with her “baby”. That’s what she called her favorite stuffed Koala Bear. Sharita also enjoyed watching Redskin games and NASCAR.
In 2013, Sharita told me that Church had become the most important thing in her life. She was raised in the Baptist Church, but made the decision to join the Roman Catholic Church. She took religious education classes in Catholicism while Merica House’s female residents coordinated a special outfit, complete with a veil, white dress, and white slippers for her Confirmation. Sharita received her First Communion in April of 2013 and she was Confirmed in that same year in June at Our Lady Queen of Peace Catholic Church in Arlington, VA. This continued to be an important step in Sharita’s life. She eventually stopped attending services at Our Lady Queen of Peace but there were many times that I went into her room, and she was watching a religious service on TV. I heard very little Led Zeppelin or Jimmy Page after that, but a lot of spiritual music. Sharita had a lot of different clothes, but she met the Lord in her Confirmation outfit with her bear named, “Baby” in her arms.
Sharita is missed. She had sweet relationships with the other residents. Dee says that she loved Sharita like a sister. Cathy lost one of the closest relationships she had. The aides lost a resident who always appreciated everything. She was quite vocal with her gratitude and was very respectful to them. Many afternoons I found one or two of the aides sitting in Sharita’s room spending time with her.
I miss our texts. A year ago her texts were excitedly talking about starting to write again. her last text to me, sent when she wanted to go back to the hospital was, “Help me please.” Seeing this big, loving personality reduced to a frail, fragile body in need of help makes me so thankful that there is a God who loves her more than we do.
Sean “MEGASML” Wawrzaszek
April 21, 1966 – August 14, 2013
I want to thank you all for coming here to celebrate the life of a most extraordinary individual.
Last Tuesday evening, as I was driving on Glen Carlyn Road in Falls Church, I found myself thinking about what I might say today. It had been six days since Sean died. I came to a stop at a red light, positioned behind an SUV. The SUV had a vanity plate which read “MEGASML” I quickly translated it as “Mega Smile.” I then thought to myself, “That’s not right. Sean was the one who had the Mega Smile.
You all know Sean. He was funny, kind, hopeful, and possessed the ability to laugh at himself. He was patient and smart and insightful. And he had that GLORIOUS smile, the Mega Smile, if you will.
In my capacity as a Eucharistic Minister at St. Anthony of Padua Catholic Church, I had the pleasure of bringing Holy Communion to Sean – in the form of a few drops of the Precious Blood – on Sunday mornings.
It was always an adventure entering Merica House on Sundays. I never knew how many questions Sean would have stored up in his computer and what those questions would be. The questions could be as simple as, “Are you going to bring ashes on Ash Wednesday?” Other questions were more philosophical. Whatever the subject, Sean’s questions were usually a challenge.
Upon seeing Sean, I would ask, “Sean, how are you doing today?” Sean was not one to say, “I am okay” or “I am fine.” It was always, “I’m doing great!” Similarly, when I would ask if he had a good time on his vacation at Camp Jabberwocky, he would never say, “Yes, I had a good time.” It was always an emphatic, “I had a blast!”
I didn’t know Sean at the time, but when his sister Siobhan was attending Bishop O’Connell High School, she would sometimes bring Sean to the school dances and to O’Connell’s football games. To hear Siobhan tell it, Sean loved going to the dances at O’Connell and he loved going to the football games. In truth, I think Sean was always ready for anything that resembled a party.
Over the past five or six years, it has often seemed to be my task to write an article or two for the spring and fall Merica House newsletters. I would have been lost without Sean. He was a writer’s dream. He would say something that was hysterically funny or have some memorable experience that provided the inspiration for my articles. Sean made the news. All I had to do was write about it. All of which leads me to my favorite story about Sean – the “De-Horse” petition.
I know many of you are familiar with Sean’s talking computer. Most of you probably know, also, that his computer wasn’t flawless. It made mistakes. As an example, as much as Sean tried to get the computer to spell Siobhan’s name correctly, it always seemed to come out as “Sheveen.”
To set the stage for the “De-Horse” story, it’s no secret that Sean and Deirdre Shields have had a very special friendship over the past 10 years or so. They have been close friends and very supportive of one another. As happens with friendships, however, there were occasional arguments and disagreements. There were clearly times — few in number — when Sean would get upset with Dee and vice versa.
One Sunday morning, as I entered Merica House, I was confronted with a request from Sean. Knowing that I occasionally draft divorce petitions in my line of work, Sean asked, “Can you write a divorce petition for me?” The implication was clear: The relationship between Sean and Dee was on rocky ground. To Sean’s chagrin, however, his talking computer betrayed him. The machine pronounced the word “divorce” as “D E – H O R S E.” I told Sean that I would be happy to prepare a “D E – H O R S E” petition for him. At that, the others in the room – Deirdre, Maureen, Matthew and Orlando – broke out in a raucous laughter. The laughter was infectious – Sean started laughing himself. The dispute was quickly forgotten. All anyone could think about was the “D E – H O R S E” petition.
Sometimes Sean would have to send his talking computer back to the manufacturer for repairs. On those occasions, Sean, Deirdre, and Maureen would employ a unique procedure to allow Sean to communicate. Deirdre and Maureen would slowly recite the alphabet, A … B … C… D …. When they pronounced a character that Sean needed to form the word he had in mind, he would kick his legs. So, for example, Maureen and Deirdre might say “B” and Sean would kick his legs. They might say “L” and Sean would kick his legs. And soon Sean would have all the letters he needed to form the word “B L A S T” or some other word. The process would be repeated and Sean would soon have a complete sentence.
Think for a minute about the patience that this routine required. Sean possessed that kind of patience.
Sean possessed a serious side. Earlier this year, when I came in one Sunday, Sean had a look of concern on his face. Maybe he sensed that his health was not quite as good as it had been. Or maybe he was worried about his mother. For whatever reason, it was clear that Sean was taking stock of his circumstances. When I greeted him that morning, Sean said to me: “Fred, what’s going to happen to me?” he asked.
Here I am going to digress a bit. I had an exchange of email messages the other day with Merica House’s outstanding treasurer, Mitch Opalski. At the end of our exchange of emails, Mitch wrote, “It takes a village, right?”
That was essentially my answer to Sean when he asked, “What’s going to happen to me?” I told him, “You’ve got a village behind you, Sean.”
Sean had a lot of villages. He had a village in Cornelius, North Carolina, and a village in Northern Virginia and a village in Martha’s Vineyard. I’m sure that he had other villages as well. All those villages are represented here today. I know that Sean couldn’t be more proud to have all his villages in one place.
One of Sean’s smaller villages would assemble at Merica House on Saturday evenings. Ever gracious, Father Matthew DeForest, a Catholic priest at St. Anthony of Padua Church, would celebrate Mass at Merica House on Saturday evenings. In addition to Fr. Matthew, Sean’s “village” included his friends Ellen Flannery, Lorni and Mike Dillon, Betty Dvorscak, Cathy Parr, and Deirdre and Maureen Shields. During these Masses, Fr. Matthew would invite everyone to mention their prayer requests. So, Cathy might ask for prayers for her niece and Deirdre or Maureen might request prayers for their brother Andrew, who was serving overseas. Invariably, Sean would prepare his own prayer intentions. However, Sean and his talking computer didn’t always get the timing right. Sometimes Sean wouldn’t be able to activate his talking computer until five or ten minutes later. As a result, his prayer intentions often came during the consecration. The timing was not important, however. What was important was the thought behind Sean’s prayer requests. More often than not, Sean would ask for prayers for his mother and for Siobhan and her family.
Sean was both a student of life and a teacher. He taught me and others every day. He taught us about life. In closing, I want to share with you the Top Ten Most Significant Lessons that I learned from Sean.
Number 10: Content is more important than timing: what you say is more important than when
you say it.
Number 9: When machines fail, it is an opportunity for human ingenuity to take over.
Number 8: It doesn’t hurt to laugh at oneself.
Number 7: One shouldn’t be content with having a good time when there is the potential to have a “blast.”
Number 6: A smile is a very effective means of cultivating a village.
Number 5: The closer one gets to Martha’s Vineyard, the bigger one’s smile becomes.
Number 4: Life is easier when one lives it with patience.
Number 3: Small miracles happen every day.
Number 2: Love for friends and family is the glue that hold everything together.
Number 1: God is always at the center of one’s existence.
Sean, I thank you for sharing these lessons with me and others. I thank you for sharing your life with us.
