16 Jan 10 Lesley Arnett Tujague

The memorial for my sister was yesterday.  I’m not sure I’ll leave this page on the blog in the long run, but couldn’t quite figure out where to make it available otherwise.  Another small bit of gratitude for technology: we decided fairly late in the process to share a few family memories of her at the service.  One of them arrived by text message just in time.  That was good.  Here is her story as it appeared in the local paper.

Lesley Arnett Tujague died at Pardee Hospital on January 4, 2010 after a short illness. She was born Lesley Ruth Arnett on April 16, 1962 in Pittsburgh, Pa., and grew up in nearby Edgewood, graduating from The Ellis School and Chatham College in Pittsburgh, where she majored in English and Russian literature with a minor in art history.  She earned teaching credentials from California University of Pennsylvania.  During her Chatham years, she was an exchange student at Berea College in Kentucky. For nine years in St. Thomas, USVI, Lesley taught English at Charlotte Amalie High School, taught ballet, created award-winning Carnival costumes and grew orchids.

Lesley came to North Carolina in 1996 and lived here until she was married and moved to Pittsburgh in 2001.  She returned to North Carolina with her daughter in 2007.  A talented seamstress and designer, she created historically accurate costumes for re-enactments and local theater productions.

Lesley is survived by her five-year-old daughter Sarah, her parents, Will and Pat Arnett of Hendersonville, her sister Susie Nivin and husband David of Santa Barbara and their children James and Heather, her brothers John Arnett of Hendersonville and Nick Arnett and his wife Cindy of Santa Clara, California and their daughter Carrie.

A memorial service will be held on Friday, January 15th at the First United Methodist Church of Hendersonville at 12:30 p.m.  Children are welcome. In lieu of flowers, gifts may be made to the Sarah Yvette Tujague Educational Trust or the charity of your choice.

Here is a poem that my father, Will Arnett, wrote and read at the service.

A Message from Lesley

On a cold cold winter day
I suddenly found my fairy-angelic wings
And had to fly away at once,
Too fast to even say goodbye to my lovely lovely Sarah
Or Mom or Dad, or Susan and John and Nick,
Too fast to fold my wings and raise my arms
To wave goodbye or give a last important hug to everyone.
But I know you will recall
That as child, teacher, and loving mother
Arms for me were never for fighting back
Or holding swords and guns
Or even mainly for making pretty clothes
Or mixing cookie dough
On every mile I drove I tried to say to everyone
Arms are for hugging.

If teeth are made for chewing
And wings are strong for flying
If feet are made for running
And the tongue for speaking words of love,
It’s no less true for me
Arms are for hugging.