Thursday, October 24, 2019

Eulogy on Doris and Dick Feaster Passing

Eulogy on Doris and Dick Feaster Passing
By Yong Chul Shin, October 18, 2019

Richard  Carnwath FeasterDoris "Happy" Feaster


         Richard Carnwath Feaster              Doris "Happy" Feaster

When Jill Feaster LePan told me last Wednesday, October 15, 2019, the passing of her mother Doris in February and father Dick Feaster two weeks ago, whom I have known for over 65 years, the images of my entire adult life were streaming through my mind.

I met Dick for the first time not long after the Armistice of Korean War in 1953 through my older brother Youn Choul Shin who worked for then Marine Captain Richard Feaster at ASCOM (Army Service Command) located in my hometown Bupyoung, Incheon Korea. He had shown such special affinity to my brother that Dick gave him some information about his family in the United States. My brother gave me that data when I came to New York in 1966 to look for him. With that I was so lucky to find Dick in Moorestown New Jersey, only 90 miles from New York City where I lived. I believe it was the providence of God that I met him, Doris, Dick and their children in 1967.

I thank Dick Feaster so much for sponsoring me in 1968 to go to the Graduate School of New York University. While in school, I frequented to their home on weekends, mowed their lawn and picked apples on their home backyards. I brought some of them to my other unforgettable benefactors Eva and Steven Wormser who too died a few months ago. They made the sauce with those apples, which came to be known as “Feaster Sauce”. On Christmas Holidays, I used to wrap gifts for their young children, Ricky, Holly and Jill, with Christmas Cards written “From Oriental Santa”. They all laughed about it and began to realize the Santa Claus did not bring the gifts down through the chimney.

When I got engaged to Kee Won Park in 1969, Doris and Dick were so nice and kind enough to throw our engagement party at their home. Since her own parents in Korea were not able to come, Doris and Dick acted as her parents and Dick walked her down the aisle to give her away at our wedding. Eva and Steven Wormser filled in as my parents for mine had already died. What a wonderful honor for us both to have them bless us in those capacities!

We visited Dick’s family in Moorestown whenever we had chances, and they came to our house in New York from time to time. Dick showed us some of the old pictures taken in Korea and afterward when we visited them. They took us to their summer home in New Jersey shore and introduced us to his parents, relatives and their families. In all these years, I can never forget Doris had always mailed Birthday and Christmas Cards with update notes to us every year without fail. I am ashamed of myself not being able to do the same and more. The only thing I remember doing anything for them was that I once shipped a box of Maine lobsters to them and bought life insurance policies through Dick. I am so glad I have been able to call and talk with Doris and Dick several times a year even after I moved to Seattle a few years ago.

Dick had always treated me like his own son as Steven Wormser had done throughout my adult life. He is the greatest benefactor to me and my family. He had shown me how compassionate and loving person with good humor he really is. He had always cared for my well-being and how I had been doing in my life and venture. I wouldn’t be where and what I am today without his help and guidance. I am eternally grateful for what they had done for me and my family. I cannot thank them enough. I hope and pray I could see and express my sincere appreciation someday to Doris and Dick in Heaven, and my children and grandchildren understand our kinship and maintain similar relationships with theirs.

Doris and Dick, rest in peace and may God bless you and your descendants!

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