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Cemetery Location Map to Gravesite |
Birth Date: 3/17/1974
Death Date: 10/22/2001
Memorial Park Cemetery
Section 33, Lot 203, Grave 10
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A New Saint
Typically in Indiana, you don't know what kind of weather you're going to get. Especially in October, when from one day to the next, you don't know if it's going to be 60 degrees and sunny or cloudy and 40 degrees. On October 26, 2001, it was 40 degrees, cloudy and terribly windy, the weather matched the mood of everyone gathered.
The wind was unrelenting and bitter cold, freezing the tears cascading down my face. I stood by her grave trembling. Listening to the pastor give the eulogy, and watching the parents, sister and husband sitting there. Knowing the myriad of thoughts and questions going through their minds. Why LeeAnn? Why now? Why her? Those questions echoed through the minds of all of the loving family and friends surrounding the tent, wanting an answer to a question that won't be answered until we join LeeAnn.
The only way to deal with the pain and anguish, the horrendous empty feeling that now surrounds our hearts, is to believe there is a reason for taking this beautiful woman away from us. There has to be a greater need for her passing, than the need for us to still have her here with us.
When looking through pictures of LeeAnn throughout her years, from adorable little girl to foxy high school student to a beautiful woman, there is one absolute constant; her smile. You could tell through the pictures when she was smiling just to be congenial to the photographer, and when she was smiling because of overwhelming happiness, usually the latter. I look through those pictures for comfort and to help with my sadness. All I could do was smile and laugh with LeeAnn, not knowing what exactly she was laughing or smiling about in those pictures, but feeling the warmth and happiness she was feeling at the time. Tears fell down my cheek, not in sadness, but in joy. Knowing no matter what pain she was going through in those years from girl to woman, she used her smile as a shield, not so much for her but for us.
Oh, when those saints come marching in, oh, when those saints come marching in.
LeeAnn Dolick Cox was born on St. Patrick's Day in 1974, and how appropriate is that? This beautiful woman, who graced us with her presence for 27 years, has been laid down to rest and boy, did she need it.
The hardest thing to cope with is how her fight ended. She found out she had leukemia and battled this monster with the heart of a soldier. She kept that smile as a shield to hide her pain from us because by no means did she want pity or sorrow to surround her fight. Then the mule kick to the heart, she beat the leukemia, but she couldn't fight off the fungal infection that blind-sided her with a sucker punch.
We must go on with our lives now and fight back the lump in our throats and hearts every time we see something that reminds us of her, which will be incredibly hard to do. Every time you see something beautiful, you'll think of her. But here is the part all of us will have to remember, whenever life throws you something that seems to hard to handle, remember the fight LeeAnn went through. Then things won't seem to bad.
Time, time will heal, and I even hate writing that because it sounds so clichT', but it's true. Remember the warmth, love and happiness LeeAnn shared and gave to us and never stop smiling.
A tribute by Jason "Mookie" Smith |
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LeeAnn at 3 months old.
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LeeAnn's 1st school picture.
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LeeAnn with her favorite and only sister,Lisa.
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Family Photo taken in 1987-1988.
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LeeAnn was a member of the New Palestine High School Marching Band and Flag Corp.
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LeeAnn graduated from New Palestine High School in 1992 and later attended Purdue University.
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LeeAnn and Duffy's 1st vacation together at Lake Michigan.
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LeeAnn sitting on the shores of Lake Michigan in North Chicago, Illinois.
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LeeAnn and her husband, Duffy on the Wedding Day, October 14, 2000.
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LeeAnn was always known for her great smile.
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