Ann Marie Forman Whicker, 1964-2023
As I write this, I am still deeply grieving the loss of my wife Ann Marie Whicker–my other half, my muse, the love of my life. So you’ll forgive me for making this a brief post.
According to the Bible, death for a Christian is simply a “translation” from a physical/spiritual existence into a purely spiritual one. Our spirits and souls are temporarily separated from our bodies and reside with our God and those who have gone before us in Heaven–a paradise we know little about until we get there. Death, then, is only physical for the Christian, because we have already been reborn spiritually when we placed our faith and trust in the saving work of Jesus Christ. And because of His resurrection from the dead, we have assurance that we, too, will rise again one day and be given new physical bodies that will be perfect, returning us to the state God originally intended when he made the first man and woman in the Garden of Eden.
On January 8, 2023, Ann Marie Whicker finally won her two-year battle with breast cancer. Though we were all praying for a miraculous healing that would keep her with us, God chose to heal her by taking her to Heaven, giving her the well-deserved rest of a victorious warrior. One week later, we held a Celebration of Life service for her, where friends and family gathered in a true atmosphere of happy remembrance and celebration. For those who could not attend, I am posting a few speeches, photos, and a slideshow here.
Ann’s celebration service touched me deeply, and it gave our two sons, Dax and Vance, one more happy memory of their Mom to cherish. Words cannot express the gratitude I feel toward my co-workers, friends, and family who showed us so much love and support. I thank them from the bottom of my heart. I also thank you for your prayers and words of encouragement. Your requests to God were indeed answered. Our family experienced His strength and love in profound ways–often even physical ways. Prayer works. Please keep doing that for us as we navigate our grief. Though we have faith regarding where Ann Marie is and our future reunion with her, our sense of loss is still very real. Twenty-eight years of a blissful marriage and such a deep relationship of oneness is…well, it’s not easy to let go of.
Please enjoy what I have placed here and take the words to heart. May God bless you richly as you remember this beautiful soul.
Click the image above to hear Ann Marie’s recent song PROPULSION!
The beautiful invitation to Ann’s Celebration of Life event as created by my coworker and friend, Stephanie Rutherford.
Thanks again, Steph!
Below are some photos from Ann Marie’s Celebration of Life held on January 15, 2023.
(Click on them to enlarge.) The room was very full after guests arrived.
a gorgeous woman.
for her special speaking part.
Our son Dax on left.
before guests arrive.
Here is my welcome speech. I couldn’t speak without breaking down in tears, so my brother Mike read it for me after our brother Al got the service started. Al was our “MC” and did a wonderful job of keeping things light and celebrative.
Read Vance’s touching speech about his Mom. Vance wrote this with no help, and he bravely delivered it at the service. His brother Dax, like me, was too emotional to speak in front of people.
Here are the lyrics from Ann Marie’s unfinished song “The Narrow Path,” read at the service by our niece Chloe Whicker. Ann wrote these words a few months after her original diagnosis. You can see her honesty as well as her strong faith.
Below is the slideshow we presented at Ann Marie’s Celebration of Life service. The song is “Dog and Butterfly” by the rock band Heart–her favorite band. Ann Wilson of Heart was one of Ann Marie’s earliest musical inspirations. She said that she used to drive her mother crazy as a teen, singing loudly and playing guitar to her Heart albums up in her bedroom. I’m sure they’re laughing right now as they reminisce together in Heaven.
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