Life Is Not Forever ~ Love Is
In Celebration of the Lives of
Jason & Andrew Colvard

I wanted to share a story with you…
In October we returned ‘home’ to California where I was born and raised and where my son and grandson, Jason and Andrew, were also born, each of us in the same country hospital in rural Sonoma County. We felt a deep need and longing to gather with our family for a small memorial service to honor our ‘boys’. We had waited until we felt it was ‘safe enough’ to travel with my elderly Mother, and when there was a small window when the virus was less rampant, we flew. We gathered at my Mother’s old family farm on a warm October day to sing praises of Jason and Andrew, share stories, and take comfort with each other. My family had purchased two beautiful Ginkgoes’ that we planted side by side in the field next to my Mom’s home. There they will grow for centuries as Ginkgoes are known to do, growing from the ashes we planted in the soil and holding the memories of Jason and Andrew in their strong limbs and beautiful leaves.
The next morning, we carried their ashes, their stardust, to the old family burial plot in the Sonoma Mountain Cemetery where my Grandparents are buried. I’ve long loved this sacred space, where souls have been put to rest under the old oak forest that grows wild in the volcanic landscape. As we knelt in prayer over Jason and Andrew’s Memorial Stone, my brother placed an olive branch on the headstone. Wondering where the olive branch came from in this old oak forest, my brother pointed above; directly above us was one lone old and gnarled olive tree, a symbol of peace and renewal, growing amidst the oak forest.
That afternoon, returning home, we went out to circle the Ginkgo trees and to sing one final parting song before we all left for our homes again. As we began to sing,
“Fly like an Eagle,
Flying so high,
Circling the Universe
On wings of pure light”
Right above us, two beautiful white shoulder Hawks appeared and began to circle above and around us… singing with us in their high-pitched tones. They circled and sang above us the entire time we were singing, and as we finished the last verse, these two beautiful hawks flew off…. into the star world and the world of spirit beings.
With love and light,
Rosemary
Peace, my heart, let the time for the parting be sweet.
Let it not be a death but completeness.
Let love melt into memory and pain into songs.
Let the flight through the sky end in the folding of the wings over the nest.
Let the last touch of your hands be gentle like the flower of the night.
Stand still, O Beautiful End, for a moment,
and say your last words in silence.
I bow to you and hold up my lamp to light you on your way.





Do not stand at my grave and weep.
I am not there, I do not sleep.
I am a thousand winds that blow,
I am the diamond glint on snow.
I am the sunlight on ripened grain,
I am the gentle autumn’s rain.
When you awaken in the morning’s hush,
I am the swift uplifting rush
of quiet birds in circled flight.
I am the stars that shine at night.
Do not stand at my grave and cry,
I am not there, I did not die…
Jason and Andrew were huge animal lovers and cared passionately for the well-being of animals.
The family had four pit bulls that lived with them and many feral cats that they adopted and cared for. Their four dogs, Beau, Cita, Gremlin, and Buddy, were taken to the Oconee County Animal Control who did an outstanding job of caring for them, and finding loving homes for each of them. They were soon adopted out to loving families. The kitties were fostered out in several homes and were cared for by Campus Cats, a non-profit organization that cares for homeless cats.
In Memory of Jason and Andrew, we invite you to make a donation to the Friends of Oconee County Animal Shelter or to your local animal shelter.
Donations can be made via mail or online. Please include a memo stating:
In memory of Jason and Andrew
Donate via mail:
Local Dog & Cat Shelter
Oconee County Animal Service
1171 Branch Road
Bishop, GA 30621
Campus Cats
P.O. Box 902
Watkinsville, GA 30677
[email protected]
Update: Beau, Buddy, Cita, and Gremlin have all been adopted by wonderful, caring families!
Stories keep the memories alive and bring the departed spirits back to life. If you have a story that you’d like to share about Jason or Andrew, please share it here.
“Thank you for the stories; they are manna to the heart. And thank you for your love and support this past year. We felt it deeply. It was only because of the love and support of family and friends that we were able to bear what was truly unbearable”
~ Rosemary