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Please pardon this massive email, but we need to get this information out as quickly as possible to answer the questions.



It looks like we won’t be having a service in San Diego for Courtney as originally suggested. His ship, the USS Higgins, sailed yesterday and will be gone for 3 weeks, and with his commander away on board, they won’t have the military service for him in port. They will, however, be having a memorial service for him onboard while they are underway, and the commander emailed me and said they would be filming it for us. (Great, maybe we can rent a local theatre and serve popcorn and Kleenex. Hey, I said it before you did.)



So with that determined, Courtney will accompanied by a Naval officer and his brother, Dave, and be flown to South Bend, Indiana where he grew up. They are planning a viewing at a funeral home in Mishawaka, and then a mass at Sacred Heart at Notre Dame. Courtney would be so pleased as he LOVED ND. The last thing he did was watch last Saturday’s game against Michigan. We’ll be leaving for South Bend on Friday, and probably come back on Monday or Tuesday morning.



Since Courtney and Dave have been so very worried about their sister’s grandson, Riley, in Corpus Christi who is 4 years old and battling Leukemia (pictures attached), we are suggesting that in lieu of flowers, our family members and friends consider making a donation to the benefit fund for this special child. I have attached a couple of pictures of Riley and Dave, Courtney’s brother, taken about 2 weeks ago.



Donations can be made to:



The Riley P. Middour Benefit Fund, and sent in care of Susan Romanowski, 1034 Ponder Street, Corpus Christi, TX 78404. She will in turn take these to Frost Bank for deposit to the fund.



Courtney has sent me numerous updates on this precious little boy, and I know he would be so pleased to be able to help him and his family, especially since they don’t have health insurance to cover the chemotherapy and bone marrow surgeries he is going through. Like the family isn’t enduring enough right now.



Alternatively, the funeral home is:



Thallemer Goethals & Wells

503 W. 3rd St

Mishawaka, IN

(574) 255-1519



Viewing on Sunday

Mass at Sacred Heart Notre Dame on Monday



Thank you all for your thoughts and prayers at this incredibly difficult and sad time.



Love,



Vic & Greg