Hospice

kevinc@herald-mail.com Eva and Marlin Martin operate the lunch counter at Hagerstown Regional Airport, coupled with a catering business specializing in weddings, picnics and business functions. Yet no experience could prepare them for the culinary blitzkrieg that is Taste of the Town. Why, just last year, their second at the Hospice of Washington County fundraiser, the owner's of Martin's Catering Service brought a generous helping of fresh peach pies for tasters to savor.

megp@herald-mail.com Bill Bowen has enough baseball memorabilia to fill a museum in his house, but he never gets tired of looking at more. As an appraiser for Hospice of the Panhandle Inc.'s third annual antique appraisal fair this weekend, he also gets to tell visitors the value of their treasures. "Most of them are very anxious to find out what it's worth," said Bowen, who also volunteered to provide verbal appraisals of baseball memorabilia at the two previous fairs.

This year, about 40,000 people in the United States will chose to end their lives. It's a sobering statistic from the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. Equally sobering is the fact that it might be someone you know - a family member, a friend, a neighbor or co-worker. The reasons for escaping this world will vary - from genetic predisposition to mental health issues. But regardless of why the decision was made, the impact on those left behind will be tremendous.

marlob@herald-mail.com WASHINGTON COUNTY - When Peggy Winters, Faye Metz and Trudy Fox signed on as volunteers with Hospice of Washington County 20 years ago, they wanted to give to others. They had no idea how much they would get in return. "It has been the best thing that ever happened to me," Metz said of her experiences with patients and families dealing with life-threatening illness. She returned to Washington County in 1972 and was working in a physician's office.

kevinc@herald-mail.com Adona Burnett's voice hitches and cracks, leading social worker Lynn Schlossberg to rub a comforting hand along the 73-year-old's back. Burnett is talking about her love, Roger, and the circumstances that have robbed the 80-year-old of his vitality. The ALS (Lou Gehrig's Disease) diagnosis; the February 2001 stroke, "the night of a bad snow storm," she says. She remembers. Roger Burnett was an Army veteran, a man whose dream was to open a one dining room restaurant and who had exceeded his goal by six since opening his Park-n-Dine restaurant in 1946.

Judi and Bill Lewis wanted to give back to those who helped their son, Christopher, when he needed them most, and last year they did just that.  Two years after Christopher's death, at age 9, Judi Lewis created the Christopher Lewis Duck Pin Bowling Tournament in celebration of her son's life. The inaugural event took place Sept. 18 at Southside Bowl in Hagerstown, where 10 teams took to the lanes and helped raise more than $2,500 for the two organizations that were near and dear to Chris' heart.   The Make-A Wish Foundation of the Mid-Atlantic granted Chris' wish to meet country singers Brooks and Dunn.  Hospice of Washington County was called in for the last few weeks of Chris' life to help with his care and comfort.

katec@herald-mail.com "Are you sniffing?" Bill Miller asks his son, Tyler, as the 6-year-old puts his nose on his dad's hand, moves it up his arm and brings it to rest on his neck as he leans into an embrace. Tyler doesn't answer. He didn't hear the question. A rare genetic disorder has taken his hearing - and his sight. It will take his life. In mid-September Tyler was diagnosed with adrenoleukodytstrophy, which is damaging the myelin sheath - the fatty covering of nerve fibers in his brain - and the functioning of his adrenal glands.

marlob@herald-mail.com HAGERSTOWN - Writing out a check for a worthwhile charity satisfies the spirit and the soul but not usually the palate. Hospice of Washington County has found a way to take care of all three with The Taste of the Town. Last year the unique fund-raiser generated $32,000 when 686 people showed up at the Clarion Hotel and Conference Center on Dual Highway. "We think we will exceed both of those figures this year," said Susan Taylor, executive director of Hospice.

It wasn't how much money they made or how quickly they climbed the ladder of success. It wasn't the big homes or expensive cars, membership in the right social clubs or having a closet full of designer clothes. In the end, none of that mattered. Instead, they wished they would have set aside time to enjoy the things in life too often overlooked - sunrises and sunsets, reading a book with their children, an act of kindness toward a stranger. Most people eventually learn the lessons of how to conduct a satisfying life.

Anne Frances Shaffer, 45 of Williamsport Pike, Greencastle, Pa., died Sunday, Oct. 14, 2012, at her home, surrounded by her loving family and friends, after an unbelievable five-year battle with cancer. Born Nov. 19, 1966, in Silver Spring, Md., she was the daughter of George Coleman and Lillian Frances Carrodus Shaffer of Frederick, Md. She attended North Carolina Wesleyan College. She was an avid golfer and softball pitcher. She was also a dog lover. In addition to her parents, she is survived by Lori Ann Yohn, her partner of 14 years; a sister, Katie and her husband, Edward Keller, of Toms River, N.J.; a brother, Todd Coleman Shaffer of Woodbridge, Va.; nieces, Morgan Frances Keller, Alice Mae Shaffer, and Amy Treaster; nephews, Tyler Edward Keller, Coleman Thomas Shaffer, Lauren McMullen and A.J. Yohn; an aunt, Nancy Shvanda; an uncle, Thomas Carrodus; and her loving dog, Buddy.