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| Judge Tanya Gee |
by
Paula Gail Benson
In
August of 2013, I had the privilege of introducing WWK’s readers to Tanya Gee.
Here’s a link
to that interview, “Tanya Gee, My Hero.”
Now,
I sadly must report her passing. Even though Tanya faced an aggressive form of
cancer, she did so with grace, dignity, and humor. Writing was a critical part
of Tanya’s life. Her efforts weren’t fiction, although she appreciated it.
Tanya was a lawyer. A very good one. Her undergraduate degree was in sociology,
and she was a student of people. But, she was more than just an observer. She
reached out to others to help and encourage them. During her memorial service,
her colleague, S. C. Supreme Court Justice Kaye Hearn, spoke of a sweet note
Tanya kept on her desk from a child she spent time reading with at an elementary
school. Tanya realized the value of words and used them well.
Perhaps
the best example of Tanya’s effective communication is her final message she
left on Facebook, which was later reprinted
with the family’s permission in The State,
Columbia, S.C.’s daily newspaper. She eloquently called it “her concession
speech.” No one who knew and loved Tanya wanted to read those words. We had
watched on the sidelines, cheering as she valiantly took on the dreaded cancer.
She was our warrior. If anyone could beat it, she must have the essential skill.
And, there were so many reasons that she needed to be a victor.
Even
though she knew her body was failing her, Tanya’s mind and spirit remained
strong. Here are her own words from her “concession speech”:
“We
all die, right? And we all know we’re going to die someday. That’s part of
living. Perhaps it’s because of this that I feel strangely calm about knowing
that it will be cancer that kills me. I have many nights in the hospital room
to reflect on life and death, and I tell you truly that I am not scared to die.
I do feel a sense of guilt that I have let my body betray me and I will cause
other people sadness. My children, my parents, my husband, and my dear friends
will cry, and wonder, and question their faith. I wish that I were able to make
everyone feel as calm as I do. I am damn proud of the life I lived, the
children I have, the husband I married, and the circle of friends I leave
behind. I hate that I’m leaving the party early, but am awed by being on the
brink of taking the next step which we all should be looking forward to. . .
.
“Writing
this update is also difficult. I always talk about cancer using terms like ‘fight,’
‘kicking ass,’ and ‘winning.’ I don’t like conceding that I have lost the fight
because I don’t feel like a loser right now. I feel like I have one last battle
in front of me, and that is to die well. That’s a battle I pledge to win.”
In
the time since I interviewed Tanya, she became a judge. Her practice had been
in appellate work, so it’s not surprising that she aspired to be a jurist. The
fact that she achieved her dream and earned the overwhelming respect of the bench
and bar was extraordinary considering that her own personal battle would have
been enough to consume her time and energy.
But
Tanya was a person who wanted to give back to her community. Even more, she
wanted to be there for her wonderful family, her doting husband Chris and intelligent,
courageous son Will and daughter Sabin.
Her
Facebook page was full of happy references to her children’s activities and
discoveries. She adored them. They are strong, beautiful human beings, a very
large part of her incredible legacy. In Chris’ message to friends of Tanya’s
passing, he said Sabin had been proud that her mother lived “an epic life.”
Have you lost someone whose actions and words made an impact on your life?
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| Photo of Tanya Gee from FitsNews.com |
