TUESDAY TUNES: MAKE NEW FRIENDS BUT KEEP THE OLD

TUESDAY TUNES: Some lyrics never go out of style. One of the first songs we learned in scouts as Brownies was called Make New Friends. 

New verses have been added over the years and now they even have Daisies before Brownies. One can never start too young nor be too old to make a friend.

This is a different version than I have shared before and perhaps more appropriate as I lost both a new friend and an old friend in the same week.      

MAKE NEW FRIENDS but keep the old...

          

This was a friendship since Brownies when we were 6 years old...

Kaye Phillips Miers, 71, passed away on

Sunday, November 16. She was born and

raised in Little Rock, Arkansas. She

attended Little Rock public schools and

earned her nursing degree from the

University of Arkansas at Little Rock. She

is survived by her daughter, Olivia Lea

Easterling, cousin Cathy Cooper

Anderson and her Chosen Family: Clark

Benton and his children, Jason, Kelsey

and Morgan. She was preceded in death

by her parents, Lea and Fe Phillips, her

brother, Patrick Ward Phillips, and her

husband Charles Sheppard Miers.

We have lost a masterful storyteller with a quick-witted sense of humor who seldom met a “stranger” since she was a friend to all who knew her or spent any time with her. She loved to tell stories wrapped in stories, keep everyone entertained, share jokes, and she always nailed the punchline.

Famous as the toughest one in every group, a blend of bone-headed stubbornness and relentless grit, her stubborn streak, paired with humor and heart, helped her endure seemingly years of illness and yet remain a beacon of strength and laughter for all who loved her. She was indeed one of a kind, especially for her crazy, unfiltered sense of humor.

She cherished an extended circle of lifelong friends who gathered monthly for birthday luncheon celebrations. She found a second home in the Riviera Condos, a community of friends and fellow dog lovers who meant the world to her. Her friends and the memories they created together were a constant source of joy.

She and her late husband, Shep, showed their love to family and and community in their kitchen. They churned out hundreds of home- made meals for friends, neighbors, and church members; a testament to their love and support in times of happiness and sadness. She never met a recipe she wouldn’t try, and her kitchen was a place where love, laughter, and fellowship simmered together. The meals they prepared together were not just food, but a daily celebration of their bond and the community they lifted up.

A decade-long tango with cancer never dimmed her sparkle. She was deeply grateful for the extraordinary care of doctors and nurses, whose compassion and dedication made her feel seen and supported through so many unknowns and curveballs, turning uncertainty into steady encouragement and unwavering care.

Kaye was grateful to all of the Doctors and Nurses who worked tirelessly to help her through her many health challenges. Dr. Stan Burns the best friend and doctor a girl could ask for, Dr. Rhonda Gentry and staff at CARTI, Dr. Fritz van Rhee, Erica Ajoku, APRN, Dr. Emily Newsom, and all staff at UAMS.

A service celebrating Kaye’s life will be held at Trinity Episcopal Cathedral on Monday, December 1 at 2:00 p.m. with a reception immediately following.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be given to Trinity Episcopal Cathedral (310 W. 17th Street, Little Rock, AR 72206) and to the Society of Saint John the Evangelist in Cambridge, MA (ssje.org/donate)