WELCOME
By Luce Nadeau at the memorial of Madeleine Page at Ethical Society
Hall, Rittenhouse Square, Philadelphia, on January 10th, 2004.
Dear Friends of Madeleine,
Welcome to each and every one of us to Madeleine's memorial. The
approach to this event is somewhat unusual given that there is no
family to receive condolences. We, all of Madeleine's friends, *are*
her family. We loved her dearly and we cared for her as she did for
us. This memorial is for all of us, to mourn the passing of our
friend and to celebrate her life.
Most of us knew Madeleine through one or two of her interests, and
even those of us lucky enough to have known her for a long time
tended to see only certain facets of her life. To have a complete
portrait of Madeleine, it will be necessary for us to share in our
knowledge of Madeleine and in our experiences of her.
The Memorial program was prepared, selecting readings and music to
her taste, most of what we will hear we know she loved, and even
though each selection is quite different from one to the other, they
all reflect who she was. As well, speakers will draw portraits of
Madeleine, talking about various aspects of her life.
After the more formal part of the event, we will all repair upstairs
for a glass of wine, a few bites to eat and for all of us to share
stories about *our* own Madeleine. Let us begin.