Infinity

Last evening, right around sunset, the shipboard community held a memorial service for Wade Lancaster. Professor Lancaster was the faculty member who died suddenly while we were in port in Shanghai. His wife, Jeanette, has been a beloved nursing professor and dean of the School of Nursing at UVA. We were all so pleased to welcome Jeanette back to the ship in Singapore, where she rejoined us after returning home to Tennessee to be with family and friends. 

The image below is the path the ship took, in the shape of an infinity loop, following a service led by Archbishop Desmond Tutu with readings of Bible passages and poetry by a lifelong learner, students, and a faculty member. As the ship followed the choreographed  loop, we filed down in silence to throw roses over the aft railing. There was a spectacular sunset at the same time, and nearly the entire shipboard community was on one of the three aft decks watching and providing silent support to Jeanette and her brother Michael. Archbishop Tutu talked about the shipboard community as a family during his remarks, I think that resonated with us all. It was a particularly poignant experience for my real family onboard, since today is the 11th anniversary of my mother's death. Thank you, Jeanette, for sharing this remembrance of Wade with your shipboard family.