Final Posting
March 12, 2008 

Today is Doubie's birthday. He would have been 66 years old.  

Today, I attended the funeral of a very dear friend, Josh Munden, age 56. A flood of memories came over me and I felt a deep sadness. Much of the sadness was for my personal loss, much for my sons, David and Stephen and much for Ann Munden and her family. I watched the honorary pallbearers as they left the church. All were men near my age who were also suffering a great loss of a friend who died much too soon.

 Today, I also attended the funeral of an elegant southern lady, Marjorie Mitchell, age 84, who was the wife of "Mitch", the mother of 7 girls, 18 grandchildren and 18 great grandchildren. This was a tremendous loss for those in her family and her community of Goldsboro, NC. She was a lovely lady and I feel blessed to have known her.  As we live our lives, death will always be a part of living, but so will the birth of a baby.

Life goes on and we keep on living and loving. I thank all of you for you love and friendship. You have all enriched my life and the lives of my sons. We all deeply appreciate your love and support for Doubie during his illness, but now we must move forward just as the Mundens will do and Marjorie's family will do.

Life does go on and we must honor our loved ones.  My special thanks to Martha and Curt for setting up this website and posting, the messages. As of this final message to all of you, the "Doubie Update" is closed and no longer sending or receiving messages. The boys and I hope to hear from you personally as time goes by.  

David, Stephen and I are moving forward together as we try to honor Doubie's memory each day. I know all of you are doing the same. Each day we remember a "Doubie story" and laugh. That is the way he would want to be remembered, with laughter and not tears.  

In loving friendship, 

Jane, David and Stephen Snow

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Thursday, November 15,

Memorial Services for Doubie wi ll be held Saturday afternoon, November 17, 2007 at 3:00 PM at the First Presbyterian Church in Rocky Mount.

The family will receive friends after the service.

The church is located at 153 North Church Street,………..on the corner of Church Street and Thomas Street……. in downtown Rocky Mount.

Jane, David, and Stephen are most appreciative of your kind visits, messages and ca lls and for your wonderful support for Doubie and for them during his i llness.

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Wednesday Evening, November 14 

Dear friends of the Snow family,

Jane asked that I let you know that Doubie passed away this afternoon around 5:00 with Jane, David, Stephen and Bailey by his side. It was peaceful and he is now at rest and no longer struggling.

Arrangements are being made for a memorial service on Saturday. Martha Daniel will post the details on the web site on Thursday afternoon. www.ddaetc.com  Details will also be in the local paper and N&O on Friday.

God bless the family and all of you who loved Doubie too.

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Wednesday, November 14 

I am late in getting an update out, but will try to bring you up to date by "making a long story short" as they say. 

We were at the river last time I wrote and had some good days while we were there. All of that began to change on October 31. Doubie was not feeling well and was having more trouble breathing even with a higher level of oxygen around the clock. He wanted to stay through the weekend, but I was getting uncomfortable by Thursday evening. I put him in the bed with medication and hopes for good nights rest and intentions of heading home sooner than later. As fate would have it, we left for Rocky Mount much sooner than expected. My mother fell while out for dinner with friends at Benvenue Country Club. She received immediate attention since half the doctors in Rocky Mount were attending an event at the club. I received the call and was on the phone until after midnight with friends and my sister. Kathryn, my sister, was on her way to Bath when I called her and she changed her course and headed straight to the emergency room. Doubie awoke at 3:30 with symptoms that were alarming, so I packed us up and loaded the car to head home for him and for my mother. 

Now here is the shorter version. Mama had bleeding in the brain as a result of her fall and had to have major brain surgery. The recovery will be slow, very slow. She was moved from Critical Care to a room at the hospital. Today, just short of 2 weeks, she was transferred to the Bryant T. Aldridge Rehabilitation Center on the Campus of Nash Health Care Systems in Rocky Mount. She knows us and understands most of what we say, but she cannot communicate in words that we can understand. She is weak on her left side and cannot swallow well enough to eat and drink. She has a feeding tube for now. She will receive excellent care with physical therapy and speech therapy daily. We pray that with time she will make a full recovery. 

Now for the Doubie update. The news is not so good this time.

Doubie is much weaker and is now getting care from both Dr. Crocker and Hospice. Our goal is to make him comfortable and pain free. Only God knows when the end is near and Doubie will remain positive until the end. He is an inspiration to me and to all who know him. We are spending all of our time together and I even have him watching "Dancing With the Stars" with me. He has me watching the History Channel with him most of the day.

 I know this is difficult news for all of you who love Doubie too. Talking really takes a lot of his oxygen, so I only ask that if you visit, please keep the visits short and don't ask him to talk much. He enjoys your cards very much.  I want to thank all of you for your wonderful messages on this site. I cannot reply to messages on the web site, but I do read them to Doubie. Your cards, calls, flowers, food, visits, etc. have overwhelmed us. We are blessed to have all of you in our lives.  It is with a sad heart that I close for now. 

Love, Jane

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October 27, 2007

Dear Friends:

Living with Doubie is like riding a roller coaster. We started this new ride a few weeks ago and he goes up and then down a little and then climbs back up again. Each day on this ride is different from the day before.

We traveled to Bath on Thursday, October 18, my birthday. It was a sad day due to the loss of an old friend, Debbie Kornegay and critical condition of our other friend Eve Beasley. Both of these courageous ladies are still in our hearts and prayers daily following the brutal attack on that Thursday.Doubie's brother, Pete, and his wife Sandy drove from Colonial Beach, Virginia to see Doubie for a few hours on Saturday. He was so excited to see Pete and Sandy and it really perked him up. That was a high day on the roller coaster.

The following day was a low day, so we headed home to see Dr. Crocker. Good ole Doctor Dan made a house call, added a few new medications and gave Doubie a thumbs up once again.Doubie doesn't want to miss a visit or lunch with anyone who asks. He just runs out of steam when he tries to be too social. He had planned to go to Big Field with our son David this past Thursday. That was a low day for Doubie and he just could not make it.

He rested all day Thursday and Friday and felt so much better by Saturday that he wanted to go to Bath. So Iloaded the car with oxygen and other items needed to make him comfortable and off we went. We have done nothing since we arrived in Bath. Doubie is resting and watching ball games on TV. It is just so peaceful and finally cooler weather. We will stay as long as we can and enjoy the healing powers of the "Rivah". Thanks for your e-messages, cards, food, calls and visits.

We are both so humbled by the vast amount of love and support. Today is better than yesterday, but hopefully, not as good as tomorrow. (The Filthy 5 will get that remark.)Lots of love from us to you,

Jane and Doubie
252-443-6837 Home
252-813-1562 Cellular
252-923-9243 Bath House

 

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October 14, 2007 

Hello everyone, I just had to share some good news with you this week.

Dr. Crocker put Doubie on an antibiotic and steroids last Tuesday. By Friday, he was a different person. He looks good and feels good too. He got up on Friday, showered, dressed and told me he wanted to out for a hot dog.  Funny story here. I fixed up the small travel bag of oxygen and turned on the regulator. Doubie wore the oxygen while we were out eating hot dogs.

When we got back to our house, I realized that I had not hooked the oxygen cord to the tank. All of the air was flowing into the bag, not into Doubie! He was thrilled to know he had been off his oxygen for over an hour and still felt good.

Today, Anne Whitaker and I took Doubie to see the movie Michael Clayton starring George Clooney. It is a good movie, but you have to pay attention. It is not a chick flick. It is so good for him to get out and enjoy this nice weather.  

If all continues to go well, we will head to the "Rivah" on Thursday for a long weekend. That will do us both good!! I will keep you posted and let you know if there are any changes. I realize that this is not a cure and know that he has cancer in both lungs.

But I can't even begin to tell you how good it is to see him up and feeling so much better. He is still using oxygen in the house and still rests a lot.  We have enjoyed the good food, the cards and notes, the flowers and a few short visits. Thanks for giving him time to rest and feel better. We both are in much better spirits at the time of this update than when I wrote you last week. Hugs to all of you from both of us................

Love, Jane and Doubie 

252-443-6837 Home
252-813-1562 Cellular
252-923-9243 Bath House

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Monday, October 8, 2007 

Dear family and friends, 

I told you I would be in touch again after our trip to Maine, so here I am. 

We left for Boston with Roger and Trudi on Thursday, September 27. Doubie and I had never been to Boston and really had a great time. Doubie was not able to do much walking, so we rolled him around in a wheel chair, chauffeured him in a van and rode the Duck Boats and Trolley in Boston. The latter two are great and fun ways of seeing the city. 

We left Boston and stopped in Salem, Mass. on our way to Portland, ME. We loved Portland and highly recommend The Oar Restaurant if you are ever in the area. What a lovely town! On Sunday, September 30, we drove to Fryeburg, Maine for the Fryeburg Fair (www.fryeburgfair.org). Can you believe that we were in a 3 mile traffic jam for almost 2 hours? We spent about an hour at the fair and ate some "fair food". Doubie wanted to see the Ox Pulling show. We watched them pull 2,500 pounds of concrete while being "urged" on by the owner. Finally, I did the "let's get out of here finger roll" and we headed to Camden, ME.  We arrived just after dark and stayed at Glenmore by the Sea. We had a 2 bedroom suite overlooking the water. There was only one bath and we all four realized  how spoiled we are. I can remember when my family of 6 shared one bath.  

Up until this point, Doubie had done fairly well and had rested along the way. On Monday, he began to feel worse and we spent some time in the emergency room at a small hospital in Rockport on Penobscot Bay. The staff there could not have been nicer to all of us. They did some x-rays and CT scans and felt that Doubie needed oxygen. At Doubie's insistence, the doctor agreed to let Doubie go on to Bar Harbor, so we rented an oxygen tank and wheelchair. He also "prescribed" a wonderful restaurant in Acadia National Park where we enjoyed lobster stew and fresh popovers and jam. I love a doctor who prescribes good food! 

We stayed at the Bar Harbor Inn and had a room with a balcony overlooking the water. It was just beautiful. Doubie ate a whole lobster and we rolled him up and down the streets of Bar Harbor. Unfortunately, the fog prevented him from taking full advantage of the view from the peak of Cadillac Mountain, but we made the journey anyway.  It was evident on Wednesday evening that Doubie needed to be at home.

Our friends, Don and Billie Stallings, sent their jet to Bar Harbor first thing on Thursday morning and we were back in Rocky Mount shortly after Noon. That was such a blessing and we thank them for getting all four of us home. I had made plans prior to arriving at home to have oxygen and a wheelchair delivered to the house. It was so good to be home again. 

Doubie had further testing done on Friday, the results of which we received today.I wish I could call each of you personally, but that is impossible. Dr. Crocker has confirmed that the tumors have progressed in both of Doubie's lungs. There is no further treatment that can be done at this point. He is on oxygen full time and at this time is not in much pain. He is at home and resting a good deal of the time. He has trouble getting enough air and tires easily just walking from room to room.  

Right now, we are still taking this one day at a time. . His doctor said we will change our plans as needed, but assured us that Doubie will not suffer. For now, he is at home surrounded by lots of love from his family. David comes by everyday and Stephen comes home from ECU as much as he can. We are all having dinner together Tuesday night.   We have celebrated life for the past several months and had some great times. Our house on the river has been a source of strength for me and allowed me to get through some tough days.

 I don't want to spend the time we have left being sad for the time we will not have later. I hope you will be able to do the same. I know many of you love Doubie too. Talking takes a lot of oxygen and he really does sleep and rest a lot. I will do my best to keep you posted along the way or ask that someone send an email. Thanks again to Curt and Martha Daniel for their help in setting up and maintaining the "Doubie Update". Doubie is not checking emails and I have turned off his cell phone. I will be reading your postings and emails but may not be able to answer them right away. As much as we would love to see you, at this time it would be difficult for him or for any of us to receive visitors.


It is with love and appreciation for your constant love and support that I close.  

Love, Jane and Doubie

Note: If you do come by with a card or a note, etc. please go to the side door and leave on the counter.

 

 

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September 11, 2007 

Not much news from our end.

We spent a wonderful week at the river. Doubie did some fishing as you can see! We had a visit from our good friend Sandra Weller Elam.

Doubie and I are in Rocky Mount and he is taking his last round of chemotherapy before we head to Maine for a week with Roger and Trudi the end of the month.

Until then, we send our love and thanks for all of you emails, visits, cards and prayers. 

Love, Jane and Doubie 

 

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August 28, 2007 

Doubie went in today for a chemotherapy treatment.

He was told that his next CT scan will not be done until after his next series of chemo treatments. Next week is an off week. He will have treatments September 11, 18 & 25.

We leave for our trip to Boston and Maine on September 27-October 5. The CT scan will done after our return. Maybe that is best. Until then, we are all going to think positive thoughts and pray for the best.

I will write another update as soon as there is something to report. We will be going back to the "rivah" on Friday and stay all of next week. I promise to write and include pictures if there is any interesting news. Until then, call or visit anytime. Doubie and I would love to see you.Happy Labor Day! 

Love,

Jane and Doubie

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August 14, 2007

 I realize now that many of you start to worry when an update is not posted on this site. Actually, it has been a quiet week.  Doubie's knee is improving and he will have the stitches out next week.

He resumed his chemotherapy treatments on Monday of this week and now has 2 more to go before having another CT scan. That CT scan will tell us if he is improving or not or possibly just maintaining. Say a prayer for him. 

We are at the river and having some guests in tomorrow. I will tell you all about that next week and have some new pictures. Take care and stay cool if you can. Fall will be here soon, but not soon enough for me. 

Thanks for you support and we love you right back!

Jane and Doubie

 Note: Several of you seem to have had problems getting this site. Here are a few hints from Martha:

First of all, type the web address in your browser, not in google!

The web address is case sensitive, which means if you typed in ddaetc.com/doubie (ALL LOWER case) you will get an Error saying Page Not Found!

But if you type in ddaetc.com/Doubie (note CAPITAL D as a proper name) you will get to the update page.

You can also reach the update page by simply typing in your browser (NOT GOOGLE) ddaetc.com
that will take you to a page where you can click on the camoflage Update on Doubie Box.

It might also be a good idea to save the page in your Favorites or Bookmarked sites.

Hope this will help!

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Monday, August 6,

Hello friends,

Sorry this is a little late, but you will understand why before you finish reading.

Doubie has felt good for most of the past two weeks and had a vacation from chemotherapy last week. I had planned a trip to Charlotte with friends about 6 months ago to see the Lion King. I left Rocky Mount on Friday and headed to Charlotte to see Sherry Harper along with the rest of the "Filthy 5". (The Filthy 5, if you don't know about them, is a group of 4 friends and myself from high school.) Since this is a Doubie Update, that is all you need to know about my weekend.

However, Doubie had an adventurous weekend without me.

His good friend, Tommy Baysden, drove up from Beaufort, SC to spend Friday night with Doubie. They were entertained with cocktails and dinner at a friend's house in Rocky Mount. On Saturday, Tommy headed to Charlotte for a wedding.

Doubie, Gene Arnold and Curt Daniel headed to the Roanoke Tar River Gun Club or better known as "Big Field" for a night in the woods. It's a "guy thing", girls. Doubie prepared dinner and lit the grill. He decided to spray for Dirt Dobbers around the deck. Suddenly he slipped, his feet went out from under him and fell down the steps. Curt showed up shortly after the fall and with one glance at Doubie's right knee, he knew Doubie needed some stitches.

Curt, Gene and Doubie headed to Ahoskie to the emergency room (30 miles away). They arrived at 8:00 and entertained several nurses and other patients while waiting for the doctor. I just happened to call from Charlotte around 9:00 on Saturday night and boy was I shocked when Doubie answered and told me he was in the hospital. Gene swears that they had not been drinking and Doubie was sober as a judge. I am not sure the nursing staff would agree! The doctor x-rayed Doubie's knee, cleaned him up, gave him an IV antibiotic and 27 stitches in his right knee.

The "boys" left the hospital around Midnight. They were all starving so they found a Wendy's open in Ahoskie past midnight, bought a couple of combos, parked in the Walmart Shopping center lot and ate dinner. I'm sure by that time, it was like a 5 star meal. (photo on left: Doubie entertaining his adoring nurses in spite of a knee injury)

Doubie is banged up and sore, but it could have been much worse. We saw Dr. Crocker today in Rocky Mount. He checked out the knee, wrapped him up again and said for Doubie to come back next Monday. At the time, they may take out the stitches. Chemotherapy has been canceled this week too and we hope to resume regular treatments next week.

We may head back to the river to ride out this heat wave. At least it looks cooler overlooking the water instead of a paved street. Thanks for your messages and cards. We will stay in touch with another message next week.

Love from Jane and Doubie Jane Snow

252-443-6837 Home
252-813-1562 Cellular
252-923-9243 Bath House

 

July 30, 2007

It is hard to believe that it is almost August and thoughts turn to "back to school" for some and Labor Day. Time flies whether you are having fun or not. Not much to report this week. Doubie and I spent this week in Rocky Mount. He had his chemotherapy on Tuesday and now has until August 7 before he has another treatment. The off weeks are great! Other than some mild nausea for a few days and tiring easily, he handles these treatments very well. He looks good and is in good spirits. We both believe a positive outlook is so important to his recovery.  We will be in Rocky Mount most of this week.

Doubie said we need to go back to Bath to get some rest. We have had fun dining and visiting with friends here. It is good to be home for a while to catch up. Call or come by to see Doubie before he goes back to the "Rivah", the golf cart and boating. Thanks once more for everything.

Jane and Doubie

Doubie and Roger Waters at the helm!

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July 23, 2007 

NOTE: I know many of you look for updates on Monday mornings. I have realized that sometimes it is not possible for me to get the message to Martha by Sunday and it is sometimes impossible for her to get it posted on the site by Monday. So, in the future, check for updates anytime from Monday to Wednesday. We will get it there as soon as we can.

What a weekend!

Doubie, David, Stephen and I left for Clyde, NC on Thursday morning to attend the annual reunion of Doubie's football buddies from NCSU. This is the first time I have attended and I have been missing a lot of fun.  We stayed at the Waynesville Country Club Inn and had a perfect view of the fairway and the mountains. The weather was perfect, warm but less humidity and cool evenings.  There were parties every night with the best food and great friends.

Skip Matthews brought soft shell crabs from Hertford and cooked them on Thursday night. The best we have ever had. On Friday, Doubie, the boys and I went to Asheville for the morning and had lunch at the Grove Park Inn. Back to Piggy's house for a table of food too various to mention. The fried mountain trout was my favorite! Saturday was a morning for golf. David and Stephen played and Doubie and I followed in a golf cart of our own.

I am getting the bug, but Doubie said I had to play with the old clubs in the basement before buying clubs, shoes and of course the proper golf clothes! 

We attended the final gathering Saturday night for homemade Brunswick Stew and hush puppies. Needless to say, we did not leave hungry. Thanks to Pat "Piggy" and Gail Powell and friends for such a memorable weekend. We can't wait for next year! Enjoy a view pictures............... 

Doubie and I continue to read and enjoy your messages even if we can't respond to all of them. You concern, love and friendship keep us strong and encouraged.  With love and thanks,

Doubie and Jane

 

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July 16, 2007 

I forgot to write the update for the web site on Sunday. It is hard to keep up with the date and day when you are retired! Doubie and I both remain the same as he continues his chemotherapy. We will be going to Clyde, NC on  Thursday with our sons. It is Pat "Piggy" Powell's annual birthday bash and a reunion of the NC State football players from the early 1960's. I promise to take pictures and share stories next week. Until then, have a great week and enjoy the message below that was just sent to me by a special friend. 

.A young woman went to her mother and told her about her life and how things were so hard for her. She did not know how she was going to make it and wanted to give up She was tired of fighting and struggling. It seemed as one problem was solved, a new one arose.

Her mother took her to the kitchen. She filled three pots with water and placed each on a high fire. Soon the pots came to boil. In the first she placed carrots, in the second she placed eggs, and in the last she placed ground coffee beans. She let them sit and boil; without saying a word.

In about twenty minutes she turned off the burners. She fished the carrots out and placed them in a bowl. She pulled the eggs out and placed them in a bowl.

Then she ladled the coffee out and placed it in a bowl. Turning to her daughter, she asked, "Tell me what you see."

"Carrots, eggs, and coffee," she replied.

Her mother brought her closer and asked her to feel the carrots. She did and noted that they were soft. The mother then asked the daughter to take an egg and break it. After pulling off the shell, she observed the hard boiled egg

Finally, the mother asked the daughter to sip the coffee. The daughter smiled as she tasted its rich aroma. The daughter then asked, "What does it mean, mother?"

Her mother explained that each of these objects had faced the same adversity: boiling water. Each reacted differently. The carrot went in strong, hard, and unrelenting. However, after being subjected to the boiling water, it softened and became weak. The egg had been fragile. Its thin outer shell had protected its liquid interior, but after sitting through the boiling water, its inside became hardened. The ground coffee beans were unique, however. After they were in the boiling water, they had changed the water.

"Which are you?" she asked her daughter. "When adversity knocks on your door, how do you respond? Are you a carrot, an egg or a coffee bean?

Think of this: Which am I? Am I the carrot that seems strong, but with pain and adversity do I wilt and become soft and lose my strength?

Am I the egg that starts with a malleable heart, but changes with the heat? Did I have a fluid spirit, but after a death, a breakup, a financial hardship or some other trial, have I become hardened and stiff? Does my shell look the same, but on the inside am I bitter and tough with a stiff spirit and hardened heart?

Or am I like the coffee bean? The bean actually changes the hot water, the very circumstance that brings the pain.. When the water gets hot, it releases the fragrance and flavor. If you are like the bean, when things are at their worst, you get better and change the situation around you. When the hour is the darkest and trials are their greatest, do you elevate yourself to another level? How do you handle adversity? Are you a carrot, an egg or a coffee bean?

May you have enough happiness to make you sweet, enough trials to make you strong, enough sorrow to keep you human and enough hope to make you happy.

The happiest of people don't necessarily have the best of everything; they just make the most of everything that comes along their way. The brightest future will always be based on a forgotten past; you can't go forward in life until you let go of your past failures and heartaches.

When you were born, you were crying and everyone around you was smiling.

Live your life so at the end, you're the one who is smiling and everyone around you is crying.

Doubie and I wanted to send this message to the  people who mean something to us; to those who have touched our lives in one way or another; to those who make us smile when we really need it; to those who make us see the brighter side of things when we are really down; to those whose friendships we appreciate; to those who are so meaningful in our lives.

May we all be COFFEE!!!!! 

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July 1, 2007

Hello everyone!

Remember when I said if there was no news, it was good news.

Well I am writing since it is Sunday and many of you look for these updates each Monday, but there is no real news.Doubie has had a good week. We arrived at the river on Friday and have had a wonderful weekend. Our son David was " in the area" and did honor us with some of his time. Sunday afternoon was the best.

We took a late afternoon ride on the golf cart followed by a cocktail cruise with David as our boat captain. It was wonderful. He stayed to eat a steak with us then headed home to Rocky Mount. Doubie and I will be here together through the 4th. My sister and her friend are coming from Atlanta on Tuesday and will be here until Saturday morning. We are planning a cookout on the 4th with other family members that will join us for the day. We will spend time boating and tubing and eating cheeseburgers and apple pie.

Doubie is going to head home for a few days and most likely head to "Big Field" for a day. He will join me again for the weekend and the end of our week of vacation.This week is a vacation from chemotherapy for Doubie too. Hurray!I will send some pictures later in the week of Doubie boating and riding his "red" golf cart. He plans to decorate it with a Wolfpack theme. Surprise?!

We hope you all have a safe and fun Independence Day and enjoy the holiday.

God Bless America!

Love,