Bibi Kay

On December  3rd, I had to say goodbye to a woman named Bibi Kay. Her actual name is Kay DeWeese.

Kay is an 82 year old woman from Hawaii. She is originally from the West Coast, born and raised in and around the San Francisco bay area. She spent some time in the mid-West (is Indiana mid-western? Does the Sun Belt count as mid-Western?), but lived most of her life, out West in California. In the late 90s when she moved to Hawaii.

Bibi Kay has been coming to MGLSS for a decade now, to teach the incoming Form I students, so Pre-Form I girls. The Pre-Form I girls come the end of September, and stay up until a week before Christmas. Kay has gotten into the routine of leaving early December, spending the rest of that month and the first half of January with her daughter and her daughter’s family in Raleigh, NC, before continuing on her homeward bound journey to Hawaii.

Kay was an immense comfort and exceedingly pacifying form of dependable, steady, enjoyable company when I first came to MGLSS. I came to this school on October 2nd. Kay and Natalie arrived in tandem the weekend before. While I was adjusting to life at MGLSS, Kay acted as a stalwart and companion during a period of time of great flux, change, and overwhelming variability.

This woman is the definition of someone who has lived a morally upright life. She lives out the Gospel; she combines ’talking the talk,’ with ’walking the walk.’ She is an inspiration. Kay is a virtuous person and has impeccable character. She grew up religious, has remained religious throughout her life, and bares out her days shining forth the radiant love of God on all she comes into contact with.

Kay is a little hard of hearing, but at the age of 82, I think that’s understandable. Heck, we’ll all probably most of us be in a similar situation come 82 ourselves, if not worse shape. HA! She’s always had a heart for children and a passion for teaching. While in Indiana, with her husband starting a church plant there as pastor, she got her PhD from Indiana University Bloomington in education.

The two months that Kay and I were together at MGLSS were a glorious two months of compatible relationship building; the amicable union was fresh, budding, exciting, and conversationally substantive always. She was someone who I sought out once to twice a week to go over to her guest house on campus and have tea or simply talk.

At a time when I needed a friend, Kay showed up. In a way somewhat similar to my ‘Ode to the Roomie’ section from last cycle’s newsletter, I give thanks for having Kay for the time we had together at MGLSS. She is missed by not just me, but everyone at MGLSS. All the best Kay. Take care. God bless. Until next time.