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IN LOVING MEMORY
OF
Jess Mercer
(January 7, 1930 - January 14, 2015)
Music by: Richard Clayderman - "River Of No Return"
Press vertical bars to stop music.
Dear Friends of Jess Mercer,
I'm sorry to be the bearer of sad news.
Jess has left us.
He passed away on January 14, 2015 from congestive heart failure, a battle he had been fighting some 30 years. He had just turned 85.
I was pleased to call Jess a Dear Friend for the past 20 years. I edited most of his literary output while I was the webmaster of “The Secret Garden,” the site where his stories were originally published. I visited in his home at least once a year, and found him to be the pure delight in person that his stories are to his readers. I co-wrote “The Real Thing” with him, following the disappearance of a mutual friend from the net.
What can I say of my friend?
He was what you read in his stories: kindness and love. Although Jess never found a life partner, he was blessed by a multitude of friends. He adored classical music... especially organ music. He was active in the Organ Guild until his death. His love of music was surpassed only by his love of reading. Every room of his gracious home in Elizabeth City, North Carolina is lined with bookshelves. They are all filled to over-flowing with hardback books... books of every subject and description. His day was not complete until he had visited the Kindle website, along with Ted Lewis's site, Tickie Stories, Nifty and CRVBoy. He had saved, quite literally, thousands of stories to his hard dive, and had thousands more tucked away on floppy discs.
Although we spoke on the phone at least once a week over the years, what I will remember most are the pleasant weeks I spent in his home, one every fall. We would awaken around nine in the morning. He would have his tea and I my coffee. We would listen to music. We would each have a book we were reading. We would, quite often, sit and plot characters and stories for the books that I was still writing at the time. We would tell stories of things that had happened to us in earlier days. We would share movies each had discovered with the other. He was a delightful companion, and a true friend.
A few weeks ago, when I paid him what would be our final visit, he made a gesture that touched me very deeply. “I'm re-working my will,” he told me. “I am leaving the rights to all my literary properties to you. I think you will value them more than anyone else I can think of.”
I broke down crying.
It is my own wish that Jess's short stories remain in place wherever they are, so that those who have not yet experienced his sweet soul may do so.
Rest in Peace, Jess. We are all going to miss you.
Doug Rogers
THE CANDLES
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GY, Gerry/Chris from Cottonwood, AZ, lit a candle and wrote:
TSP, Tickie, from AZ, lit a candle and wrote:
Jess, my dear and wonderful friend you will be
missed by myself and all the readers of your great stories.
DCR, Doug Rogers from US, lit a candle and wrote:
In memory of a great friend and writing partner.
You taught me so much.
JLB, from the US, lit a candle.
PAS, Philip, from KY, lit a
candle and wrote:
They will be missed by all.
5, John, from CT, lit a candle.
DR, Proeros, from Australia,
lit a candle and wrote:
So sorry I loved his stories.
WYO, Babybear, from WY, lit a candle and
wrote:
Eternal Rest, grant unto Jess, O Lord
and let Perpetual Light shine upon Him.
May His Soul and All the Souls of the Faithful departed Rest in Peace.
PS, from Germany, lit a candle.
JF, from US, lit a candle and wrote:
To a wonderful human being. Bless you and your family.
PRS, Philip from United Kingdom, lit a
candle and wrote:
For the gift of writing and the pleasure it brings to so many.
JKD, from United Kingdom, lit a candle and
wrote:
You will be missed.
OH, Ott, from LA, lit and candle and wrote:
RIP, YOU will be missed……..
KSC, from GA, lit a candle and wrote:
You will be missed. Enjoyed your stories.
HJ, from Norway, lit a candle and wrote:
RIP
BB, BB from Germany, lit a candle and wrote:
I love your stories, and the community will miss you for ever.
PSL, Pauline Lindsy from CA, lit a candle
and wrote:
A truly great man has left us.
But his legacy shall carry on in his aspiring words.
I send up blessing for his family and friends.
MLD, M.L., Dolby, PA, lit a candle and
wrote:
May he watch over us all.
WER, from CA, lit a Candle.
SLH, Sammy L Hawkins, from Dothan, AL, lit a
candle and wrote:
Jess, RIP, I have enjoyed your stories so much over the years.
CL, Chris, from the United Kingdom, lit a
candle and wrote:
RIP you will be forever missed.
LKR, Linda, from US, lit a candle and wrote:
Love his very moving stories.
JEFF, from
Philippines, lit a candle and wrote:
You will be sorely miss.
John Allen Kumor, PH.D., from Co, lit a candle.
FGC, from GA, lit a candle and wrote:
Thank you for your wonderful way with words.
DLA, Dennis from the US, lit a candle.
MWH, Michael, from TX, lit a candle and
wrote:
Jess will be missed. His writing inspired all of us.
GP, from CA, lit a candle and wrote:
With gratitude for all the words
and tales of love and kindness…
BV, from IL, lit a candle.
DSC, Darren from AZ, lit a candle and wrote:
To Jess who provided so much pleasure with his stories.
SC, Seth Carrllton, from US, lit a candle.
T, from the US, lit a candle.
PH, Phil from the US, lit a candle.
JQ, from the United Kingdom, lit a candle
and wrote:
Thank you for the inspiring tales, rest easy Jess, x
WDC, from IN, lit a candle and wrote:
Enjoyed all his stories.
AR, from US, lit a candle and wrote:
Thanks for all of the time you spent
providing entertainment for the rest of us.
A candle was lit by a kind soul in ME.
Paul, from US, lit a candle and wrote:
You are my favorite author.
I have enjoyed reading each of your stories,
some of them several times. Sleep in peace, until our Lord returns.
BB, Bryan from CA, lit a candle.
CR, from Russia, lit a candle.
A candle was lit by a kind soul in US.
JK, James K. from Hebron, IN, lit a candle
and wrote:
To a great man who gave a lot of people enjoyment in his stories.
You will be missed. Rest In Peace my dear friend.
DTB, Dan from Chicago, IL, lit a candle.
DFP, David from United Kingdom, lit a candle
and wrote:
With deepest sympathy.
You will be missed by all who loved your stories. Rest in peace.
JJB, from IoM, lit a candle.
ROD, from IL, lit a candle and wrote:
To a friend and a mentor.
RGP2, RickGayAZ, from FL, lit a candle and
wrote:
You and your writing will be missed.
TC, Tracey Coleman from FL, lit a candle.
RM, from WY, lit a candle.
PWM, from United Kingdom, lit a candle.
JDT, from Australia, lit a candle and wrote:
Thanks for the many enjoyable story’s, you will be missed.
TM, from Canada, lit a candle.
SML, from United Kingdom, lit a candle.
RKU, from Finland, lit a candle.
JC, from WA, lit a candle.
R.C, Robert Cooper from France, lit a candle
and wrote:
I loved this mans stories.
He kept me entertained AND
interested for very many lonely evenings reading his work.
P.S., from Slovenia, lit a candle and wrote:
R.I.P.
MJS, from the US, lit a candle.
KM, from Australia, lit a candle and wrote:
Sending prayers to your family.
JMSL, from NH, lit a candle.
JohnB, John Bowling from US, lit a candle
and wrote:
To Jess,
your stories remain some of the best literary ones on the sites you have been
on.
They are also the most interesting to read and inspire me greatly.
GEO, from Canada, lit a candle and wrote:
REST IN PEACE
Anon, Lit a Candle.
ETM, from MA, lit a candle.
HJ, from Norway, lit a candle.
GLH, Cool Jim, from Australia, lit a candle
and wrote:
A great story teller, sadly missed by all.
GLC, from Canada, lit a candle and wrote:
For your generosity, your talent
and the support you gave me over the years, Thank you.
AMH, from Canada, lit a candle.
CB, Carl R Bennett, from CA, lit a candle
and wrote:
I've read everything that is posted by him.
He had an interesting way of describing different situations.
LF, Leo, from US, lit a candle and wrote:
I have enjoyed his stories so very much,
God Bless you and rest in peace.
JaeB, Jae Beach, from GA, lit a candle and
wrote:
I have read almost everything Mr. Mercer wrote.
I wrote to him and he graciously responded. I'll miss him.
Anon, lit a candle.
SM, from Belgium, lit a candle.
Roger, from FL, lit a candle.
A.C, from GA, lit a candle.
GY, Gerry/Chris, from Cottonwood, AZ, lit a
candle and wrote:
I - and several hundreds more of your readers -
do and will miss your written presence, Jess.
Thanks for the memories.
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I knew Jess for about 15 years.
I began to message him after reading several of his stories on the garden. He
was a very open person and I was often surprised at some of the things he would
tell me.
In 2003, I was diagnosed with CHF and we began to talk about health issues as
well as his stories. It was then that he invited me to visit.
In 2004, I visited him for the only time. I had gone to see a monument to a
couple of family members on the North Carolina coast and stopped on my way back
inland. I spent three wonderful days talking with Jess and learning more about
the man and the coastal plains of North Carolina that Jess loved so much.
Though I never visited him again, we stayed in contact by phone. A few years
ago when i had a triple threat of cancer, poisoning, and open heart surgery,
Jess was full of encouragement and advise from his own experiences. That advise
and encouragement helped more than I realized at the time. We also talked at
length about his hip surgery and some other medical problems he was
experiencing. We spent a lot of time talking about medical problems, but we
both had them and it was comforting to talk to someone who understood my
problems. I also encouraged him to write more.
I had been talking of going to Europe and Jess encouraged me to keep that goal.
While there and after my return from various trips (I have gone 4 times in the
past 2 1/2 years) he would ask me all about my trip and share more of his own
travel experiences,
I looked at the Tickie pages to see if he had posted anything new before I
called him when I read of his passing.
So long my old friend.
Scott
* * * * * * * * * * *
Dear friends…
Jesse was a great person, during his last few years we became friends. I emailed him every few days and we even talked on the phone about once a week.
It was sad to hear of his passing, but we must realize that he is now resting peacefully and looking down at us with love.
John Bringmann
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We will miss you forever!
Until we meet again!
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78 - Posted: 10/03/19