[Oe List ...] Fwd: Bingham, Annette Patton - Obituaries - News-Record.com

[Marilyn Crocker via OE]

Thank you, dear Lynda, and so many others from across the world, for
enriching our collective memory of one wonderful woman, Annette Patton
Bingham.  

 

How very little any of us knew about each other’s myriad gifts when we were
in the Movement/Order and were focused together on the immediate mission.
It astounds me of the abundant capacities that were never tapped at that
amazing time of corporate engagement and yet have flowered in profusion
since then. 

 

Annette is now on my list of saints.

 

A special memory of the Binghams happened when I was conducting the Florida
to New England college visitation marathon, summer 1987 when our twin sons
were juniors in high school.  Living so close to Cape Kennedy at the time,
they were convinced they would be the first twin astronauts in space, so had
their sights on an aeronautical engineering major.

 

When we visited the Binghams at the University where Bill was teaching, Bill
and Annette helped Jon and Ben reframe that single minded focus and
encouraged them otherwise: “cast your net broadly, and do not specialize
prematurely.”  What wisdom! Ben did major in chemical engineering, but chose
medicine; Jon majored in neuroscience and Spanish, but chose international
medicine.  AND  Gabby Gifford’s husband and his twin brother became the
first twin astronauts in space!

 

I give thanks for the completed life of such a wise spirit woman, Annette,
and rejoice that so many of our OE colleagues, like you, Lynda; Lingo; and
others could stand in for us as you sang (actually or imaginally) “For All
the Saints


.”

 

Grace, peace and love for all our beloved community,

 

Marilyn and Joe

 

From: OE [mailto:oe-bounces at lists.wedgeblade.net] On Behalf Of Lynda C via
OE
Sent: Saturday, October 22, 2016 9:47 PM
To: OE at lists.wedgeblade.net
Subject: [Oe List ...] Fwd: Bingham, Annette Patton - Obituaries -
News-Record.com

 

Colleagues,  Linked below is the obituary for Annette Patton Bingham.
Somehow, I had not known, or didn’t remember that she was born in
Greensboro.   I also didn’t know that she was born of Greek Orthodox parents
with a family name for which Patton is a derivative.  

 

http://www.greensboro.com/obituaries/bingham-annette-patton/article_1a6c2813
-d53c-5407-a904-67698f6687bb.html?mode=jqm

 

Nelson and Elaine Stover, Charles Lingo, Herman Greene and I represented the
EI and ICA at her very meaningful memorial service in Raleigh this
afternoon.  Allen Bingham’s words about his mother and his family’s  journey
were especially meaningful as he spoke of being raised to the words of a
song sung to the tune of Yellow Submarine, which grew out of his family’s
experience with the Ecumenical Institute and Institute of Cultural Affairs.
He went on to relate the words of the song and admitted that it took him
years to realize that these were words of Dietrich Bonhoeffer's  paper on
Freedom. So, freedom, responsibility and duty all were keystones to their
family’s understanding of life.  I can imagine that Allen is a very powerful
shepherd to his UMC congregation, many of whom were  there in the service.


 

A representative from the NC UMC  Conference Board of Missions spoke of
Annette being known as the Draggon Lady because she was always Draggin
someone off to some mission.  A gentleman from Haiti who was introduced as
"an adopted son" of the Binghams had flown from Haiti to be present.  He is
an engineer working on water systems in Haiti.  I wondered if he could have
been one of Engineer Bill’s students.  (By the way, Bill was an engineering
professor, not an economics professor as I had previously reported.)

 

Each of the four designated persons who presented the eulogies attested to
the wide reach of this family's care regardless of race, gender or religion.
Toward the end of the service a gentleman from the audience introduced
himself as a member of the Muslim community and celebrated the difference
that this woman (and Bill)  had made for people of his community through
their interfaith dialogue work.  I met several people from Ghana and from
Sierra Leone who were part of the welcoming outreach of Annette and Bill.
Also celebrated was the about 20 years of a Kids’ Café,  co-founded by Bill
and Annette, an after school care of enrichment, nutrition and tutoring  for
immigrants and minority students. 

 

With this family we celebrate a life fully and gratefully lived in service
to others. "For All the Saints who from their labors rest
."


. Alleluia!   

  

Lynda Cock

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

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