Remembering Ayrie Mekai Jones Murphy
February 16, 2006 – September 29, 2010

Thank you for being with us to remember Ayrie.  Quakers believe that every person is a source of continuing revelation and that God can speak through each of us through our inner light, our spark of the Divine.  Ayrie ‘s spark glowed so brightly with intense purpose and passion.

Our remembrance will begin at 4pm in the Friends Meeting Room with meditative silence.  Nora will break the silence, after which time we invite people to “speak out of the silence. ” Children are very welcome to participate, and their noises and livelihood are reminders of the joy that all children bring into our lives.  We also have a babysitter in the preschool room and you can bring your child(ren) there at any time.  Please feel welcome to enter and leave the room quietly during the remembrance.

There is no prepared sermon but rather time and space for individual and collective grieving and sharing.  As we sit in silence remembering Ayrie, some people may meditate, others may consider a word, phrase or feeling to focus their thoughts and others will empty their minds, “waiting expectantly” for wisdom from either deep in their own minds or from beyond.  You might choose to consider the words below.

We are profoundly glad that Ayrie lived.  We are glad that we held him close and felt the glow of his friendship and love.  We cherish the memory of his words and actions and character.  He was a son, teacher, friend, healer and learner wise beyond his years who loved everyone he met with an open and pure heart.  Carrying this in our hearts, let us remember though our loss and sorrow that life remains precious and good.  May we on this day rekindle in our hearts an appreciation for the gifts of life and other persons. Let us honor the life of Ayrie by living, ourselves, more nobly and loving in the days ahead.  As you return to the routines of your lives, go in love, and may an abiding peace go with you.  Remember Ayrie with a smile and a feeling of being deeply loved.

After the remembrance, please join us at the Murphy household to celebrate Ayrie’s life. So many stories that people have shared with us about Ayrie were about Ayrie being at a a social event and  we want to honor that part of his spirit.  He would be so sad if all of these people came together in his honor to cry without taking the time and space to laugh as well.  So please join us for dinner and more time to share our memories, and our love for Ayrie.

We are collecting people’s stories, photos, children’s pictures, and anything else to remember Ayrie in the years to come.   Please bring them with you to the house or share them with us at a later date.

Our house is located at:  3015 10th Ave S, near the Midtown Global Market (across Lake Street).  To get to our house you can continue west on Grand, take a right at Fairview, and a left at Marshall.  Continue across the river (Marshall becomes Lake St) and turn left at 11th Avenue.  You can park on 11th Avenue, or turn right into the alley behind the Minneapolis Council of Churches and park in the parking lot behind our house (we have the big red barn and brick house).

Click here for a link to this program.