My friend, Stannie, recently told me about her Uncle Ronnie who passed away from AIDS. I was really touched by her story, and immediately connected to the obvious close bond that they shared, as well as the loss her and her family still feel very strongly today. So I’m running in memory of him. I'll post a photo of him soon, and here is his story:
RONNIE DEE MILLSAP
October 26, 1958 to November 16, 1994
Uncle Ronnie was one of those rare and special people who was always thinking of how to bring joy into other people’s lives. Whether it was making fruit baskets and delivering them to the elderly ladies who lived alone, or buying hamburgers at McDonald’s and passing them out to the homeless, Uncle Ronnie always seemed to be constantly looking for ways to reach out to people.
One of Stannie’s favorite memories of her uncle was when she was a little girl. He was working at a store at that time, where occasionally he would run across Barbie dolls with defects in it. Since there was a strict company policy that employees could not take home any damaged goods and that they had to be thrown away, Uncle Ronnie would drive back to the store after it closed for the night, just so he could retrieve the dolls from the dumpsters and give them to Stannie and her sister. Throughout the years, the girls accumulated quite a collection thanks to Uncle Ronnie.
To him, everyone was important and much of his life was dedicated to making sure people knew that they mattered. That’s what AIDS took away from us. We lost kindness and acceptance. We lost the security of knowing that there was a hand to hold when we needed it. We lost a light that shined in our lives. We lost Uncle Ronnie.
Uncle Ronnie passed away in the Fall of 1994. A few months after his death, Stannie's mother found a letter he had written to god during his final days tucked away in his bible. Since then, the letter has become something very dear to everyone in Stannie’s family, and in honor of him, it’s posted here in its entirety.
On behalf of Stannie and her family, I like to say that we miss you, Uncle Ronnie. Please know that you’re still alive in our hearts.
I thank you
God
For another day
You’re in my heart
And there to stay
Your Healing hands
Have touched my soul
And you made me bloom
Just like a rose
You gave your
Only son
That’s true
And I would die for you
But please dear god
Before I go
Give me more time to
Let all know
That I have so
Much love to give
And maybe it will
Help them live
To know I care
So much
I have two special
Girls in my life
Delena and Stannie Jaye
I’d love to see them grow up
Before I’m on my way
For they are my special darlings
Who make me want to stay
And don’t forget
Dear Lord
Jeremy J., Clinton
Jason & Joel
For they are always in my heart
And they are like my own.
We don’t say a lot but
I feel more inside emotion
For my feelings tend to close
Me up and if I could only live
Here on this earth a little while
To my boys my heart I’d give
Complete
There’s two more girls
Dear lord I’d like to mention now
My sisters Beth and Pat
Beth has given me much greater gifts
Than gold she gave me her love since
I was one day old.
She is my (mom) too
You see she ranks with
Mamma & Daddy
She is my friend
Who I can love and Trust
I can tell her anything and
She will set me Straight
We don’t always have to agree
And we do like to debate
For both of us are much alike
We give and we don’t take
It breaks my heart to see
When she puts herself down
For to me
She is a beautiful person from
The “outside” in
Not just from the inside out
Because she glows of love and beauty
And always straight from the heart
I had to mention her ahead
For she Says just what she Thinks.
That stinks or that just sucks
Sometimes her language is so bad
She should be driving trucks.
I wouldn’t want her to be any other way
Because I love the (truth)
And she will spill
It all out no matter how uncouth.
My other love for pat
You see is also very strong
When I was young on Mill Street
I’d see her sit and primp
She’d rat her hair and
get dressed up
And set real limp
Still feel not quite happy with herself
She is beautiful to all in school
The kids would turn to see,
The blonde,
The brunette and the
Red head
She is quite shy, like Marilyn Monroe
She has that hidden quality that she turns
Off & On.
Of all my Brothers and Sisters
She is the one I worry about the most
For She has had a troubled life
In love for love she gave was not returned
But I see now she has a man
Who cares enough
To show his love for her and tenderness
Two things you really have
To have to make a marriage work.
I’ll now say now
I also have 2 good brothers too
Charles is good & kind to all
and his Love for Judy is true.
But if it weren’t for Jason
The sky would not be blue
Donnie’s
Love for me is shy
And he keeps it all inside,
But I can see right through it
All he loves me very much
And if he hurts I can feel his pain
We do communicate
He really is a nervous One
With anger love and hate.
We don’t work good together
For he gets mad and shouts.
But I understand how he feels
And I love him even more
He calls me up when nobody’s around
And ask me to take trips
To nice places he has been &
He sends me insurance papers
And always try’s to give me good advice
I love you Donnie
Now there is a love
I could never change
She’s my momma
She’s kind and gentle loving caring
And if She could she would
Take care of the whole world
She is definitely my mom
For she and I both
Have the same emotions and care
For the same things
She is my heart
She is my lady
She is my mom
She is my friend
She is my greatest Love of all
And if she cries I die inside
She makes me laugh
And that’s hard to do
She brings out all in me
The things that are good and true
I love you mama
And always will forever & in Heaven
I love my uncle jess too
For he is full of love.
He gets a little cranky
But that’s because he’s old
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