EDITORIAL: It’s a wonderful life

I would like to share a story about a special boy who became a special man and died last week at the age of 54.

Most of what I write is copied from his obituary, given me by the family. I have met James Scott Weeden three or four times, but don’t know the family overall. Mostly I have met many times with James’ father, Pat.W

e met because James had drawn Pat so deeply into the community of children that included his son that Pat wanted to do something for them that they couldn’t do for themselves without help. Father Pat thought my newspaper could help.

Pat’s cause was larger than just about James. I saw that. Pat wanted to save county services for people with special needs. So there I was, caught in the middle between sympathy and fact.

Maybe you’ve been there. Well, here goes:

In this story there are two heroes. There’s James, whose personality will emerge from quotations from the obituary. And, there’s Pat, whose personality can be guessed at as a torchbearer trying to light the imaginations of any who fail to see something dear to us all. Pat wanted the residents of Sheboygan County to see that by taking best care of what may be seen as the least of us, we take the best care of us all.

Let’s meet James first.

“As a child with Down syndrome, Jim was raised at home on Summit Road in Kohler at a time when community acceptance and parental support were just evolving. It truly did take a village to keep up with Jim during his childhood and adolescent years. Open-hearted neighbors accommodated his strong will for independence, and a caring Kohler community welcomed him at village events.

Mary Ann and Pat relied on the emerging Sheboygan County Association for Retarded Citizens (now RCS Empowers) for special knowledge and parenting skills. In addition to the invaluable fellowship with other parents, the association offered Jim early development classes at its vibrant Opportunity Center, opened in 1958 in an old school house at 307 Lincoln Ave. in Sheboygan. During his childhood, Jim enjoyed swimming at the Kohler pool, camping with Dad and his three brothers, and sharing in their Cub and Boy Scout adventures. He also participated in a special Sunday school at Holy Name Parish, where he received his First Communion on April 28, 1968.

In 1968, the association converted the old Hayssen plant on Sheboygan’s St. Clair Avenue into the Rehabilitation Center. The variety of job experiences helped Jim through adolescence to improve communication skills, learn how to follow directions, and develop positive relationships with others outside his immediate family. And he liked getting a paycheck. Since swimming was still Jim’s preferred form of recreation, his mom and dad put together an aboveground pool in the backyard.

As a young adult, Jim moved to the Sheboygan County Comprehensive Health Care Center, his version of going away to college just like his four older siblings. His dad took an early retirement and reopened the “Comp” woodworking shop, where residents attentively cut, sanded (and sanded), glued and painted toy trucks, cars, planes, and the very popular Sheboygan County Holstein dairy cows. Jim preferred socializing during shop hours, but occasionally enjoyed an interesting “production line” assignment. Weekly trips with Mom and Dad usually included a hamburger stop at the Plymouth Dairy Queen, where Jim made sure Hank was working.

Over the next two decades Jim thrived in this very open, multifaceted environment of daily opportunities. He was a regular at the nightly social events sponsored by Sheboygan service groups, congregations, and community volunteers. His favorite pastime was interacting with (or supervising) the Center cooks during meal preparation, usually with a can of orange soda in his hand. He enjoyed shopping at the weekly Comp “street” of stores and attending chapel. His annual vacation planning would commence the day after he and Dad returned from their favorite Wisconsin Dells resort with a heated, indoor swimming pool.

In 2002, Sheboygan County closed the Comp. Jim and a few of his friends moved to the smaller Woodland Village, a wing added onto Rocky Knoll Health Care Center. Four years later he was the last resident to leave this new facility when it closed Oct. 31, 2006. Jim had developed numerous health and emotional problems over the past few years. To make relocation possible, Sheboygan County Health and Human Services staff called upon Dungarvin – a nationally recognized company dedicated to formulating community-based support systems for people who are developmentally and physically challenged.

Soon Jim was happier and healthier than he had been in years, sharing a home on West Prospect Avenue in Plymouth with his long-time friend Maria and their extended family of Ann and her caring Dungarvin support providers. After his mother passed away in March 2002, Jim renamed most of the staff as “mom.” Several months ago when mobility became a problem, Jim relocated to 28th Street in Sheboygan. He shared a more accessible home with loving Julianne, who often “directed” Brenna and her amazing Dungarvin team in addressing his daily needs. Jim’s siblings were overwhelmed by the devotion of each support provider to keep Jim in his comfortable and happy home during the final 12 days under Aurora VNA Hospice.”

This is a story I wanted to share with you because it is so well told. And it is a story worth remembering when we forget how close we all are to it. Just one little brush with genetic code is all it takes for any one of us to be in such a position where we might be slightly off-average. That deserves consideration.

In conclusion to this story, I want to say thank you to James Scott Weeden’s father Pat, for being a champion I will always respect. Pat played every card he could, including getting elected to the County Board and rallying support from many.

It’s hard to say precisely what his impact was. But it can always be remembered that he gave pause to many who might be less than clear about the plight of the few.