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Today two toddlers were interred in a little town called Cordova a short distance from where I live. They had been smothered by their mother in a hotel room then placed in an automobile which was subsequently swamped in the Edisto River in an attempt to obscure the facts surrounding their deaths.

Fortunately for justice the facts didn’t add up and the scheme to hide the true nature of their passing was brought to bear upon the mother — who is now incarcerated and undergoing the judicial process.

The nature of losing a child is in and of itself a horror for most to envision. Losing a particularly healthy and bright pair of children is well beyond unthinkable. This mother will suffer her own demons for quite a while for whatever reasons drove her to this act.

While she appears to have suffered some mental breakdown and is certainly deserving of our compassion as well — that for which she must atone cannot really be administered by the traditions of men; only at the White Throne before the one true God whose name is “I Am” and not “I Was”.

Rest in peace Duley Children.

Ja’van Tyrell Duley

Funeral services for Ja’van Tyrell Duley, 18 months, of … Orangeburg, will be held at 11 a.m. Friday, Aug. 20, 2010, at St. Paul Baptist Church in Orangeburg, with the Rev. Charcey N. Priester officiating. The body will be placed in the church one hour prior to the service. Burial will be in Heavenly Rest Memorial Park in Cordova.

Ja’van Duley was born Feb. 5, 2009, in Orangeburg. He was the son of Shaquan Renee Duley. He entered into eternal rest on Monday, Aug. 16.

Ja’van was an adorable little boy who loved to play with his brother, Devean, and his big sister, Saniya. Ja’van was an active, inquisitive toddler who loved to eat cream of wheat, pizza, hotdogs and Teddy Grahams. He was a joy to his family and friends.

He leaves to cherish fond memories his mother, Shaquan Renee Duley of Orangeburg; one sister, Saniya Lanee’ Duley of Orangeburg; maternal grandparents, Authur and Helen B. Duley of Orangeburg; three aunts, Adriane Y. Duley of Orangeburg, L’Ketra Johnson and Afthan Timmons-Johnson, both of Florence; one uncle, Roderick Johnson of Florence; five cousins, Jordan L. Jones and Joshua L. Jones of Orangeburg, Savannah R. Johnson, Seth R. Johnson and Ke’Laya D. Thomas, all of Florence; and a host of other relatives and friends.

Friends may call at the residence of his grandmother, Helen Duley, … Orangeburg, or Simmons Funeral Home of Orangeburg.

Visitation will be held from noon to 9 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 19. Online condolences may be sent to www.simmonsfuneralhome.com.

Devean Christopher Duley

Funeral services for Devean Christopher Duley, 2, of … Orangeburg, will be held at 11 a.m. Friday, Aug. 20, 2010, at St. Paul Baptist Church in Orangeburg, with the Rev. Charcey N. Priester officiating. The body will be placed in the church one hour prior to the service. Burial will be in Heavenly Rest Memorial Park in Cordova.

Devean Duley was born Oct. 5, 2007, in Orangeburg. He was the son of Shaquan Renee Duley. He entered into eternal rest on Monday, Aug. 16, 2010.

Devean was a bright-eyed, busy, smart 2-year-old who loved to be held and read to. He was a big brother and helper to his little brother. He loved cartoons, playing in his big back yard and eating breakfast. He was a blessing to his family and friends.

He leaves to cherish fond memories his mother, Shaquan Renee Duley of Orangeburg; one sister, Saniya Lanee’ Duley of Orangeburg; maternal grandparents, Authur and Helen B. Duley of Orangeburg; three aunts, Adriane Y. Duley of Orangeburg, L’Ketra Johnson and Afthan Timmons-Johnson, both of Florence; one uncle, Roderick Johnson of Florence; five cousins, Jordan L. Jones and Joshua L. Jones of Orangeburg, Savannah R. Johnson, Seth R. Johnson and Ke’Laya D. Thomas, all of Florence; and a host of other relatives and friends.

Friends may call at the residence of his grandmother, Helen Duley, … Orangeburg, or Simmons Funeral Home of Orangeburg.

Visitation will be held from noon to 9 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 19. Online condolences may be sent to www.simmonsfuneralhome.com.

My nephew’s wife has lost her mother. Though I had never had the pleasure of meeting her, she was my age and this was unexpected.

My nephew and his wife made the emergency trip back to the area from the Northwest; and I hope she is comforted by those in her midst as she suffers through my darkest phobia.

The circle of life continues onward through our laughter and our tears. We should cherish each day with those for whom we care for while we tend to “expect tomorrow” we are only promised ‘today’.

Alice McCray


LEXINGTON – Funeral service for Alice Y. McCray, 56, of Lexington, will be held at 3 p.m. Monday, June 14, 2010, in the chapel of Thompson Funeral Home of Lexington. The Rev. Tommy McGill will officiate. Burial will follow in Woodridge Memorial Park. The family will receive friends from 2-3 p.m. prior to the service. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Carolina Children’s Home, PO Box 4465, Columbia, SC 29204.

Mrs. McCray passed away on Thursday, June 10, 2010. Born in Lyman, she was the daughter of A.B. Yarborough and Mildred ‘Millie’ Yarborough. She was a lifetime area resident and retired from the Employment Security Commission. She had a giving heart, fun-loving and easygoing. She had a special bond with her beloved granddaughter, Elliott. She was an avid Clemson Tigers fan and enjoyed spending time with family.

Surviving, in addition to her parents, A.B. and Millie Yarborough of West Columbia, are husband, Michael W. McCray of West Columbia; daughters, Lori Elrod (Brian J.) of Lexington, Keri Rinehart (Timothy W.) of Silverdale, WA; stepdaughter, Nicole R. Lee (Jason) of Gilbert; stepson, Michael W. McCray Jr.; granddaughter, Elliott Trinity Elrod and two stepgrandchildren, Joshua and Aiden; sisters, Dale Burns of Statesville, NC, and Roxanne Lanford (Sammy) of Clinton; brothers, Benji Yarborough (Carol Ann) of Elgin, and David Pigate (Annie) of New York, NY; and survived by her Aunt Brenda Love, along with other aunts and uncles. She was preceded in death by her maternal grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. Ben Dobson.

Family and friends may sign online guest book at www.thompsonsfuneral.com.

Published in The State on June 12, 2010

Rest in peace.

This month we saw another tragedy indigenous to that West coast and inner city lifestyle where recreation is sometimes obtained by prescription. While it is a pretense based on having more money and less sense, it is a mournful notion that a person can be cut down abruptly as the result of this type of misadventure — such as that suffered by Corey Haim.

Unfortunately, he recognized his own frailty and commented honestly upon it on many occasions; and like so many of us who think we can beat it … it prevailed in that battle for control. Being dependent on something that becomes psychologically or physically habitual intertwines itself with your existence and ultimately controls that which you are.

This is the reason I gave up the pursuit of the drug culture so many years ago. When too many of your friends are both drug abusers and drug dealers you become subject to the whims of an unsavory crowd where ‘the deal’ always leaves you both wanting a better break and more of that object of your desire. The perception of “benefit” as a result of abusing prescription drugs simply becomes subject to that famous law of diminishing returns and often we don’t realize the insidious nature of the changes the lifestyle imparts upon us as people with a need to function in society.

Corey Ian Haim
December 23, 1971 – March 10, 2010

Actor in pursuit of the success he enjoyed in the 80s with three films ready to be released at the time of his death “very destitute” and alone.

“I want to be the guy they talk about when they talk about comebacks. I want people to learn from me, see I’m human, and understand that I make mistakes just like they do, but it doesn’t have to consume you. You’ve got to walk through the raindrops, and that’s totally what I am trying to do.”

Corey Haim

Rest in peace.

A sad footnote of the holidays is the tragic loss of actress Brittany Murphy. She was laid to rest at Forest Lawn cemetery in Los Angeles on Christmas Eve.

She was 32 years old and a star of film and television.

While I did not engage her work on the big screen as have many others, I frequented her performances voicing Luanne Platter on Mike Judge’s King of the Hill and enjoyed her characterizations on the program.

Some of the stuff she came out with … particularly in the innocent bleating lamb’s voice she created was truly comedic in all it’s dramatic naivety.

“A bright light that lit the world is forever dimmed, but will live on in the hearts of those that Brittany touched. Brittany was an incredibly loving and passionate person and an artist to her core.”

Statement of the family of Brittany Murphy

I have heard the ‘experts’ speculate on morning news programs regarding prescription drugs probably being contributory. While I don’t dispute the premise I question the necessity of the delivery at a point in time when a little empathy for the family would have been preferable to sensationalist representations provided in the name of serving the public interest.

Like the late Mr. Jackson she too suffers the exaggerated scrutiny and invasion of privacy only that public microscope can provide so well.

Rest in peace.