As we look back at the year 2021 – we take a moment to remember some of the remarkable people who graced our lives and the A.A. community.
We cherish the life they shared with us.
May their memories always be a blessing.
Gerry W
Chair, District 4 Archive
archives-chair@longbeachaa.org
Tom L.
Tom L. passed away in November 2021 with 57 years of sobriety. His legacy will live on in the many people he helped both in and out of Alcoholics Anonymous. Tom was dedicated to helping people and lived a life of Love and Service. He wanted all people to embrace the Ninth Step Promises and helped many realize their dreams. He worked with disabled Veterans for over 40 years helping them to not only get VA benefits but also helped them get into AA and stay sober. He loved AA and went to meetings every week for all of his 57 years of sobriety. His Spirit will be present in the rooms for years to come.
Ann Marie M.
December 20,1984 – November 6, 2021
To say that Ann Marie was a free spirit would be the understatement of the year. She was raised in Boston, Massachusetts and came to Long Beach, California in search of sobriety. She was a dedicated employee and a natural leader. She was sponsored by the late Elizabeth T. and had many sobriety sisters which she called her family. Her work with Liz changed her perspective, the meaning of life, and her sobriety. She helped all in need and gave of herself and of her time, freely, upon request.
Those close to her would talk about her energy and attitude after being of service. One person described it as her refilling her spiritual gas tank. Anyone who had the opportunity to spend time with Ann Marie felt a bond form, and for everybody, that bond was different. After spending the precious time we got with her, we all walked away just a little better for the experience. The women she sponsored in AA have followed her example and strive to be that same beacon she was inside this program. Unfortunately, after Liz’s passing, Ann Marie struggled on her spiritual path.
Like a ship lost at sea, Ann Marie searched for safe harbor. Liz T. was her lighthouse, and unfortunately, Ann Marie never made it back to shore. She searched in and out of the rooms of Alcoholics Anonymous for an answer that she could not find inside herself. Towards the end, Ann Marie stood looking over the Grand Canyon and said, “How could anyone deny the existence of God looking at this?” There is a hole left in all our hearts. No matter how painful the reminder, we always keep the door open, and we keep coming back for the ones who paid the ultimate price.
Ann Marie, we miss you, and we love you. We find comfort and solace knowing that you have joined Liz and everybody else before you in the Big Meeting in the Sky. We know that we will see you there, and may God bless you, and keep you, until then.
Rick T.
On December 9, 2021, our long-time member, Rick T. of Long Beach, passed away. Rick was my friend, mentor, and sponsor of more than thirty-three years. Rick was a member of Harbor Area H&I, OC H&I, Thursdays Alano Club, Skid Row Drifters, as well as being active in the Beaver Campvention, Hawaii convention, Las Vegas, and Laughlin Conventions.
Rick was thirty-six years sober when he passed of natural causes, and he
was of service to thousands of people along his journey. He will be missed.
There will be a celebration of life for Rick at the Sunset Community
Center, 16861 12th Street, Sunset Beach on Sunday, January 9th, 2022, from 1-3 PM.
Danny B.
Dr. Frank C.
1942-2021
Frank C. – a jazz blues and rock-and-roll drummer, manager, record producer, psychoanalyst/psychologist, professor, and a sober member of Alcoholics Anonymous – passed away peacefully at home in Marina Del Rey, CA on July 9, 2021.
Frank became a professional drummer in his mid-teens. He played drums with Canned Heat, Pacific Gas & Electric, Sam Cooke and Les Brown, the latter touring Vietnam during the war. He also performed with Chet Baker, Charlie Haden, Frank Sinatra, Linda Ronstadt, and many more great artists. A producer at Columbia Records before going out on his own, he collaborated in that capacity with many greats, including Sly Stone, Percy Heath, and Solomon Burke.
Then, at age 37, Frank swapped his music career for sobriety to become a clinical psychologist, psychoanalyst, and member of A.A.
Frank was proud of what turned out to be his 43 years of sobriety. As an A.A. Member, he was a nurturing and formidable sponsor, saving many lives with his pragmatic and loving direction. He truly believed he was kept alive because God made him of service to others.
He is profoundly missed by everyone he touched.
Bob S.
In Memoriam 2020