Obituary

UPDATE:

On January 1, 2015, CeCe was posthumously awarded a Certificate of Merit by the New Jersey Veterinary Medical Association for "Exemplifying the human-animal bond".

October, 2016

Promise Fullfilled

 

 

And if my heart had wings

I'd fly in to the sky

And bring back all the love

That's missing from our lives"  Song lyrics by Amy Sky

Whenever I hear this song I think of CeCe. CeCe, an Akita, crossed the bridge on May 1, 2014 at the age of 15. In those 15 years she filled our lives with such joy and unconditional love. There was nothing she didn't take part in, church on a Sundays, shopping on Black Fridays, family camping trips. CeCe came to us at 11 weeks old from California, her first big trip on a plane. Over the years she stood on the deck of Cape May Lewes Ferry taking in the sights and making the experience one that was very special for us because she shared it. When I came home with the school bus between runs, CeCe was always ready to climb aboard for a little ride around the neighborhood. She would sit in the seat right behind me and you could feel the joy she had being there, the love she had for being included in these shared moments. She was always ready for a car ride, a couple of blocks or hundreds of miles, she didn't care so long as she was with us. 

When CeCe passed we reminisced on her adventures and said the only thing she missed was a train ride. At that point we promised to give her that one last experience she missed in life. Today we packed her cremains in our backpack and she got her promised train ride. CeCe loved being outdoors in the fall, she loved the leaves crunching beneath her feet. So today was perfect, and for those few hours she was with us in spirit and we felt the love that is missing from our lives. We finally had closure.

      

TNG's Lucy in Disguise aka CeCe, 15, Beloved Companion

April 22, 1999 - May 1, 2014

On May 1, 2014, CeCe died at Willingboro Vet Clinic, a week after her 15th birthday. Thanks to the understanding and compassion of Dr. Jeff Daniels, she passed away outdoors on a beautiful spring day, bathed in sunshine, caressed by a gentle breeze, comforted by her moms.  An Akita of direct Japanese descent, CeCe was the last surviving offspring of Ch. Tetsuryu of Takeshita Kensha, CDX, UD, TT, CGC (Sho) and Can. Ch.  Kuroki TNG Tera Kuma (Tera).

Diagnosed with Sebaceous Adenitis at 14 months, CeCe never let it get the best of her.  She was best known for her gentle nature and vocal presence.  She never grumbled when the cats and/or Tex lay next to and on her keeping her warm.  There was never a need to check-in at the vet since she announced herself when she walked in the door.  She greeted everyone with head thrown back and a loud Akita “Woo.”  Anyone who asked her a question received an enthusiastic and extensive reply.

When CeCe arrived in Philadelphia after a long flight from San Francisco, California, she looked up at her new older brother Einstein and let him know in no uncertain terms that his life was about to change forever.  She quickly established herself as the Alpha and maintained that position throughout her lifetime.

Adventurous in nature, CeCe never turned down an opportunity to jump in the car and go.  It did not matter if the destination was a yard sale in Connecticut, the beach at Island Beach State park or around the corner for ice cream.   She loved the sound of leaves crunching beneath her feet when geocaching in the woods.  She took her guard duties very seriously when she went camping with her cousins Paige and Kyle.  She executed a full tent patrol every time an acorn fell off a tree.  She paid her respects at the Twin Towers Memorial site in New York.  She hiked through Ringing Rocks, rode the Cape May-Lewes ferry and romped in the snow.  One of her favorite activities was riding the bus.  She participated in the family’s annual early morning Black Friday shopping excursions, standing guard over the purchases stashed in the van.

 CeCe also had a spiritual side.   She attended Episcopal Church services and was known to show up for an occasional bible study meeting.   She participated in several St. Francis of Assisi celebrations and proudly wore her blessed St. Francis medal presented to her by Reverend Michael Ruk.

Dinner was dining, seated on the couch with her bowl on a TV tray.    She ate slowly and, whether it was kibble and cooked chicken or a raw diet, it was evident that she savored every bite.  Being a California girl, CeCe was very carb conscious. She would a take a bite of a hamburger and somehow manage to eat only the meat and spit out the bun.  She may have watched carbs but she would never turn down sweets. CeCe enjoyed ice cream, the frosting on the cake and an occasional piece of candy.


CeCe’s Akita intelligence shone through in the training classes she attended.  She excelled in the class’ final games and challenges, winning nearly every event.  She had an extensive repertoire of commands: “Tell Mommy” was an invitation to expound on her views of the situation at hand, “Scootch Over” when she took up too much of the couch and “CeCe First” which meant she was to go the head of the line when entering or exiting the house or car.  The only command she never mastered was “Quiet.”

She tolerated her moms dressing her up in hats, and Doggles and costumes to walk through the neighborhood on Halloween.  Argus and CeCe even won the first place prize of the costume contest at an ARWNY picnic with him dressed as a Mexican Bandito and she as his barroom floozy.

In her later years, CeCe was content to enjoy nature by lounging either on her hammock in the back yard or the lounge chair on the front porch watching the birds and squirrels.

Her mothers, Liana and Joanne, her dog siblings, Argus and Tex, and her feline siblings, Jack, Jabbers, Inky, Basha, Kira, Gilmore and Randi, survive CeCe.


Her moms will celebrate a final memorial service when they carry CeCe’s remains for one last ride on the only mode of transportation she never got to experience in life – a train ride.