HappyShel Eulogy
HappyShel (Sheldon) Weisman
Dallas Morning News Newspaper Obituary (TinyURL | PDF)
August 07, 1942 - October 07, 2009Dallas Morning News Newspaper Obituary (TinyURL)
Place of Birth: St. Louis, MO, United States Place of Death: Dallas, TX Memberships: Drums Not Guns, Djembe-L.
Biography
Sheldon Weisman, widely known as Happy, was born on August 7, 1942 in St. Louis and passed away in Dallas on October 7, 2009 from metastatic lung cancer. After a stint in the Navy, during which he witnessed the testing of a hydrogen bomb, he married Elaine Soven and had two children, Jason and Amanda. He was a charter member of Congregation Beth Torah and president of the Men’s Club for two years during which time he implemented the Christmas Mitzvah program in which Jewish members volunteered for the non-skilled shifts of Christians at hospitals on Christmas so they could be home with their families.After a short stint as a Jack in the Box franchise owner, during which time he faced down an armed robber, he went on to become an optician and innovator in faceted-edge lenses for rimless eyewear. Later, as a life and health insurance provider, he quickly achieved the highest annual sales out of a sales force of over two thousand agents and was invited to speak at a national conference in Hawaii.
But it was as a hand drummer that Happy found fame. He was known internationally as an organizer of hand-drum circles and classes, and enjoyed the mentorship of famed African drummer Babatunde Olatunji. Happy founded the non-profit group Drums Not Guns to bring hand-drumming to at-risk youth. He was instrumental in the 1995 and 1996 Summer SolstiCelebrations that attracted over 2000 people to White Rock Lake and featured nationally known hand drummers Arthur Hull, Paul Mattioli and Kalani. His drum outreach was prolific, organizing hundreds of drum circles and workshops, operating a state-wide listserve and maintaining the networking website drums.org. He was the primary organizer of the Psychedelic Drum Jam, the longest running drum circle in North Texas, and founder of Jah Day, a monthly drum gathering at White Rock Lake.
Happy was appreciated for his big heart, his many acts of kindness, and the many benefits he organized for individuals and causes. A true champion of the underdog, he was an avid campaigner for social justice and progressive causes. A bold, and at times abrasive, personality, he was recognized for his colorful hats, enthusiastic laugh and jolly demeanor. He was known as a giver of great parties at his abode, dubbed Happy’s House of Drums.
Happy is survived by his children, Jason Weisman and Amanda Gober; his former wife Elaine Soven; and hundreds of friends and admirers. Reminiscences of Happy and contributions to a fund in his memory may be made at his Memorial Website.
The Story of Happy's Illness
A Little Background
In early 2007, doctors discovered a tumor in Happy’s lung and in April he had surgery to remove a portion of that lung. He entered into a holistic follow-up program. His friends pooled finances to get him an ozone-therapy spa, he took a number of key supplements and endeavored to maintain a low-acid body chemistry all considered helpful in keeping cancer at bay.As a young Navy guy in his 20's, Happy was asked to take part in experiments to measure effects on humans of radiation from atomic explosions. Dominant I was an atom bomb and Dominant II was a hydrogen bomb. Happy and others observed the blasts from the deck of a ship in the South Pacific. Acknowledging the error of their acts, the Navy later on awarded settlements to the witnessing sailors. Happy feels his lung cancer arose from that exposure.
In December of 2008, Happy began to feel ill. His general physician at first felt it was a lung ailment and treated him with three rounds of antibiotics, but to no avail.
In March 2009, Happy returned to his oncologist and diagnostic scans showed that his lung cancer had returned. Not only that, it was a hyper-aggressive non small-cell cancer which had spread to his liver and kidneys.
Chemo & Radiation: After much deliberation with his family and health professionals, Happy decided that chemotherapy offered the most hope. He embarked on a full regimen at Doctors Hospital at White Rock Lake for several months. Essential in supporting Happy during this ordeal was son Jason, who became his primary caregiver. There were good days and bad days, set backs and rallies. At times Happy was too exhausted and in too much pain from the cancer to do much of anything, even eat. Summer was particularly hard and he lost a great deal of weight. Overall, the chemotherapy arrested the cancer in the lungs. But tumors in the liver and kidneys did not respond as well. The cancer had also spread to his spine. Yet Happy’s attitude was strong and his will determined. A second round of chemo was begun in late summer. Radiation was added to the regimen to shrink the tumors. The radiation did reduce the tumor load, but was very fatiguing. The two approaches together were extremely hard on him. Happy was in near constant pain and had little appetite. Often times he didn’t even have the energy to go to his treatments. Mostly, he slept.
Turning to Hospice In late September, after consultation with family, friends and health professionals, it was decided that hospice care offered the best solution for alleviating Happy’s pain. If the pain could be better managed, he’d feel more like eating and moving about. Happy was under the care of Odyssey HealthCare and their expertise helped reduce Happy’s pain levels.
He passed away on Wednesday, October 7. His children, Jason and Amanda, were there with him. In the final days, close friends visited his bedside, holding his hand, sharing memories, singing songs, and drumming, of course. His cat, Pa-ta-pa, slept on the bed.
Started by Amy Martin 8OCT2K9
Donations to cover Happy's obit and memorial site may be sent via PayPal, enter: newsmoon@sbcglobal.net,
or checks may be made out and mailed to:
Amy Martin
381 Casa Linda Plaza, box 137,
Dallas, Texas 75218
Any amount over expenses will be given to Happy's visionaryDrums Not Guns
Thanks!TinyURL for this page is: http://tinyurl.com/HappyShel
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