Sheila Pack PhotoBlog

my dear husband will be sorely missed...

2011-04-28T02:27:00.001-04:00

Those of you who knew Rich, knew that he was fun-loving, and compassionate, and a little bit mischievous. He loved playing little tricks on people, and surprising folks one way or another. He treasured his family... when we learned our dear daughter-in-law was expecting, he went around saying, with great delight in his voice, "I'm going to be a grandpa! I'm going to be a GRANDPA!" We have six grandchildren between us; and he thoroughly enjoyed spending time with them. To the children on my side of the family, he was their beloved "Papa Rich."
Rich had many talents, among them a gift for photography. We enjoyed shooting weddings together for the last 5 years, and a good portion of the photos in our downstairs 'gallery' are his work. My daughter Amanda will be increasing her presence with me again, so that our quality service shall continue.
During the almost two week interim between the motorcycle accident and Rich's death, Mandi created a web page on carepages.com. There, people could log in and read the updates on Rich's condition. This was great in so many ways, and it's totally free. If you'd like to read the full account of the accident, and the updates posted as the days went by, go to http://www.carepages.com/ and enter a little information. (It's free to join) then search for his name like this: RichKonjura (no space)

Many thanks to the hundreds and hundreds of people and churches who were praying for his recovery;
God always answers prayer, but sometimes the answer is 'no'. He sees the big picture, and of course we cannot. We are loved as His children, and He knows what is best. That said, I will miss Rich so very much... I told him to please save me a place in heaven... having that to look forward to makes this difficult time just a little bit easier.

Rich's Obituary as published in Medina County Gazette

2011-04-28T01:56:00.000-04:00

Richard Michael Konjura, 58

1952 - 2011
Published: Wednesday, April 27, 2011 9:04 AM EDT

Waite and Son Funeral Home

Richard Michael Konjura, 58, of Brunswick, went home to Heaven Wednesday, April 20, 2011 as a result of injuries from a motorcycle accident. Rich was born October 5, 1952 to Florence (nee Katz) and Edward Konjura, the third of four children, in Cleveland, Ohio. He attended St. Michael’s and Incarnate Word Schools in Cleveland, graduating from Valley Forge in 1971. Rich loved traveling, photography, and riding his Harley. He participated in many benefit and charity rides over the years, particularly the annual ‘Teddy Bear Run’ and Police and Firefighter Memorial runs. With family members and dear friends serving on the police force and as firefighters, these benefit runs held a special place in his heart. His treasured his family more than anything, and loved being ‘Grandpa’ and ‘Papa Rich’. Rich also enjoyed working on his cars, and had converted a Legend race car to a legal ‘street rod’ and enjoyed driving it around town. He attended various local weekly car shows, staying in touch with that group of dear friends. He was always ready to lend a helping hand to a friend or stranger in need. Rich made loyal friends everywhere he went, and loved to surprise people at every opportunity. He could fix just about anything, and worked as a roofer, in home repair and remodeling, and as a snow plow operator. He and Sheila attended church at Southwest Christian Church, in Middleburg Heights. He is survived by his beloved wife of three years Sheila Pack; loving children Richard (Devra) Konjura, Beth (Tim) Norman, Heather Konjura, and step-children Jeremy (Christina) Galvin and Amanda Galvin; adored grandfather of six, treasured brother of Kathy (Leonard) Adkins, Marian Schust and William Konjura; cherished uncle to many nieces, nephews, and grand-nieces and nephews. He is preceded in death by his parents, and brother in-law Jerry Schust. Family and friends may call on Tuesday, April 26 at Waite and Son Funeral Home, 3300 Center Road, Brunswick, OH 44212, from 4-8pm. Services will be held on Wednesday, April 27 at 11am at Southwest Christian Church, 6717 Fry Road, Cleveland, OH 44130 with visitation one hour prior at the church. In lieu of flowers, donations in his memory may be made in care of the funeral home. Online condolences may be left at www.waitefuneralhome.com

Terrible Accident

2011-04-18T08:47:00.001-04:00

On Thursay, April 7, my husband Rich Konjura was severely injured in W. Va., near the state line of Virginia. Headed to North Carolina for an overnight visit with friends, then on to Florida for a month-long stay while caring for other friends' house and dog, he never made it. It was a warm, sunny, and very windy day, in the mountainous area south of Princeton W. Va. Sometime after 3:00 in the afternoon, he lost control of his motorcycle and crashed. There were several people who stopped, called 911, and stayed with him until an ambulance arrived. He had been thrown from the bike, and was on the far side of the guardrail, while his motorcycle, which had flipped at least once, was on the near side of it. After transporting Rich to Princeton Community Hospital, they airlifted him to Charleston General Trauma Center, where he remains in a coma. His injuries are multiple and very severe, and I'd like to ask for prayer for him. Please pray specifically for healing, clarity, peace, guidance for the doctors and other medical personnel, and God's will.
Rich had told me many times that he would never want to live indefinitely connected to life support machines without possibility of any meaningful recovery, and I consider his wishes with each and every decision required regarding his care. (I feel the same way, and know that he would do the same for me.) The decisions we make neither limit nor define God's power, and if Rich is to be healed, it will happen regardless.
My daughter has created a webpage where people can read updates as I am able to gain access to a computer and post what we have learned that day. Go to http://www.carepages.com/ login and join with your email address and a password you make up, and you can read more details and updates. There is no cost, either to the family or to anyone who joins. Whenever an update is posted, you will receive an email notification.
As for our photography service, my daughter Amanda Galvin has said that she will be happy to increase her presence while Rich is incapacitated. This is great, and it is such a relief to know that our valued clients will have no worries regarding their photography services during this difficult time. Mandi has worked with us on and off for several years, and the transition has always been seamless.

Thank you for your concern and your prayers. God loves us, and considers us His children. I know in my heart that God's perfect will provides the best outcome for this situation, and that gives me peace.

Time to clean house!

2011-04-07T00:40:00.000-04:00

Well, it took several tries, but I have managed to clear out a lot of old posts and old pictures, in order to make room for new stuff! Great sense of satisfaction!

GREAT book!

2011-04-06T17:01:00.001-04:00

Just finished the most encouraging, affirming book I've read in years: Heaven is For Real . Written by the dad of a not-quite four year old boy who underwent emergency surgery after his appendix burst, it relates how the little fellow visited Heaven, sat on God's lap, and met his grandfather (who had passed away years before his birth!) The child's experiences were revealed a little at a time, in the matter-of-fact manner that little children communicate, and honestly gave me goosebumps, multiple times! If you're looking for an excellent read, you have got to get this book! It's on the NY Times Bestseller list, and I got my paperback copy from Amazon, so it wasn't even expensive. My daughter-in-law has my copy right now, and I plan to share it with other family members as time goes by. Knowing myself, I will read it again before long. YES, it's THAT good!!

Party time!

2011-04-04T00:35:00.000-04:00

Great birthday party today for one of our youngest grandchildren... Carson enjoyed the visitors, and definitely enjoyed his new toys. He was not too sure about the birthday cake, though! Big brother Cameron helped him unwrap and 'test' his new toys, what a great helper, haha!

Beautiful garden wedding of Amy and Matt

2011-03-30T13:31:00.002-04:00

In home Newborn session, with Tre, Mommy and Daddy

2011-03-30T00:54:00.000-04:00

What a sweet little fellow, more active than I expected him to be at such a young age! With baskets, blankets, and tiny 'sports equipment' in tow, we had fun cuddling and taking pictures of Master Tre. What a cute little guy!