A Eulogy for Blakely

Sermon 403 St. Martin’s 157 7/18/25

Blakely's Obituary

Prayer: Lord Jesus, our Good Shepherd and Strong Tower, bind our hearts to yours, for we are weak, and bind us one to another, for we cannot do this alone. Look upon us in your great compassion, for we come seeking the peace that only you can give. Come quickly, and do not delay. Amen.

Welcome Now, Lindsey wanted this to be a service marked by joy. As we’ll say at the end of our service, even at the grave we make our song alleluia because we believe in a living God who raises the dead to new life. Blakely’s life was marked by so much joy that it is only fitting that joy is a key ingredient in our worship today.

I believe in this service, we are accompanying Blakely to heaven with our prayers and singing…every hymn and every reading was chosen with that goal in mind.

As for me, I have two goals in this sermon. The first is to tell you some amazing stories about Blakely, and the second is to remind all of us of the God she is now with.

(And I’m going to talk about Blakely in the present tense, because she is more alive now than she ever was on this earth…and that can be hard to believe because what a life she has had among us.)

Blakely Stories Blakely is 100 percent an original—you just had to meet her once, and she left quite an impression. She is funny, outgoing, and adventurous. Alexandra, her aunt, describes her as “a live wire who stood out.” 

And, Lord knows, she’s never met a stranger. Her Aunt Sara recounted at her cousin's graduation lunch at Carrabba’s on Voss, a few months ago, that Blakely signaled Johnny Carrabba over to the table, and said, ‘Hi Johnny.’ They chatted, and then he said, ‘This Girl is Going Places’ and gave her a gift certificate. Lindsey then explained that they had met him a month before at Carrabba’s on Kirby after a dare by her Aunt Alex. He was taken by her and had given her a signed cookbook.”

Clearly, Blakely could run for mayor with that kind of personality, but one of her goals was to become a lawyer “and make lots and lots of money.”

But why settle for being a lawyer when you’re as talented as Blakely? She has performed plays at The Spotlight Theater Project, and according to her mom, “tackled complex characters, especially the sassy ones.” Her personality is just so big that she was meant for the spotlight.

Yet, Blakely can’t be typecast; she’s too complex for that, and like most little girls, has more interests than there are hours in the day. Blakely also loves animals and the outdoors.

Lindsey made sure that Blakely went horseback riding not too long ago. Blakely also loves looking for birds outside. Alexandra said that Blakely often corrected her during bird sightings, and she even traveled discreetly with a pet turtle.

“The only time I experienced Blakely speechless,” she said, “was when I introduced her to a real penguin at Moody Gardens, one of her happiest places.”

She’d also go on walks with her Aunt Joanie, looking at all the things around the bayou, the breeze bringing some momentary peaceful reflection, at which point Blakely would grow quiet.

But Blakely isn’t one for staying quiet for long. She has so much to say. Her cousin Katherine remembers the times Blakely would make her speak in a British accent while ordering croissants at Tiny’s. In those moments, Blakely would look at her and say, “Okay, we’re British now.”

Her silliness is infectious, and it could also be healing at times. Last month at her Uncle Chance’s funeral reception, she was able to break the somber atmosphere when she did her “signature move.” Meaning, she jumped into the pool with all her clothes on. Everyone began to laugh.

Blakely has a big and caring heart. She loves her family and loves others. She would help one of her teachers at Memorial Lutheran School who was having hip issues go down the stairs, and she would look out for the other kids in class.

Blakely knows how to love, but she does have favorites.

Lindsey recounted a recent memory. She said, “After [Blakely’s] dad passed in March, her love for our Savior never waned.  However, one time, she informed me, ‘Mommy, I’m mad at God.’ So I asked, ‘Oh Blakely, why?’ She replied, ‘Because he took my favorite person away.’ Naturally, I felt a little competitive with my late husband for Blakely’s adoration. So I curiously asked her, ‘Well, who is your 2nd favorite person?’ Blakely looked at me with an expression on her face that shouted out the word, Duh and she replied, ‘Grandaddy Pat.’ Then, still curious about where I might rank, I went on to ask Blakely, ‘Who’s your 3rd favorite person?’ and she said, ‘You, Mommy.’”

At least you made the top three.

In keeping with the family tradition, Blakely was ecstatic about attending Camp Mystic. Not long before heading there, she saw Dick and Tweety Eastland at a family function and went straight up to them to tell them she was headed to camp. Once there, she was having the time of her life; she was in her element, and there was no place she’d rather be.

On that fateful night, the family learned from one of the camp counselors, whom they described as a fearless leader, that Blakely was encouraging her cabinmates not to be afraid of the floodwaters and that they would be okay.

Be not afraid.

You know, that’s what angels say before someone experiences the presence of God? It’s what the angel Gabriel said to Mary right before she was told she was going to give birth to the Son of God. It’s what the shepherds heard when they were told the Savior had been born in Bethlehem. It is what Jesus said to his disciples as a storm crashed upon them on the Sea of Galilee. And it is the words of the angel at the empty tomb. Do not be afraid. 

Blakely loves Jesus. She loved singing the hymns from her school chapel services. Her faith was alive and real, and there is not a more powerful example of that than when she was transformed into a messenger of God that night and said, “Do not be afraid.”

Narnia Blakely reminds me a lot of the character Lucy from C.S. Lewis’ The Chronicles of Narnia. Both are bright, strong-willed, and brave young ladies with a big heart. Although young, Lucy seems to always rise to the occasion, and compared to her siblings, she had a special connection with Aslan, the great Lion, who serves as the Christ-figure in the story.

On the last page of the final book, Aslan is talking with Lucy, who has just entered into the new creation, the new Narnia. Like the book of Revelation, which describes the new heaven and new earth, the old Narnia had passed away, and the characters had entered the new, bright world. Sweet Lucy was worried that she would be sent back into her world, just as she had been forced to do many times before.

But Aslan reassures her that she will never again have to leave Narnia. Tragically, he tells her, she had just died on earth in an accident, but what that meant was that she would never have to leave Aslan’s presence or the beauty of this new and glorious Narnia. 

Instead of mourning what was lost, Aslan tells her, “The term is over: the holidays have begun. The dream is ended: this is the morning.”

The book ends this way: “And as [Aslan] spoke He no longer looked to them like a lion [because he was transforming into Jesus]; but the things that began to happen after that were so great and beautiful that I cannot write them. And for us this is the end of all the stories, and we can most truly say that they all lived happily ever after. But for them it was only the beginning of the real story. All their life in this world and all their adventures in Narnia had only been the cover and the title page: now at least they were beginning Chapter One of the Great Story which no one on earth has read: which goes on for ever: in which every chapter is better than the one before.”

And so, I say to you today: Be not afraid. This is not the end.

This life is a gift, but it is not solely ours. We are children of the Living God, who plumbed the depths of human pain, sorrow, and even death—and for our sake, carved a path to eternal life through his resurrection. He died so that none of us would die alone. And he rose on the third day, so that we might rise with him as children and heirs of the Kingdom of God.

Be not afraid. Death cannot diminish the glory of God.

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I want to end by saying, Lindsey, I hope you know you are a great mom. You gave Blakely everything you have, including your very being. You marked every milestone with her and wanted her to experience all the joys of childhood. You will always and forever be her mom.

At weddings in the Episcopal Church, we ask the whole congregation who is present to commit themselves to supporting the couple in the days ahead. We know that life cannot be done alone; it takes God and it takes a village. I’m not sure why we don’t do something similar at funerals.

We have come to this place to mourn but also to give thanks for the amazing life that Blakely has lived on this earth and now lives fully in heaven. But it does not end there. In just a moment, I’m going to ask all of you to support Lindsey and this family in the days ahead—to be the Body of Christ in their time of need.

After I ask the question, and if you agree to it, I want you to say a hearty “We will” so that this family knows they are not alone, and will not be alone in the days ahead.

Are you ready? “Will you do all in your power to support Lindsey and this family in the days to come?”

Congregation: WE WILL.  

The great cloud of witnesses has spoken. Be not afraid.

Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash