Gone But Never Forgotten!

Troy is fading in the distance.  Mary's P.O.V. is the light ahead with all those who have gone before her, Annie, Aunt Rose, Uncle Henry, Alexander, and others in spirit form walking towards her.
V.O. Mary: "I knew it ....  Death is not the end, but a magnificent and glorious reunion." 

This quote  from the screenplay, Trolley to Lumina (aka Lumina Love) was spoken by Anna Pennington, playing the character of Mary Nicholson at a table read I facilitated last year in Leland, NC.  Little did we all know she would be having her own glorious reunion, much sooner than I would have liked.  Anna passed away yesterday, having found out this morning from Bill Presser, her good friend,  someone I hoped to use as my aeronautical consultant for the film and a big help with my table read by bringing Anna.  She was such an inspiration and what a privilege to have met her.  I have never known anyone quite like her.   She was originally the lead character in the screenplay I had written while living in Wilmington, but she told me she didn't fly until the 40's and my story was set in 1928.   Anna was the 2nd woman to receive her pilots license in Wilmington around 1941.  She suggested I ought to use the name Mary Nicholson, who was actually the 1st woman to receive her pilots license in North Carolina in1929.  What a gracious lady and I don't want to believe she is gone.   May she rest in peace! 

If you are interested in reading more about her, here is a link http://bit.ly/1lzGBz8 to a very succinct news story written about her life imparting her sense of humor and love of life.  Wow, she even had two streets named after her in Wilmington.  I first met her at her home.  I googled the name Anna Pennington to see if she was a real person having created her name for my initial script.  When I found out she was a functioning, live person, I tracked her down through Bill Presser and found a way to interview her.  I went to her home and was taken aback at her sharp wit and lovely nature.  She shared her history and was as humble as a Buddhist priest.  As you can see from the photo on the left, she was quite the beauty too in her younger days.  She lived in Los Angeles long ago and expressed to me her wish to have made it to the the silver screen.  I may even write a whole screenplay about her life someday.  It would make a terrific story.  You never know...

My deepest sorrow and regret is that she won't be able to play the character of Mary Nicholson at 91 years old, boarding a small plane with her grandson to fly over the farm fields of St. Helena, and over Wrightsville Beach where the Lumina Ballroom once existed, fulfilling the top item on her 'bucket list.'(fiction)  I pray she is flying high in Heaven and meeting all her close friends, her spouse 'Skinny' Pennington and any other family that proceeded her.  Thank you Anna, for your participation in my table read and for giving me hope for my own life.  It is never to late to do what you love and be who you are!

    (Table read of Trolley to Lumina w/Kim Henry and her daughter Jaya)