I want to share that eulogy, along with things I ad-libbed while giving it, as a way to memorialize Amy and to allow those in attendance at that service, and those who were unable to attend, to read what I said and share a laugh and some tears in fond memory of Amy Marie (Vojtech) Beran.
First of all, this lovely photo of her that was used for her obituary (which I'll paste to the very end of this post) and on the programs at the vigil service and the funeral:
Isn't she beautiful? The thing about Amy is that her beauty radiated out from her very soul. She was a truly beautiful person. I honestly cannot say that about too many people. Sorry, but I just can't. Amy was a rare exception, and I was so lucky to have her for a friend.
Now, for my eulogy. I'm going to italicize things I added as I spoke and other things that happened-- at least to the best of my memory.
Amy’s Eulogy
First of all, a warning -- there will be tears. Bear with me.
If you can see this, I’ve brought with me a photo of Amy and me taken on February 24, 1987, a few months after she and I first met and became lifelong friends. I’ve kept this particular photo in this frame in a place of honor in my home ever since because it epitomizes Amy’s and my friendship. (If you're laughing at the photo frame, you're not alone because the whole congregation got a chuckle out of this antiquated thing.)
Amy was the yang to my yin, the light to my dark. We completed each other as far as friendships go, but it was largely due to our great differences along with a few strong similarities that forged us into a complete circle of her lightness and my darkness for you cannot have one without the other. If you look at this photo, and you are certainly welcome to see it later (or view it on the poster her sister made), you will see that even then, back when she and I were a mere 18 years old, she was the one full of light and positivity while I was the one with the dark side. She’s even wearing white sunglasses while I’m sporting black ones. Her clothing is lighter in shade than mine, and she’s demurely covering everything while I’m flaunting a bare shoulder. In her eyes glimmer that warmth that was so characteristic of everything Amy, and in my eyes, well, there’s a noticeable amount of mischief coming through.Sweetness and light (I gestured to Amy in her casket), sarcasm and a dark side (I gestured to myself).
Why she ever wanted to be my friend is beyond me, but I thank God she did because she made the past 32 years of my life so much richer than they would have been without her. I’m pretty sure I speak for everyone here when I say that we are better people for having known her.
(Three of the photos on the right side of this poster have me in them -- the very top one, the bottom one, and the third one down, which is the one I mention above in the eulogy -- and seeing them on this poster nearly brought me to my knees with grief and surprise. How fitting that they each are featured in my eulogy, yet her sister didn't even know what I was going to be saying when she made this poster.)
Amy was the most loyal and devoted person I’ve ever known. Whether to her family, her friends or her church, Amy could always, always, be counted on to be there. And even when I knew she had better things to do, she always made time for my visits and never made me feel like I was ever a burden to her. One time when she still lived here in Omaha, I was at the airport with my young daughter awaiting our flight to New York where we were to connect for a flight to Italy. The stupid airline cancelled our flight and got us on a different one in the morning, so I called Amy, and she dropped everything to come get us. We stayed at her house, and once again I kicked Nathan out of his Miami Dolphin-themed bedroom. Over the years, poor Nate gave up his room a lot for me.
My favorite things about Amy were her positivity and her laugh. It was a beautiful, warm, melodious laugh. I think she liked to be around me because I could always make her laugh, and she enjoyed laughing. I dabbled in stand-up comedy for a while, and Amy came to watch me a few times. One of those times was in Fremont, and I still remember that I could hear her laugh above the other people in attendance -- sometimes she was the only one laughing. . . She was a good friend. She always called me Tam, and I will really miss hearing her say "Hey, Tam." Very few people call me that. My name is Tammy, but those close to me call me Tam sometimes. Amy always did, and I really liked it. I’d like to believe that I was a good friend to her, as well.
Amy and I both got married the same summer. Hers lasted; mine didn’t, but my father still remembers her singing at my wedding and how she had "the voice of an angel." Yes, she did, and a few days ago I shared a couple of clips from my wedding video on my Facebook page, so others could hear her amazing voice. Zach listened to it and remarked that he'd never heard his mother sing like that before, so I'm glad I still had my wedding video for that reason alone. My brother, who was in high school at the time and quite inexperienced with the ladies, told me that he remembers dancing with Amy at my wedding dance, and he said, "I held her pretty close. I know I enjoyed it, but I don't know if she did." Sorry, Steve.
Amy and I became first time mothers only a few short months apart. We each have two children -- she, the two boys, and me a boy and a girl. Our children got to spend a lot of time together because I would visit her with them, or she and Steve and the boys would come to Neligh, where I live, to see us. Many of my fondest memories of Amy involve the four of them coming to Neligh for the 4th of July. It became our tradition, and I miss those days very much. There are people in Neligh who got to know her and Steve and the boys through their yearly 4th of July visits, and when they learned that Amy had passed away many of them expressed great sorrow at her loss. Even in Neligh, a town where she never lived or worked, Amy was known for her sweetness, and she is missed.
Amy really enjoyed being a Mary Kay consultant. This day, September 13th, is the anniversary of the day Mary Kay first started her business. I became a consultant myself many years ago to help out Amy. Amy never really needed my help, though, because her nature made her very successful with her business. She epitomized the optimism and positivism that are cornerstones of Mary Kay. I would hear her speaking to customers, and her warmth and energy always came through her voice and her face while she visited with them whether it was on the phone or in person. I never built up my business the way Amy did, but I will continue to do it because it is a daily reminder of Amy and her passion for the business and for helping others.
The last time I actually saw Amy was for her 50th birthday when her family arranged a surprise party for her here in Omaha. Ironically, today is my 50th birthday. While I very much would have loved to see her for it, this was not the way I had imagined it. However, there is nothing I would rather be doing than giving tribute to my dear friend, and Amy spent many other of my birthdays with me. One time we went book shopping, and I bought a big travel book. Amy loved to travel and she really cherished the trips she took with her boys and Steve, and then she would make great photo books to show people. She loved looking at the photos of my trips on Facebook or my blog, and I sent her photos of neat places I saw in New York and San Francisco to brighten her days when she was ill. Our love of new sights was something she and I shared, and we enjoyed showing each other photos of places we’d seen. On another birthday, we went to the Funny Bone because I like comedy. I remember that the comedian that evening picked on us mercilessly because we sat in the front row, but Amy took it all in stride, and she laughed and laughed. When Amy and I were new moms, I visited her and Steve and little Zach and Nate when they lived in Kansas, and we went to the Kansas City zoo on my birthday that year. She and I loved showing our little boys the different animals. She loved being a mom so very, very much. So, while I initially hated the idea that I’d be saying good-bye to my dear friend on my birthday, I’ve come to realize that I have so many great memories with her on this date -- maybe this was her way to spend one more with me.
There are so many things that will forever remind me of Amy and the things that mattered to her -- curly red hair, fair skin that just wouldn’t tan no matter how much she wanted it to and I remember a time that Steve and Amy went horseback riding with me, and poor Amy's hands got so sunburned that they swelled up horribly afterward, homemade salsa and Mexican food, Bibles and daily devotionals, cross-stitching (which is a hobby she and I both loved), scrapbooks beautifully arranged (mine look nothing like hers), every time I go to UNL to visit my daughter who lives right across from the dorm where Amy and I lived, toilet-papered cars, mini-vans, beagles (how she loved Abby), precious moment figurines, fat planners stuffed with notes, trumpet players (she was so proud of Zach’s special gift), wheelchair basketball teams (she bragged about the red dawgs and wouldn’t have missed a game for anything), cyclists and hunters (how lucky was Amy to land a guy like Steve when they were both in junior high! Or perhaps it was the other way around), football coaches (my son is carrying on that proud tradition for you, Joe), mall walkers (remember when Amy and I happened upon you, Mignon, at Oakview? I think I actually said this instead -- Amy and I were in Oakview shopping one day, and suddenly Amy said, "There's my mom!" And it was.), the game show ninja warrior which Amy fixated on during my stay with her a few months after she was diagnosed and now I find myself stopping to watch it for a few minutes if I see it as I'm scrolling through the guide where before I'd never watched the show, this ring I wear every day because Amy was with me when my boyfriend bought it for me in a mall that she took us to in Dallas two years ago and it was such a perfect ring because it was unique and it's full of sapphires, my birth stone (it’s become my Amy ring), Christmas cookies, and of course every 4th of July and every September 13th along with many many more things. Believe me, I could go on and on, but let’s just say that not a day will go by where there won’t be something good that reminds me of her.
Amy and I met at the start of our freshman year at UNL because we lived on Sandoz 3, and we both ended up in the same Spanish class together; I now teach Spanish -- another reminder of Amy. We bonded while walking to class and doing some of the homework together. There were a lot of girls who lived on Sandoz 3, but I’ve only stayed in touch, sporadically, with two others, so the fact that Amy and I remained friends all these years shows that we really were a yin and yang duo. Our differences would have driven most people apart over time. Instead, those differences along with important similarities we shared solidified our friendship and made us better friends as time went on.
Amy made this little pillow door hanger for me a long long time ago, and it has been hanging in various spots in my home ever since. It says “friends forever.” I think that says it all.
(a tribute to my best friend)
With love,
Tammy Marshall
September 13, 2018
I'll miss you for the rest of my life, dear friend. This photo was taken the summer of 2016 before Amy's world (and the world of all of us who loved her) got turned upside down.
Amy Marie (Vojtech) Beran
March 26, 1968 – September 7, 2018
After a courageous 18-month battle with cancer, Amy M. Beran (50 years old), passed away on September 7, 2018 at her home in Sachse, Texas surrounded by her loving family.
Amy was born on March 26, 1968 in Fremont, NE to Joe and Mignon (Kammerer) Vojtech. She grew up in Fremont and had the privilege of attending Archbishop Bergan High School where she graduated in 1986. While there she had the joy of going to school with her sister, Tanya, having her father as a teacher, playing the flute in the band, being on the drill team, singing in swing choir, and watching her father coach her future husband in football.
Amy attended the University of Nebraska-Lincoln where she graduated in 1990 with a degree in Speech Communications with a minor in Business. She later worked in Human Resource positions, being a caregiver through home healthcare, and enjoyed her long-time role as a Mary Kay Cosmetics Consultant.
Amy married her high school sweetheart, Steve Beran, on June 9, 1990. After college graduation they started their lives together in Lenexa, Kansas where their family grew with the births of their two sons, Zach in 1994, and Nathan in 1995. They were fortunate to eventually move back home to Nebraska in 1997 where she enjoyed being active in her church St. Vincent De Paul Parish as a cantor and other volunteer activities. Steve and Amy moved to Sachse, Texas in 2014.
Being active in her boys’ lives was very important to Amy. She was an active volunteer at school activities and functions and was President of the Skutt Band Booster Club. Amy was a volunteer for MDA, Special Olympics, St. Vincent DePaul Society, and Salvation Army. She enjoyed participating in her Beta Sigma Phi Sorority in both Nebraska and Texas. She also loved participating and leading Bible Study groups in Nebraska and Texas.
Survivors include husband,Steve Beran of Sachse, TX; sons, Zach Beran of Columbia, MO and Nathan Beran of Omaha, NE; parents, Joe and Mignon Vojtech of Omaha; sister, Tanya Hoham of Lincoln, NE.
Amy was a beloved aunt to her two nieces (Taryn Hoham and Savanna Beran) and her five nephews: Tyler Hoham, Lincoln and Creighton Small, and Jack and Noah Beran. She was dearly loved by all of her aunts, uncles, cousins, in-laws, and extended family.
The family will receive friends on Thursday, Sept. 13th from 5pm to 7pm at the West Center Chapel, followed by VIGIL SERVICE at 7pm. MASS OF CHRISTIAN BURIAL: Friday, Sept. 14th at 10:30am at St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Church, 14330 Eagle Run Drive. Celebrants will be Rev. Dan Kampschneider and Amy’s cousin, Rev. Nathan Hall. Interment: Memorial Cemetery in Fremont, NE following Mass. Memorials may be directed to Amy’s favorite charities, the Muscular Dystrophy Association and the Skutt High School Band Department.
