Rest in peace Her Most Imperial Sovereign Majesty, The Faith of the Raintree , Tree Empress 21, 22, 28, 34 and 38 Sheila DuPont of Stollengoodz
Ivory Cox
10 hrs
·
Portland, OR
So now that the Celebration of Life is over... and Im awake ... Here is a copy of the Eulogy that I wrote and read ... Celebrating the life of my dear friend. Always my Empress.. FOREVER MY FRIEND... I cant express how much I am going to miss you...
For Douglas Ross Myers – life was always a party.
Born September 19, 1964, Doug was number 5 in group of 10 siblings. Del Jr, the twins Don and Dave, his sister DeeDee, His sister Doris, and his brother Doug. Then there was Doug, his sister Dora, sister Deena, brother Jake and lastly his sister Shannon.
Doug was always up to something .. in the 2nd grade – Doug took a bet from one of his friends in regards to rolling in a mud puddle in his brand new coat… according to his sister Doris he almost burned down the apple tree cause he was playing with matches. Doug and Daris used to go over to Aunt Delores’s house and try on her dresses and pretend they were Princesses…
A few of you will recall when Doug was younger and the “Blue Leisure” suit he would wear, he and Dave Emerson would take off down Andresen and head to Disco Dances … rumor has it they probably didn’t know how to disco…just knew they had to fling their thumbs in the air…but it didn’t matter …to Doug life was a party.
There were many “late night” calls phone calls from Doug – to I am sure many of us in this room. But one instance that stands out is … one night…many years ago… Doug had been out with friends…and came home to read the newspaper only to see “Dorothy Myers” had died….imagine Doug’s surprise to find out his mom had died….imagine her surprise when he called to tell her. Doug always had a flare for being dramatic…and that’s something each of us in this room have been touched by.
Doug had a zest for life – he wanted to see what the world had to offer, he ran away to begin his journey through life at the age of 15 and in 1981 Doug’s alter DeeDee was born…yes I said DeeDee. DeeDee used to run around with Michael Davis and Amanada Carrington, Meesha Peru all over in Portland. At that time his brother Daris was invited to join them and Chelsea was born (later to change her name to Rhea Rhange).
In 1985 Doug moved to San Fransisco, California to live with a friend down there, at that time is when DeeDee transformed into Sha-Lia... he came back to the Vancouver area and ran for Miss Gay Vancouver…but she was only Sha-Lia… she needed a last name…she chose what she found the fastest…DuPont off the back of a paint can. Over time Sha-Lia would change to Shelia….
After his time here in Vancouver he moved to Salt Lake City, Utah where he would meet the love of his life, who would become his husband and partner, Wayne Funk. After some serious persuading (cough, cough) on Doug’s part….Wayne finally agreed to go on a date with Doug.
We move ahead a few years to 1995-1996 when Doug and Wayne were elected the Reigning Monarchs for the 21st reign of the Imperial Sovereign Court of the Raintree Empire.
In 1996, Wayne and Sheila stepped down as the reigning Monarchs “The Unicorn Emperor & Strength of the Raintree” and Sheila “The Diamond Empress & the Faith of the Raintree”. At that moment, I’m sure Wayne thought that they were done…but Sheila would soon prove that theory wrong….time and time again.
In the Fall of 1996 the reigning Emperor named Sheila as Empress Emperitus 22…Erin and Sheila would step down as the reigning Monarchs of the 22nd reign at Mark 205 on May 17th, “An Underwater Odyssey with King Neptune and the Deities of Olympus” At the end of the evening Doug \ Sheila announced that her and Wayne were moving back to Utah.. She signed her letter “The Double Deuce, Two Tons of Fun, Decadent Diamond Unicorn Empress” In his letter he would write “Thank you for the best (ok almost the best) six years of my life…just kidding…thank you for letting me do this ONE MORE TIME… I’m Done.” junior party dresses
In 2001 Wayne and Doug returned to Vancouver and in 2002 Wayne and Sheila would be crowned AGAIN as the reigning Monarchs of ISCRE – making them the 28th Monarchs. After some “lobbying” on Sheila’s part – the board approved new Bylaws allowing their Prince and Princess – Brandon and Anastasia to step down with them in the same night. “Its Our Party” was the theme for their step down… a motto that Sheila lived up to…. that life was her party.
The following Spring in 2004 Sheila won the title of Miss Gay Washington over three other contestants. The following weekend she would be the receipent Tim Kelly Lifetime Achievement award awarded by Mike Sager.
Doug aka Sheila organized the first and then many more show at the Eagles Lodge, playing a huge role in creating a collobrative environment for both organizations that endured 12 years. Doug was elected Worth President a few years after the ISCRE joined the Eagles Lodge.
In 2005 Shelia was crowned as Regent Empress 31 of the ISCRE but due to circumstances beyond some people’s control she resigned and did not finish the year. In July of that year Sheila would receive Community Pride Award from Saturday in the Park.
In the Spring of 2008, I was living in downtown Vancouver, a block from the lodge, and my phone rang…I answered and this is what I heard “Ivory Cox, this is Sheila DuPont, you don’t know me…but Ive heard about you…will you be my Princess”…and that was the beginning….what would come over the next 10 years….I had no idea…
Though she had vowed to Wayne, the 2nd time she was done…and she wasn’t…
April 2008, she would be the crowned the 34th Tree Empress alongside her longtime friend Brandon as Rain Emperor 34…myself and Clyde S. Dale would stand proudly beside them as their Prince and Princess. ….side note, the crown on my head is my Princess crown…the crown that Sheila gave me….I have not worn this crown since the night I stepped down as Princess 10 years ago…
Again she would step down and vow to Wayne, that she was done...but in true Sheila style…she wasn’t…
Sheila did it one more time – she was crowned Tree Empress 38 alongside Card G as Rain Emperor 38 with Bradford and ChiChi as their Prince and Princess.
This would be the last time she would reign….
She often told me that she had to reign again and again because she was in a race with Daphne to see who could be Empress the most ( I believe they are both 5x’s Empress’s now)
The one thing that always stood out for me was how much Doug loved his family and how much he loved Wayne. Doug LOVED bringing his mom and dad (Del & Dorothy) to the shows and was HEART broken when they passed away, he loved his family so much and included them in court life, and reciprocated by inviting court members to family events (weddings, birthdays, dinners). Doug taught everyone how to thrive in the families we grow up with.
WAAAAAYYYNNNNEEE was Doug’s #1 - she would often kid about how he didn’t marry for love. But no one believed- The love that Doug had for Wayne was real…and it ran deep for 27 years.
Wayne, may your heart weigh less to know how much Doug loved you more than you will ever know. He asked many of us to make sure that we took care of you after he was gone. There are no words to say to take away the pain of loosing Doug. I can hear Doug’s voice clearly in my head and I hear him saying “Hey! Its My Party…”
Doug is preceded in death by his grandparents, Father Delbert Myers, Birth Mother Elaine Freimuth Herrara, adopted Mother Dorothy Freimuth Myers, and Siblings Dena and Jake, as well as his best friend and cousin Mitchell Beccaria. Doug is survived by his spouse and partner of 27 years, Wayne Funk, Grandmother Lily Freimuth, Siblings: Delbert Jr., David (Bonnie), Don, Dee Dee (Juan), Daris, Doris, Dora (Cecilio), and Shan (Ceenie), and many Uncles, Aunts, cousins, nieces, nephews, and friends