Haldeman/Conyers burial/memorial celebration

When it came time, I knew I wanted to bury Tim’s ashes at Prairie Creek Conservation Cemetery. I didn’t know when – there were a few issues that meant we couldn’t do it right away while his family was all down here. Then it was getting towards summer, and I didn’t want to subject people to an outdoor Florida burial. Then Barbara took a turn for the worse, and she also left the party, and then… well, then I had two funerals to plan. It was a bit … much. Honestly, it’s still a bit much. But it’s also time.

So here we go, more with the information about what’s upcoming, and less about my feelings about it all.

There will be a burial, and then a memorial gathering, for Tim Conyers, Barbara Haldeman, and Jack C. Haldeman II on Saturday, January 14th. The burial will take place at Prairie Creek Conservation Cemetery and there will be a memorial celebration at my house after that.

You’re probably asking yourself now, “should I go to the burial or the memorial?” and hopefully I can help steer you towards a decision.

The burial will be outside, and while it is Florida so it probably won’t be freezing… as I write this, we’ve had low temperatures in the 20s the last four or five nights in a row. So weather on January 14th could be anything. The burial will also be primarily standing room only; Prairie Creek provides fifteen chairs. An unlimited number of people can stand around, but chairs will be limited. While you are welcome to bring something to drink (non-alcoholic), there won’t be any food or beverages provided at the burial service. There are no restroom facilities at the burial site; the closest is at the Conservation Lodge, approximately a ten minute drive from the burial site.

The memorial gathering will be at Lore’s house, which is a bit of a drive, but will be indoor/outdoor (depending on weather) with plenty of seating. Cats will be contained to one room but there is a very friendly dog who will give everyone attention, should pet allergies be a concern. Food and beverages will be provided, and if you have a favorite dish to share please feel free to bring it.

The burial will be the more quiet and more formal of the two events. The memorial gathering will be informal, with lots of time to chat and catch up and show support to the family. Eating. Drinking. Perhaps a bonfire. My best advice, if after reading all of this, you’re still not sure which to go to… go to the memorial service.

If you are traveling from out of city or state, there are no hotels in Keystone Heights (the cabins at Gold Head Branch State Park are closed for renovations until February). I recommend staying in Gainesville, either at one of the lovely Bed & Breakfasts in the downtown Gainesville area, or one of the hotels Downtown or those in close proximity to the University. Prairie Creek is southeast of Gainesville, and Lorena’s house in Keystone Heights is northeast of Gainesville, so while hotels near the I-75 corridor are abundant, they are all on the west side of town – just something to consider if factoring in your driving times.

The burial will be on Saturday, January 14, 2023, 1 PM, at Prairie Creek Conservation Cemetery; 7204 SE County Road 234, Gainesville, Florida, 32641. I can tell you from personal experience that GPS absolutely will lie to you, it will try to take you down someone’s driveway. So please read the directions found on their website. Please wear closed-toe shoes, dress appropriately for being out in wild and natural spaces, and be prepared to check yourself for ticks after leaving.

• When you get to the entrance, the road forks. Go right to get to the first parking area (a parking area to walk the trailhead; you can park there if you would like to walk about half a mile or so). There will be what looks like a service road that continues off between a gap in the fence. It looks like you’re not supposed to take this; you in fact are. Continue down that road and when it opens up there will be parking, and an informational kiosk, to the left. You should be able to see our area a bit down the walk and to the right.

The memorial gathering will be on Saturday, January 14, 2023, 4 PM (to allow for travel time from Prairie Creek) at Lorena’s house (address/location here on Google Maps). Again, GPS will lie to you, and try to take you to Cypress; you can not get onto Twin Lakes Road from Cypress. Only from 100 or 214. I’m sorry about the state of the driveway. Take it slowly.

Timothy Sean Conyers – some called him Tim – was launched in Virginia on January 3, 1969, and left orbit on March 11, 2022. Tim was legendary with his people for his unshakable love of many things; taking care of everything in the background while others were taking center stage… fixing things… solving problems… solving puzzles… his love of NASA and all things space… cooking amazing food from scratch for anyone and everyone, be it his sister who just had a baby or forty people at Friendsgiving… endlessly throwing ropes for his three-legged dog, Lindy… and being quiet until he came up with That One Pun that made everyone choke laughing. He leaves behind a stunned and grieving family; his parents Bill and Linda; his older brother Billy; his younger sisters Cathy, Jenny, and Amy; so, so very many cousins; more friends than he knew he had; and his unsinkable wife, Lorena, who thought he was a Keeper. As their hearts heal, they will come up with many horrible jokes and bad puns to make him proud. And as he would have wanted, they will be excellent to each other.

Barbara Haldeman, 69, who wrote as Barbara Delaplace, died July 7, 2022.

She was a prolific author of short fiction, starting with “Legends Never Die” in 1991 and producing at least 25 stories, among them “Modern Mansions”, a Homer Award finalist in 1994. She collaborated with Mike Resnick on “Trading Up” (1992) and with her husband Jack C. Haldeman II on “That’ll Be the Day” (1996).

Barbara Mona Delaplace Haldeman was born was born August 2, 1952 in Vancouver, Canada, and attended the University of British Columbia, graduating in 1976. She was married to first husband Michael Delaplace from 1976-1980, and worked as a lab technician at the Terry Fox Laboratory from 1982-1994. She relocated to Florida when she married Jack C. Haldeman II in 1995; he predeceased her in 2002.

Jack Carroll Haldeman II (“Jay”) was born in Hopkinsville, Kentucky, on December 18, 1941. He died after a brief fight with cancer on January 1, 2002. He studied biology and environmental engineering at both the University of Oklahoma and Johns Hopkins University. He studied parasitology, did field research in the Canadian Arctic, and may be the only science fiction writer with a tapeworm named after him (Hymenolepis haldemani). He has written many novels and short stories, and was the older brother of science fiction writer Joe Haldeman. He had a dry sense of humor, loved to hear and tell stories, enjoyed playing pool, basketball, and racing cars for pink slips back in the day. He was a quiet rogue and preferred to be in the background. He’s been on his daughter’s bookshelf for twenty years, and will now go to rest with his third wife, Barbara. They will both be buried near Tim, and hopefully the three of them will have many adventures together.