Love At First Sight
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Our dear friend Marilyn Phillips of Colorado Springs, CO passed away last month after an 11-month battle with cancer. She (along with her husband Dave) had supported Children of Uganda for over 20 years. Their most beloved sponsored student is Angel Nakkinda — whom Marilyn met when she visited her son Jeremy in Uganda.
Angel was a young girl attending one of our partner schools where Jeremy volunteered for a year. No doubt Marilyn’s lifelong service work greatly influenced her son.
Marilyn told me some years ago that Angel’s genuine spirit caught her heart from the moment she met her. She and Dave invested in Angel’s entire academic career — right through her graduation from nursing school. When she completed her studies — Angel shared that Marilyn had been the mother she prayed for as a child. And Marilyn felt the same — Angel became her beloved daughter at first sight.
She truly loved life and dedicated much of it to organizations like COU. She served Young Life in Colorado — who were dedicated to mentoring high school and exchange students to help them achieve their dreams.
Marilyn and Dave were married for nearly 60 years. She is survived by Dave, their 3 children and 7 grandchildren. When I heard the sad news of Marilyn’s passing — I phoned Dave to express my deepest condolences. Without asking, he picked up Marilyn’s current student Vanessa.
She — like Angel — was a sweet little girl when Marilyn met her in Uganda about 6 years ago. Once again — it was love at first sight. Dave’s support means the world to us — as he continues Marilyn’s beautiful legacy.
I will miss her tremendously.
“If I died tonight, I would have no regrets. I have had a wonderful life.”
Our beloved friend and longtime donor Keith Orme (of San Antonio, TX) said these moving words several years ago. Keith passed away peacefully in his sleep on June 9, 2023. The words he spoke about his life were spot on.
Keith was very active in his community, serving in many leadership positions — including Any Baby Can, the Downtown Rotary Club, and Christ Episcopal Church. He became connected to Children of Uganda in 1997 through his church — helping to rebuild a water filtration system at one of our orphan homes. This helped save countless young lives with clean, drinking water.
Over the years — he and his wife supported 3 young men from primary school through university. I had the tremendous joy of getting to know Keith over the years. Whenever he called the COU office — I was always grateful. He possessed a sharp wit and a delightful sense of humor.
He once shared that his generosity came from the classic credo “do your giving while you’re living so you’re knowing where it’s going.” That gave us both a great chuckle — and a profound awareness that he spent his life in continuous love and service.
He was 93 years old at the time of his passing and is survived by his wife Pat and numerous loved ones. Keith will be dearly missed.
