Theresa (Terri) DeFoor was born February 12, 1955 at Fort Jackson Army Hospital in Columbia, SC, and she departed this life on September 18 2020 - as beautifully and as gracefully as she lived! Her funeral service was held at Arlington Park Funeral Home on September 28th, 2020, and she was buried at Arlington Park Cemetery.
Terri had encephalitis at age five, brought on by the measles, before there was access to a vaccine. (NOTE FOR PARENTS AND GRANDPARENTS: Please make it absolutely mandatory that your children and grandchildren get the measles vaccine just as soon as possible because this disease is extremely dangerous)
Terri had a charming disposition all of her life and it was easily seen in her beautiful smile. It was her endearing trademark, warming the hearts of everyone who saw or spoke with her! She was disabled from the illness she experienced early in life, but she never gave in to it. As a matter of fact, her actions and accomplishments make it appear that she actually wasn't disabled even though the disease left her without much useful coordination. The wonderful people at the United Cerebral Palsy (UCP) & Hope Haven helped her greatly in overcoming this challenge.
Terri learned to operate a very special computer developed by the Hope Haven professional staff. The computer took her typewritten words and converted them in to spoken words. She could type about anything she desired, but limiter herself mostly to children's stories; some of which she authored herself. She would take her computer full of stories to special education schools, and it would then tell her stories to the class. The children loved this and always asked for more. One school appreciated her work so much that they put her on their payroll as a "Literary Specialist." (Terri didn't care for the payroll taxes any more than the rest of us!) She was even published in several different periodicals.
While the family lived in Ohio, she had the good fortune to meet and briefly talk with several important people. Among them were First Lady, Mrs. Gerald Ford; Senator, Ted Kennedy; Ohio Governor, John Gilligan; and many entertainers like Michael London, Dale Robertson, and Tom Netherton. Tom gave Terri a big kiss and she did not want to wash her face for a week! She was never able to meet her favorite entertainer, Barry Manalo – but perhaps now they can meet in heaven.
The family wishes to thank St.Paul United Methodist Church, Arlington Park Funeral Home, Reverend James F. Jennings, Reverend Dr. Simon Osunlana, and the pallbearers for their kind services. The family also wishes to express heartfelt appreciation to Cora Lalli, a special volunteer at UCP, who did so much to help bring out Terri's talents.