Our PlanetPOV family has lost a very beloved member this week. We knew her here as Fergie1 and she is survived by her husband who we know as pinkpantheroz.
Fergie and PPO have been at this site and a meaningful part of our community since 2013. It is incredibly difficult to accept that we will no longer be exchanging thoughts with her on issues that matter, chatting with her on Vox Populi or hearing her favorite songs.
Fergie and PPO have been my loyal collaborators on our Weekend Music Thread from the time they arrived. We’ve shared so much of the music that has meant a lot in our lives. I think it gives a unique insight into someone to know the music they loved.
Before her health issues became so prevalent, Fergie was a frequent commenter here, displaying a sharp wit, insight, principles, and compassion which of course led to her being so appreciated and enjoyed by her friends here.
It is a bit surreal, feeling so close to friends here even though I’ve never seen them in person or talked to them on the phone in most cases. Fergie’s personality did seem apparent to me though, a determined and concerned person about her country of Australia, the U.S., and the world. She always had her feet firmly on the ground, always standing on reason and expressing justified criticisms at the cruelties of those abusing their power. She wrote about how she had lived in the U.S. and traveled a bit before settling down in Australia with PPO.
Fergie will be terribly missed at The Planet, she was family. I’m sure everyone else here feels similarly and also that we are here for PPO and are sending him our heartfelt condolences and prayers.
Fergie’s thoughts and favorite music will always live on here and a part of PlanetPOV and especially for PPO, here is a link to all of Fergie’s comments and songs she ever posted here:
ARCHIVE OF FERGIE’S COMMENTS AND SONGS
Since Fergie, PPO and I got together nearly every weekend on the music thread, I thought it appropriate to end this post with some of her favorite songs that she posted recently.
Rest in peace, my dear friend Fergie.
While I did not have the privilege and honor of meeting Fergie on this forum, I have had the privilege of meeting her through you. I humbly ask you to accept my sincerest condolences on the loss of your life partner.
One may leave us because they have another journey, but they leave us fond memories that will always be ours to recall and cherish.
Again my sincerest condolences.
Adlib asked for a Photo of Oonagh Ferguson Purcell (Fergie1). It occurred to me that you all have never actually seen her! SO I’ll send a couple to Adlib, as I don’t remember how here!. Thank you all once again for your wishes, prayers and kindness.
Here are the photos! Thank you so much for sharing these with us!
So lovely! And may I say, what a dashing couple?
AdLib, I was about to say dashing. I swear to god.
Anyway, charming, and truly so!
So we’re on the same page! They do look dashing! Dash it all!
Dear PPO, thank you so much for sharing your Oonagh with us here. Smiling in every picture she is a delight to see at last.
Thinking of you and hoping that your future journey to honour her will bring you some peace. Prayers continue.
Be well and take care. God Bless.
What a beauty! You made a wonderful couple, PPO. Thank you so much for sharing the great photos!
Thank you all so very much for your wishes, prayers and tributes to Oonagh. Oonagh Ferguson was born in Ireland, moved to the US when her father died, did high school in England in the schools her mother went to, and graduated from USF with a Degree in Arts.
She joined United Airlines, where she rapidly advanced to the prestigious Tour Desk , handling travel requests from VIPs. After her mother died, she accepted an invitation to open the United Ticket Office in Sydney. She became a legend there among the airline people.
We met through a mutual friend at the 1982 St. Patrick’s Day Ball as a blind date. How she fell for me will forever be a mystery, but I’ll take it.
October 22 will have been our 38th wedding anniversary.
Oonagh was intolerant of fools, racism, any kind of corruption or wrongdoing. A feral Democrat is putting it nicely!
The last 12 years have not been kind to her, healthwise. A litany of hips, scoliosis, squamus cell cancer, IBS, COPD, et. gradually wore my love down.
I see Adlib has distributed the zoom meeting for Oonagh. You’ll get to ‘meet’ me in the flesh.
I am planning to bring Oonagh’s ashes to Dublin via San Francisco in Mid- November and it may be possible to actually meet one or two of you, my good and real friends. I’ll let Adlib know when finalised.
Sorry, that’s all I can do right now. Thanks again for your kindnesses. Patrick
I’m not gonna try. I think that is best for me. i do always mourn.
Deepest condolences to PPO on the loss of his dear Fergie. What a lively, bright presence she has been here on the Planet. She will be greatly missed. And we’re blessed to cherish PPO’s continued friendship as we remember her.
(Having been dealing with a few health issues myself, I haven’t been able to participate as much as usual here, but have been reading and following as much as possible regardless, Hoping to be more active as treatment allows in the future, dear friends.)
Meanwhile, my thoughts will be with PPO and the rest of the Planetary community here as we honor the memory of the amazing Fergie. Peace.
I am shocked and saddened by Fergie’s passing. Had no idea that she was so ill.
I will always remember our late night chats on The Planet when most had logged out. She was kind, accepting and fiercely honest in her conversations.
PPO, please accept my deepest sympathy for your great loss. I pray for your strength for the grieving you are going through. You will be in my thoughts, my prayers and in my heart.
I will miss her greatly.
I am so sorry to read about Fergie’s death……I send my heartfelt condolences to PPO. I join with AdLib in recalling what a gift she was to us. Insightful, poetic, lively, intrigued, funny and sharp of wit. When she fell ill, PPO kept us up to date on her valiant struggle.
What a faithful presence PPO was. What an enduring example of what love produces in the heart- a nobility that is virtually without equal. Fergie and PPO are noble persons and that nobility touched all of us who share the dialogue of the Friday Night Vox Populi.
A word of thanks to Ad Lib for his gift to us who “knew” Fergie: her words, her music…all of it. What a powerful way for us to remember her.
May peace come to you, PPO, and to all who mourn our dear Fergie’s loss. MurphTheSurf…….privileged to have known her.
I am so sorry PPO. Fergie is like the third net friend I’ve lost in just the past few weeks and it’s hard to explain the pain we feel for losing a virtual friend. We don’t know how close until something like this. My deepest condolences my friend.
I never met Fergie, nor, for that matter, our beloved PPO, her husband. But they have filled my life and her passing is real. None of us here will forget her, and we send PPO our love and best wishes for the strength to get through this awful, hard, dark time without her. We love you, PPO. We are here. Blessed be.