March 2024

Dear friends of the Tim Redovian Memorial Fund,

When TRMF went silent in March 2020, a post went up on our website saying that due to Covid-19 the TRMF April summer scholarship auditions were canceled. Soon after another post went up saying due to Covid-19 the August summer concert featuring past TRMF scholarship winners was canceled. With each passing day more and more restrictions were placed on all of us—masks, “social distancing,” staying indoors. There was nothing TRMF could do except wait until life returned to normal. And surely life would return to normal, wouldn’t it?

Before “normal” came back my life took an unexpected turn. On 11/20/2020, I was diagnosed with Ovarian Cancer, Stage 4. This followed our daughter Kelly’s unexpected diagnosis 11/2015 of an Anaplastic Astrocytoma (malignant) brain tumor that was sitting on her motor center. Surgery was performed 12/07/2015, followed by six weeks of radiation & chemo, then 8 of 12 months of chemo. Kelly now needed round-the-clock care, so she, Chris, Anna, and Max, moved in with us on 10/30/2016. Kelly passed away in our home 02/08/2018 surrounded by her very loving family. 

When I received my diagnosis in 2020 my oncologist Dr. Stephen Szabo thought he could get me into remission. He promised me if treatment wasn’t working, we would stop. I put my trust in God and started 2 1/2 months of chemo infusions (no side effects) followed by major surgery 4/15/2021 (no side effects). And miracle of miracles, the prayers of so many people asking God to heal me were answered as I’ve been cancer free since surgery. To this day Dr. Szabo still says he didn’t cure me, I am a miracle. Dr. Szabo did make the right medical decisions and Dr. Stephanie Yap, my surgeon, did rid my system of all remaining cancer. My pathology after surgery April 15, 2021, said NO CANCER and I have remained cancer free to this day. I am on a maintenance program taking 2 chemo pills a day (no side effects) and no cancer.  

In early July 2021, we decided to downsize. On July 31 (our 56th anniversary) Jim went into the hospital for 5 days with Covid pneumonia and blood clots. He then stayed 4 weeks recovering at daughter Lorie’s. He was back home in time to sign papers 09/01/2021), and we moved 9/29/2021 into a 3-bedroom ranch home in Roswell, GA. 

TRMF has been silent too long. Life never did return to our old normal, but Jim and I are both well now and we feel it’s time to restart TRMF. We have a new look! Robert Egizio, retired Artistic Director at Stage Door Players in Dunwoody, is our new Executive Director. Michael Bell, retired Orchestra Director at DeKalb School of the Arts; Jane Hendrix, former Arts Director at Dunwoody Baptist Church; Cameron Terry, Founder and Artistic Director of Shades Dance Theatre in New York, NY; and former Dunwoody City Councilmember Pam Tallmadge have joined with other new and returning board members. Jim and I will still be involved, serving as Co-Chairs. With so many changes since March of 2020, updating our website and mailing list has been challenging, but we are getting it done. We will be awarding 2024 scholarships with auditions set for Sunday, April 14, 2024, at the Alliance Theatre. Get more AUDITION INFORMATION HERE.

This is going to be a bright new beginning for the Tim Redovian Memorial Fund. We do have money in TRMF’s bank account but not as much as we would like, especially for our first year back. The amount of talented high school performing arts students in Metro Atlanta is amazing!

 Won’t you please consider making a “WELCOME BACK, TRMF” donation today? 

 Thank you very much. 

Sherrill Redovian
Co-Chair, TRMF Memorial Fund