IN LOVING MEMORY OF JANE "MAMA" HYLTON

Art & Soul was founded in memory of my mother, Jane Hylton. Affectionately named "Mama Hylton" by my friends, she battled ovarian cancer for three and a half years before succumbing to it in July 2005.

From day one of her diagnosis, my mother recognized the odds she faced in fighting such an insidious disease. Yet she fought it with a quiet determination that mirrored her approach to life. Only those closest to her knew the day-to-day trials she faced; everyone else who encountered her could expect a smile. Her concern centered on the needs of others, so on any given day her illness could take a backseat to a neighbor or family member in need. Mom's tendency to give made self-absorption impossible.

While she viewed her role as mother as her most important job, she also ran her 58-year-old family business in the small town of St. Pauls, NC, while still finding time to remain active as a member of committees such as the St. Pauls Chamber of Commerce, the Meacham Award Committee and the BB&T board. In her rare spare time, you could catch Mom watching Carolina basketball games, baking in bulk for me and my five college roommates, relaxing at Ocean Isle Beach or spending time with her family.

Mom's disease and its treatment may have slowed her down, but in her mind, it never stopped her. My mother passed away in Cape Fear Valley Medical Center in Fayetteville, NC after 19 consecutive days there. The day she entered, she never dreamed she would not return home. In a sense, that mindset is exactly what kept her going throughout the years of her illness. She never let herself focus too far in the distance, placing more importance on what she could see coming just around the corner.

Thanks to such a spirit and a will to fight, my mom was here for my college graduation, for the arrival of our family's first indoor dog (which she swore would never happen), and for the long-awaited return to glory of her beloved UNC Tarheels Men's Basketball team in 2005. What she isn't here for, among so many things, is the advent of future ground-breaking research findings that will allow ovarian cancer sufferers the opportunity for improved quality of life, longer survival time and, potentially, a cure.

For each joy in life that Mom is unable to now experience, she would remind us to experience two.

In Loving Memory,
Julie Hylton