Zhanna's funeral was on Sunday, and it was truly tough to be there to all that came to give their condolences. It started at 8am at the mortuary, then 11am at the grave site. Some people came for one or the other, others for both. Remembering Zhanna was why we were there, to pay our respects, and to say goodbye to someone that has been part of our lives here in Southern California for the past 15 years, as a competitor, as a judge, as a friend.
Zhanna was also beautiful, both in her sexy looks, and also because she cared for many, including the competitors and her friends. Seeing a lot of people come was nice, as many of us don't live in Laguna Hills. Some even came from Vegas. The morning part featured an open casket, which for some reason, took a lot of push for me to go up there, and say goodbye.
We had a funeral procession to the gravesite, 4 miles away, and a small ceremony there in which we placed a rose and a final goodbye. Tears of remembering all the good times with had, and sorrow for realizing that you never know when your time is up, that we truly did not get to say goodbye in the way we wanted too. Tragic. The toughest was seeing her mom and truly feeling on how hard it was for a parent to bury and say goodbye to their daughter.
I will miss Zhanna, seeing her in front of me at all of the local shows, taking pictures because it was a lot of fun, various candids. RIP.
