Obituary of Andrew Joseph Bond and David Charles Bond

Identical twin boys, Andrew Joseph Bond and David Charles Bond, were born still on the morning of Wednesday, June 23, 2021 at 11 weeks gestation. They were 42 mm and 35 mm long, respectively. Andrew and David are survived by their parents, Greg & Meaghan Bond, brother Daniel, grandparents Jeff & Karla McNeill and Kent & Charlene Bond, uncle Patrick McNeill, and aunt Lisa, uncle Jeff, and cousin Liam Burt. They were preceded in death by their sister, Lucy Eleanor Bond on Thursday, July 2, 2020. Since Lucy was first named “Andrew Charles” prior to determining she was a girl, the twins’ names honor Lucy on the anniversary of her death and provide a special sibling bond. Each of the twins’ names holds special significance to Greg and Meaghan: “Andrew” honors Andrew Peterson, a musician whose songs have comforted us during many trying times, including infertility and miscarriage. His music profoundly engages the brokenness of this world while expressing an abiding hope in Christ’s love, mercy, and ultimate justice. “Andrew” also honors St. Andrew, the Apostle. In December 2017, deep in the pain of infertility, we participated in an Advent prayer devotional sometimes called the St. Andrew Christmas novena. The prayer starts on St. Andrew’s feast day on November 30th, concluding on either Christmas Eve or December 8th. It is a prayer of hopeful waiting. This devotional has been particularly dear to infertile couples longing for God’s blessing of a child because of the way it enters into the mystery of Jesus’ birth and the inherent association between infertility and the season of Advent. Our firstborn Daniel was conceived in early January 2018 soon after we completed the devotional. Lucy was due on December 8th, and the twins were expected to be delivered a month before their January 8th due date. Finally, one of the books we’ve used to come up with name ideas for our children provides brief meditations on many Saints’ feast days. The entry for St. Andrew’s contained this gem: “The Gospels don’t tell us much about Andrew except that he followed Jesus, and that is enough.” “Joseph” honors St. Joseph, the foster father of Jesus. We received the joyful news of this pregnancy on May 1st, one of St. Joseph’s feast days, and the Church is in the midst of a special “year of St. Joseph” running from December 8, 2020 (Lucy’s due date) to December 8, 2021 (the twins’ expected delivery date). Joseph’s role as guardian of and provider for the Holy Family invoked themes of physical and spiritual protection that comforted us as we embarked on our first pregnancy after Lucy’s death and continues to comfort us as we mourn these new losses. Additionally, both Josephs in the Scriptures receive or interpret dreams from God, providing a unique connection to our firstborn son, Daniel, who was also named for a biblical dreamer. “David,” meaning “beloved,” honors the biblical shepherd king “after God’s own heart,” ancestor of Jesus “the Good Shepherd,” and author of the 23rd Psalm. This psalm was a particular comfort to Meaghan during each of the twins’ ultrasounds. We cling to the hope that God was with our Little Lambs as they traversed the valley of the shadow of death and that we and they may one day dwell together in the house of the Lord forever. This psalm will be a special part of the twins’ funeral service. “Charles,” meaning “manly,” pairs well with David, as both David Charles and Andrew Joseph are our beloved little men. “Charles” also honors both sides of our family: Greg’s mother Charlene (a devoted intercessor for Meaghan and the twins), and Meaghan’s paternal grandfather Charlie. We can almost hear Charlie saying now, “I’m so proud to meet my twin great grandsons!” We didn’t get the blessing of knowing Andrew Joseph and David Charles long in this life, but we entrust them and ourselves to Jesus’ love and mercy. And that is enough. May they dwell in the house of the Lord forever. Funeral services will be held at Clayton Funeral Home in Pearland at 10:00 am on Saturday, July 10th, 2021, followed immediately by graveside committal at Houston Memorial Gardens. Visitation will begin at 9:15 am at Clayton Funeral Home. Greg and Meaghan request that funeral attendees be vaccinated and wear masks indoors to protect Daniel and any others in attendance who cannot yet be vaccinated. The service will be streamed on the Clayton website for those unable to attend in person. https://claytonfuneralhomes.com/tribute/details/3395/Bond-Twins/obituary.html#tribute-start Greg and Meaghan request donations in the names of Andrew and David to the Mary Claire Project, which assists families with funeral and burial expenses for miscarried and stillborn children and has been a great help to them in their time of need. http://www.maryclaireproject.com/ Greg and Meaghan also wish to thank Dr. Kathryn Karges, Lisa Ann Brown, and all of the staff at Caritas Women’s Care and CHI St. Luke’s Sugarland for their compassionate and life-honoring care throughout pregnancy and delivery.