Wonder Woman may only be a character in comic books to some, but to Luke Carnagey, she symbolizes much more—his late wife Amy and the qualities she continues to instill in his two young daughters. To carry on her legacy and show support for Amy’s loved ones, Oklahoma Christian Academy (OCA) in Edmond, OK held a remembrance concert for the Carnagey family Jan. 13 at OCA.
Oklahoma Christian alums Luke and Amy met on campus in the computer lab and, according to Luke, began to instant message during lectures. They started dating in 2002 and the joke became that he was a hero for saving her when she was bored, leading to nicknames for the two: Superman and Wonder Woman.
After being diagnosed with Signet ring cell carcinoma, a rare form of highly malignant adenocarcinoma in 2014, Amy passed away May 4, 2015.
President of OCA Brandon Tatum approached Luke asking for his permission to orchestrate a concert in remembrance of Amy, as a way to support Luke and his two daughters, Autumn, 8, and Cailyn, 5.
The concert performers included Oklahoma Christian graduate Matt Stansberry, as well as freshmen Jesse Garner and J.D. Martin. According to Luke, Garner’s mother helped care for Cailyn when Amy was sick, so his performance meant a lot to the family.
“It was an honor to be able to play in the show,” Garner said. “Their family is so energetic. You cannot be around them and not be filled with joy.”
Although Martin did not know the family prior to the event, he said he felt honored to be playing in the concert, as he also experienced the affects of cancer firsthand.
“My dad passed away from cancer, and if by playing music, I could make a difference in someone else’s life, I want to,” Martin said. “It was obvious Amy brought so much joy to people, and if we brought joy to people, then she was working through us in the concert.”
At the end of the concert, Autumn sang the song “God is so Good” to the audience in honor of her mom. As the audience joined in, the song brought tears to many eyes in the audience, including Garner and Martin.
“Autumn has always been a character,” Garner said. “She has a great voice. Her mom definitely instilled in her mind that God is good even when things are things aren’t going the way she wants.”
While Luke said the day-to-day can be difficult for a single dad with two daughters, they are living life and that is something Amy would have wanted.
“There were really three things that Amy said to us before she passed,” Luke said. ““One, you are not allowed to be mad at God that I am sick, or if I die. He did not cause this. You cannot blame God. Two, I just want this to glorify Him. If I can bless someone or if someone comes to know him from me, then it is worth it,’—and she lived it out. And the third was she didn’t say goodbye. She said, ‘see you soon,’ so we say, ‘See you soon.’”
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