Friend Denny Roe died of cancer November 30th. Debbie and I attended his funeral last Saturday. Denny was a pilot, ham radio operator and U.S. Army veteran. He and his wife Sally, who survives him, were roommates with my entire family up in Lakeside, Ohio in a summer cottage during the United Methodist Church’s West Ohio Conference for a few years. We served together as lay delegates to the conference. The Roes were the most hospitable people I’ve ever met, welcoming our girls as if they were their own grandchildren. Denny was 82 years old.
On Thanksgiving Day friend and legal colleague David Levine died after being diagnosed with lung cancer just a few months earlier. David was not a smoker and was a big health nut. His son eulogized him as having a “sharp wit and a clarity of thought.” No doubt true. David was 56 years old.
Grandma, Uncle Dan, Miranda and Natasha were back for Thanksgiving as Deb made the feast. 16-year-old Clarissa and I were in Palm Springs, CA at the annual field hockey festival. It’s a chance for high school players to be seen by college coaches. I was a driver/chaperone. C had a good festival playing with a team of mostly seniors. Natasha played over the Thanksgiving holiday in an alumni field hockey game at Columbus Academy with her (and C’s) personal coach, Christina Williams (a former Stanford all-American) and Tash’s former high school teammates Sue Ferger (Duke), Layne Averill (Michigan State), Ellie Szkowny (Davidson).
Tash returns from her final exams on Tuesday night. Miranda works until December 23rd, so she, husband Ben and their two cute dogs will arrive that evening. Grandma and Uncle Dan are expected Christmas morning.
