Tuesday, April 28, 2015
To all the family, I was shocked to hear of Patti's death. I knew she was ill and tried to call her over the past few months but I really had no idea of the gravity of her situation. She and I were good friends as well as cousins when we were children. Being six months apart, it was easy to settle in together with her and Denise, running around (Patti could run like the wind , her hair flowing out behind her), making blanket forts, whispering important secrets, playing dolls and house and teacher. And when we looked out for the younger set, Avery and Mark, Leslie and Jason, Darrin and Bruce, Carol and David, we had even more fun playing Hide and Seek, Mother May I and What Time is it Mr Wolf We would crowd around the edges of the card table, watching the grownups play cards in a cloud of cigarette smoke. My dad would pound the table as he would trump Uncle D'Arcy's card. Then they would both take a swig of Wiser's and a slice of ham. There was much laughter and us kids would laugh too but not really always know why Patti was a great athlete - besides being friends we were competitive and would push each other to jump higher or run faster or hold our breath longer under water. But as we moved into adulthood, our paths veered away. She soon became a mother and I never did. She gathered a large family around her and I travelled the world. Although we saw each other infrequently through the last 30 years, when we did, the connection was still there and we could talk for hours. I will continue to think of her on her birthday in September as I have done for over 50 years and thank her for all the good memories. Blessings to you all. My your pain and loneliness be mitigated by the joy and love she brought to you. Love Chris
