Since You've Been Gone

 

What have I been doing since Lynn died?

Make no mistake about it. I have been busting into tears at completely random times since Lynn died quite unexpectedly and peacefully in her sleep on February 3, 2022. “May her memory be a blessing.” (It is.) Life events as routine as a visit to the grocery store or catching the French Open Tennis on television or finding an incredible thank you note from a flight attendant written on a cocktail napkin are continual reminders of what it means to share a life with someone. My children, amazing adults living in Tampa and New Jersey, along with their spouses and those amazing grandchildren (two boys born in vintage year 2016) are ample reinforcement to the notion of how blessed I am.

The Matriarch of our family, the incomparable Toby (aka Toto, TR). has been a pillar of strength. “Stay busy. Spend time with friends and family. We will get through this. You need to take care of yourself.”  I have had a busy and remarkable schedule in six months of phenomenal activity full of blessings and joy. (“Lynn, I know you are watching and you know we love you always.  …This is the day that G-d has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it.”)

Just a few highlights from my calendar.

Feb 3 Thursday - RIP Lynn (a day that altered my existence).

Feb 4 Friday - Youth service at Shaare Emeth (Lynn, your name is now on the memory wall there). Special thanks to Cantor Seth Warner for the home visit and invitation. 

Feb 5 – 6 – Dan and Netti drove in from Cleveland. Dinner at the Cheshire Inn, Mass at the Cathedral Basilica (Archbishop Rozanski presiding), Art Hill and Saint Louis Art Museum.

Feb 11 - Cemetery in Neptune, NJ burial site family plot next to Papa Sam who passed in 1993. Morgan balance from Rob, Greg (his two boys Wes and Matt), and Dave Drimer (You know I love you like a brother).  

Feb 14 - Birthday cake on Toby’s birthday at the home of Ben/Allison and James.

Feb 28 - Coffee with P. Drake and B. Ellis (I cannot thank these two amazing friends enough for being…just for being).

Mar 3 – Rob in Saint Louis. He secured front row seats at Delmar Hall for John Paul White with Parker Milsap as opening act. Headliner John Paul White offered “How about that Parker Milsap?", adding the jestful comment to the audience before he bagan to play “Ya know…opening acts are supposed to suck.”

March 23-25 – What could be more fun than Dinosaur World and a round of putt-putt golf with RLD in Plant City, Florida. (A lovely chat with Dahlia on the phone with an offer to visit her in Miami is most tempting.) I got a hole-in-one off of Lawton’s heel on #5.

Tues March 28 – Bill Ellis pow wow at Five Guys in Creve Coeur.

April 9 – Masters Mayhem at CCGC with Daryl Vandiver.

April 10 – Coffee with Perry Drake on Sunday at Saint Louis Art Museum

April 23 – Sweet dinner at the Mason Oaks Lane home of Bill and Tara Ellis.

April 28 – Cardinals vs. Diamondbacks with teachers and colleagues of Westview Middle School. (Can’t beat a night at the ballpark).

May 4 – UMSL marketing advisory board meeting at Integrity in U City. Creative Director Morissey brief on the emerging creative class and organzing the work.

May 6 – Opening (judges) at Annual Art Fair Mothers’ Day weekend at Laumeier Sculpture Park.

May 20, 2022 Cleveland - Pier W with Dan and Janie on my birthday. 

May 21, 2022 - Cleveland Museum of Art (one of my favorite places in the world), St. Luke all-school reunion. (So great to see 8^th grade co-caption and QB Dan Caine along with Scott Derringer, Carol Weist and so many other Crusaders.)

May 26, 2022 Thursday Nights - HBE golf league begins at Creve Coeur Golf Course. 

June 2, 2022 - Zoom presentation to Career Rebound (Thanks to Greg Morgan, Wendy Leigh etc.) How Wes Morgan managed to work for 12 top flight advertising agencies, four corporate environmets before becoming a Special Educator.

June 4, 2022 - Celebration of Life for Evan Willnow (Willoughby Farm - Collinsville, IL). He was great. But the truly remarkable thing about Evan was that he made others great. 

June 12 – Laumeier Sculpture Park activity day. Loretto Hilton Center in Webster Groves production of Carmen – Saint Louis Opera Theater.

June 16 AMA luncheon at Maggiano’s with Sharon Harvey-Davis as speaker on Diversity Equity and Inclusion. She was great and so much fun to reconnect with this collegue from past life at HBE. She has recently retired after 20 years with Ameren.

June 17-21 to NJ (on Ben) for extended Fathers’ Day weekend. Liberty State Park, BBQ at Deb/David Schatzow’s, Colonial Terrace 9-hole Golf Course with kids (James, Samson, Marlow, neighborhood kids etc) serving refreshments at 7^th hole T-box behind Ben’s house in Ocean, NJ. And…the amazing day trip to Storm King (New Windsor, NY). And a BONUS day at Elberon Beach Club. Just perfect.

June 21 – Movie at AMC Creve Coeur Top Gun Maverick

June 25 – Cherokee/Lemp antique district engagement party for Samantha Cox and Matthew Whelan.

June 27 - Laumeier Sculpture Park in morning followed by Double Red (my O Negative blood) donation at Impact Life.

June 30 – Legacy Legal Group probate kick off with Ben on remotely. HBE golf.

July 1 – AMA golf (Mogley, Shaughnessy, Cox, Jones, Tom Ferris, Ted Ruzicka, Slam! Principal Tyler Kelly and brother).

July 4 – Fair Saint Louis concerts (Young MC, Color Me Badd, Tone Loc, Just in Time), activities and fireworks at the Gateway Arch. 

July 7 – to SF via Southwest. BART to Denise (Milbrae). Rothko at SFMOA. ATwater Tavern with Johnny Caine.

July 8 – VRBO HQ stocked by Rob (Fritos etc) with Dan, Greg and boys Wes and Matt and GFs Alexis and Bianca). Denise.

July 9 – K-Mo + Mad Wedding (Kevin Morgan and Madelyn Burkhart) at Beltrane Ranch in Sonoma Valley. Storybook wedding.

July 10 – Saint Leo mass with Dan and Alexis followed by donuts and coffee

July 11 – Muir Woods – Redwood forest (w Lauren, Bianca, Greg). 

July 12 – 5:30 am Zita ride to Oakland Airport from Novato. To Longh Beach and connecting to St. Louis. 

July 13 – Elvis movie at Creve Coeur AMC 12

July 18 – Sign something about a bond at Legacy Legal Group

July 29 – SSD Health Fair at Neuwoehner High School (Blood Screen)

August 4-7 – Philly – The Barnes Foundation. Lindsey, Lawton, Ben…

August 8 – Back to school WMS

August 19-20 (plan) – Cleveland – Winton Place, Rock and Roll HoF, CMA, Solstice Steps. Janie.

September 17 – Laumeier Big Diner event.

So, life continues for me with a lot of activity (largely designed to keep me distracted from my new reality). North (Cleveland), South (Tampa), East (Ocean) and West (Novato/Sonoma). Ya gotta see the forest for the trees. Incidental as I am, I am a truly blessed man.