My Friend Roy

This afternoon about 200 friends and family gathered to celebrate Roy. There was standing room only. We did not gather because he died; we gathered because he lived and his life touched so many of ours.

Roy was 68 and he had been retired from his career in the aero-space industry since June 1999. He and his wife, Linda, have spent lots of those retirement days traveling in their RV, just having a blast.

Listening to the variety of people who went to the microphone to tell their favorite memories of Roy gave me a new perspective. Roy & Linda live in a seniors mobile home park. Because they are some of the younger ones, and because Roy could have had a second career as a handy-man, he often helped his neighbors repair things. Roy loved cooking and several people told how Roy had taught them to "can" fruits and vegetables.

He leaves behind a family that misses him terribly. He learned the end of April that his body was filled with cancer. He and Linda had just celebrated 50 years of marriage. Even though we all knew that his days were limited, we are still stunned that Roy is gone; that he has moved on to the other side of life. Even though most of his family and friends have a strong faith and believe in eternity, it still seems to be getting harder and harder to say goodbye.

I'm having a difficult time grasping that his wife could possibly live 20+ years without him.

My life was richer because I knew Roy. He was a man full of compassion and nurture and kindness. I look forward to seeing him again.

Good night from Southern California.
Rosie (& Mr. Fun), aka