Dear Pat and Gerry,
What a lovely occasion for all of us to recognize what a
gift to the community a long, companionable, happy marriage is. Many of us have enjoyed the fruits of
your rich, lovely life together.
I remember first meeting you when Elizabeth and Tim were
staying at your place after the Northridge earthquake. You served us your wonderful cheese
grits and showed us pictures of the boys and told stories. It was clear that Elizabeth was not
only held in Tim’s good hands, but also in yours. Your affection for her warmed my heart then, and does now.
On another occasion, watching the Times Square New Year’s
ball drop with the four of you (before little boys), I remember how fun it was
to spend the long evening telling and hearing stories, and the ease of being
with you both where nothing about the festivity was forced. You did, and do—despite our infrequent
meetings—feel like family.
On family occasions when we’ve met—for weddings, for holiday
gatherings, for births and baptisms, for basketball games—we’ve always looked
forward to finding our way through the crowd to talk with one or both of
you. We’re always assured of a
good story, warm interest in our lives and the “kids,’” and great
kindness.
The range of the interests you support in each other, and
have supported in Tim and Greg, testifies to your own shared openness to the
world—to music, to sports, to travel, to wide reading, to neighbors of all
kinds and their stories. Visiting
you in your present home, walking through the streets at Christmastime to see
neighbors’ lights, I remember being struck and touched by your lively
engagement with the community you’d so recently joined.
You’ve raised sons who are men of integrity, caring fathers
and loving husbands. That in
itself is evidence enough of what you modeled for them, and continue to model
for Stephen and Matthew and Gabriel and Michael.
We’re terribly sorry to miss the party for you; we had
planned our trip some time before we heard about it. But know that we are there in spirit, very grateful to be
co-grandparents with you, hopeful that we’ll actually find time to get together
soon, and full of admiration for the way you’ve done these decades together.
With love and gratitude for the light you bear,
Marilyn and John
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