Raining Inside and Out

I got the email from my dad while I was at work this afternoon.  My favorite uncle passed away last night.

He was such a wonderful man.  I can never think about him without smiling.  He was so smart and gentle and kind and always had a smile.  He worked for Lockheed and was part of the team that put the Hubble telescope in space.  I actually owe my career to him as he is the one who encouraged me to get into this new field of "computers" before anyone had ever heard of a PC.

In recent years, he sadly developed alzheimer's disease and we gradually became strangers to him.  I think he always remembered my parents because he had known them so long.  (He was my uncle by marriage, so not a sibling to either of my parents.)

I feel tremendous sympathy for my cousin, as she is my closest relative other than my parents, and she has now lost both of her parents.  At least she does have her own family.  She and her husband have been married many years and have a terrific son who is just graduating from high school.  I'm still trying to get a hold of her, but I don't think she was able to be with her father at the end.  I hope I will be with my parents when the time comes.  Somehow, I always picture it that way.

I must try to find a good photo I can scan and add to this.