Sunday, August 23, 2020
Dear Pam and Bill, David and Pat, and Mike and Cindy, I'm so sorry for the loss of your sweet, lovely mother. My first memories of her were when she looked after your wonderful dad in the hospital. How could he not have fallen in love with such a kind and caring person? I believe I was in my mid teens when we first visited the two of them in Cocoa Beach, and we all loved her immediately, as we always did your dad. As I believe you know, my mother, Liz, is now 92, resides in assisted living in Silver Spring, MD, and suffers from dementia. But Cindy, when you were kind enough to alert me to Claudia's passing this past week, I phoned to let her know, and she expressed her sadness, just as she did when Arthur passed several years ago. As you know, my dad (Bob, Sr.) died in 2006, but he always had a deep love for his baby brother, and that extended to Claudia and your whole family. I'll be watching the memorial service online today, sad that my wife Diana and I cannot be with you, but happy that you and your respective families can gather together today in her memory, and in spite of the pandemic. By the way, I have tried to send a modest donation to First Baptist Church in her memory, but even though the church suggests doing it via PayPal, that service has no record of them. So, if all else fails, I'll mail them a check. At any rate, love to you, your kids, and other family members I've not met. You were so blessed to have such extraordinary parents, and may their memory continue to be a blessing to you until you can all be together again. - (Cousin) Bob Mugge