the beacon bee

Alex's dad, Bob, was diagnosed with an aggressive cancer in February. Sadly, his too short fight ended on May 29th. While the last couple of months took us all by surprise, we were extremely fortunate to have time with him to share stories and to continue to learn from him. We had a wonderful Passover Seder with both of our families and close friends in Buffalo. And Alex had been in Buffalo the last month to support his parents. A retired librarian and Buffalo pioneer of digital technologies, Bob remains one of the wisest and most enlightened individuals I know -- a true renaissance man.

Bob will best be remembered by family and friends for his sculpture art, photography and mountain-climbing adventures. Please visit Bob's blog from his time living in Las Vegas. Below are also 2 links for photos of a recent hiking trip he and Alex took back in January. Alex also posted a touching blog last night.

http://lvletter.blogspot.com/2008/01/mild-disappointment.html

http://lvletter.blogspot.com/2008/01/walk-back-from-arrow-canyon.html

An obituary is published in the Buffalo News. Services will be private and later in the summer. Friends have also asked about donations. Our family suggests:

Burchfield-Penny Memorial Fund
1300 Elmwood Avenue
Buffalo, NY 14222
http://www.burchfield-penney.org/

Hospice Buffalo
225 Como Park Blvd.
Cheektowaga, NY 14227
http://www.hospicebuffalo.com/

A good friend of Alex's shared a poem with me tonight that spoke to her when she lost her grandfather. I hope in time that we'll find comfort in it as well.

++++++++++++++++++++
All Is Well
Death is nothing at all,
I have only slipped into the next room
I am I and you are you
Whatever we were to each other, that we are still.
Call me by my old familiar name,
Speak to me in the easy way which you always used
Put no difference in your tone,
Wear no forced air of solemnity or sorrow
Laugh as we always laughed at the little jokes we enjoyed together.
Play, smile, think of me, pray for me.
Let my name be ever the household word that it always was,
Let it be spoken without effect, without the trace of shadow on it.
Life means all that it ever meant.
It is the same as it ever was, there is unbroken continuity.
Why should I be out of mind because I am out of sight?
I am waiting for you, for an interval, somewhere very near,
Just around the corner.
All is well.

Henry Scott Holland
1847-1918

posted by Melissa Dodd @ 5:14 AM