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People we remember
Biographies are where we share about family & friends to connect with others who remember them.
Stephen Sardi:
"I've written most of these posts *not* in chronological order, but mostly as they came to me during times of reflection.
Whoever might read this in the future might wonder -- how did it all end up? Of all my thoughts, this story is perhaps the most difficult of anything I have written.
I recently saw a part of an interview with Barry Gibb, who was reflecting on his relationship with his brothers, all deceased. With a very sad look on his face, he said: "I lost all of them during low points in our relationships, which I very much regret". I know exactly where he was coming from.
My brother got married in 1978 -- he was very young, and not ready (maturity-wise) for a lifetime commitment. At that time, I was going to school and working to pay for it -- a very bad combination which meant I had zero time for a personal life. It was a high-stress, difficult year.
When Paul got married, he had a baby on the way and his life and mine went in different directions. He moved out of my parent's house into a small apartment with his wife. I was so bogged down in my own life that I wasn't really paying attention to his.
After a short time being married, I found out that he decided to get a divorce. Since neither he nor I were old enough to really understand how life worked, I took his announcement very badly. I felt that he was abandoning his wife, and even more importantly, his infant daughter. How he could do this was severely troublesome to me. Our relationship strained and we didn't speak for some time.
Frankly -- I didn't know what to say, how to react, how to offer to help -- none of that. I'm disappointed in my 20-year old self to this day. I was not there for him.
In 1979, I got my first 'real' job at Dresser Industries in Stratford, CT. As fate would have it, my brother got a job there as a welder working second shift in early 1980. We ran into each other in the hallways of the factory and starting speaking again. We never did discuss his marital status, or what was happening with his daughter -- he was more interested in talking about his motorcycle, and how he (finally!) had freedom to do the things *he* wanted to do. He told me he was working two full-time jobs, and for the first time in his life, he had money.
We never talked about how his future potential as an artist was completely derailed by two full-time blue collar jobs. He looked tired, but appeared to be content. I knew the night foreman at Dresser who told me that sometimes he found that Paul had fallen asleep next to his welding machine, but because he was such a good worker, didn't have the heart to reprimand or turn him in -- I thanked him for taking care of my brother. That was the story of Paul's life, people liked him and tried to look out for him.
Since he and I were planning on living forever (of course!), I figured my hard feelings about how he had 'freed himself' from his family would be reconciled at another time. But -- we never followed up on that discussion, there was no time...
We were -- 'at a low point in our relationship'. I didn't know it then, but who really does?
The last time we spoke, he took me outside the factory to see his new motorcycle. To me, it looked scary -- way too big for a new rider. My mother had not allowed Paul and me to drive until we were 18, which meant that Paul had very limited time as an experienced driver, let alone a motorcycle rider.
I asked him to please be careful driving it. With his typical nonchalance, he laughed off my concern.
When you are younger, there is always a future -- at least, that's what you think. I recall these events with sadness and frustration -- why did I have to be so tough on him? Could I have been supportive in any way instead of judging him by my own thoughtless standards? With 40+ years of hindsight, I know I should have been there for him -- he would have been for me."
Mary Neeley:
"Where have all the flowers gone? The most BEAUTIFUL flowers in the garden are always picked first. Death leaves a heartache no one can heal. Love is a memory no one can steal. You were the GREATEST singer/songwriter of the 21st century. Others will come and go but no one will EVER have your style. Rest in peace, Dear Amy Jade Winehouse. You have touched so many."
Jan Robertson:
John was my baby brother. After John graduated he spent the summer with me in Minneapolis and after he returned to Ivanhoe he would visit me. We had a good relationship. We would go shopping, go to antique stores near Ivanhoe, casino by Pipestone, and just visiting, etc. I would talk to him everyday. I miss John and love him. I wish he was still with us. May God be kind to his soul, RIP.
Catherine Ashenfelter-Villane:
Russell S. Ashenfelter, Sr. was my dad. - My dad passed when I was 30 years old. Unfortunately, I didn't know much about my dad. He was serving his country (WWII, Korea, and Vietnam) all of my life up to the age of 17. Dad didn't talk about his childhood or military service. I would give anything to know more about the man he was, his family history, and military experiences.
What I do know from the little time we shared, dad has a since of humor, loved nature, and was a proud man. He loved my sons, leaving them with memories they still recall even though they were 4 and 3 years old.
My dad was intelligent, hardworking, and his penmanship was breath, he was an accomplished reader. He joined the Navy in 1944 or early 1945.
I would love to hear from anyone who can share their knowledge, stories, and events about my dad, (Russell Stanley Ashenfelter, SR.).
Contact Catherine at [contact link] or call (719) 233-5966.
James Pannozzi:
Walter B. Suesman was a prominent Rhode Islander Chess player, a Master - Walter B. Suesman attained a rating of Master of Chess after participating in several U.S. Open tournaments in the late 1930's and into the 1940's. He was often at the Providence Chess Club in the 2d floor of an old building on Aborn St. in Providence, long since demolished, and he also ran a Chess column with news, games and Chess problems in the Wednesday Providence Journal Evening Bulletin for over 40 years.
He played in club matches and was an inspiration to the younger players like myself in the early 1960's when I was in high school. Later on I would run into him during the lunch hours catching some sun near the Turk's Head building in downtown Providence in the early 1970's where he had a day job doing accounting work and I was working over at the nearby Providence Washington Insurance company as a computer programmer.
He was a friend of Al Martin, another master of chess who had also played in U.S. Open tournaments. It was Martin who payed the rent that allowed the chess club to exist. On a hot summer night in the mid 1960's we would be playing chess with the windows open for air, fans going, and music from the wild Pirate's Den bar across the street would come in. A newsletter written by a Mr. Dwyer, the Providence Chess Club bulletin, produced monthly, has descriptions of the environment, the people and tournaments if you can find a copy. Other top players at the club were Henry Sonnenschein, Herman Rose, G.M. Irwin, William Parberry, Gary L. John, and Warren Chamandy and Robert Barry.
Janet Davis:
I'm Sena's Granddaughter - I'm thrilled to have finally found her! - My Name is Janet Davis (maiden name Parker) I only met Sena once, back in 1961 when I was just a year old. My mother (Deanna Parker) and my father (Gerald Wilson Parker) travelled all the way to West Virginia from California to visit and to introduce me to the family. We stayed for the summer and then later returned to California. My Mother use to tell me that my grandma White just adored me, and she fed me fresh milk straight from the cows on their farm. I never had the opportunity to return, due to my mom and dad's divorce. However, I never forgot the stories my mother would tell of our adventures driving cross country and the fun we had while visiting family.
I also remember my uncle Eugene, He was my favorite uncle! I read that he passed away back in 2007, as did my father, Gerald. I hope that some of my family on my father's side will see this and smile knowing that I "remember" Sena and wish that I had been able to get to know her better.
Holly Nadolsky:
My Dad had such an infectious smile and laugh. When he smiled, you couldn't help but smile too. He was passionate about fishing and his biggest fear was dying alone. (He didn't die alone, I was there).
I miss him and his laughter, jokes and great sense of humor.
He loved the ladies. I guess you could say he was kind of a lady's man.
Kristielynn Avato:
Lost relatives - Fredrika Scherry McCauley was my great great grandmother, me and my mother were talking about her tonight and she showed me a picture of her on her 105th birthday. She told stories of how she use to watch the NY Yankees from the roof top of her apartment in the Bronx. I am Ethel graces great grand child and have recently learned that there was a family division with the graces and McCauleys. Hoping this finds someone I may not know I’m related to !
Steve Mcmahel:
Pappaw - My grandfather -Pappaw- was such a good man. He loved the Lord and served in his church regularly. He loved shuffle board and working with tools. He taught me to be a man and showed me how to sharpen knives and work on cars and enjoy life. You are missed and remembered this 25th anniversary of your going to heaven.
See you soon Pappaw. Give my love to Mammaw and Mom and Dad and Jon and so many others in Glory.
Linda Stamper:
My mom was my hero - The day was tough. I was trying to learn to ride a bike, my mom was teaching me.
Both knees and both elbows were scraped and bloody. I fell and fell again. My mom was running next to me trying to help me get my balance. I fell so many times, so many but the drive wouldn't leave me. I think I was pissed that my sister could ride and I couldn't yet.
My mom caught me a lot but didn't a lot. every hard fall mom tried to get me to take a break and wait awhile. I just couldn't stop. I knew mom was tired so I agreed to take a break.
Mom went to our front yard and sat back in a lawn chair and a neighbor came over laughing at mom and sat down in the grass next to her. I walk down the sidewalk pushing the bike I was agitated. I was short even reaching the peddles was difficult, I had to kind of climb to get on the seat. We had been doing this for hours. I walk down a neighbors driveway and got into the road and pointed back to my house there was a slight hill and the bike started rolling I started running and I got on and got my feet on the peddles. I was riding, my friends were coming out with their moms and screaming and waving their their hands. I was coming up on my house and I started screaming for my mom I couldn't stop my brain was blank. My mom yelled STOP. I yelled I couldn't.
I was headed for the end of my street where the was a stop sign and a cross street. Not heavy traffic but constant traffic.
My house was third from the end. I saw my mom pop up like she had a spring on her back. She ran like the wind across the yard and out into the street and she catches up to me and grabbed the back if my seat and slowed me down. She said to push the peddles backward. I did, I knew that but I just went blank when I started to ride. Mom held me up on the bike, she grabbed me off the bike and it fell away to the road. She hugged me so tight I could hardly breathe. She said in an almost angry voice "Don't you ever do that to me again" She didn't really cry but her eyes were full, and she seemed mad and I was so full of myself and so happy that I finally did it. My arms were around her neck and my legs around her waist. It was like she couldn't let me go.
I scared her. I felt horrible about that but the thrill of what just happened overshadow everything.
She set me down and told ne to never never do that to her again. I was a child maybe or 6 or 7. I didn't understand what I put her through, not completely until I had my own kids and then I knew.
B Gaskill:
Sweet Lady Amazing history - Mrs Thayer was an amazing Lady; When I was Seven years old she was my first customer for my garden Care business in 1968. She paid me 3 dollars a day to pull up the weeds in her flower beds. She grew champion Roses that she entered in competitions. Her Late husband was a pioneer i.n the building of the City of Long Beach, he had purchased land that started at the port of Long Beach and went north along the road that later became the 710 freeway. He built warehouses along the route and they prospered. She Was great friends with Mr and Mrs Bixby another of Long Beach City founding families and she used to show me photos of her and the Bixby and Knott's families having picnic's together. That's the Knott's Berry farm founder family. She lived in the house her husband had built for them and she drove the 1961 Rose pink Cadillac her husband bought her until she was unable to drive anymore. She taught me the correct way to maintain a garden and every Saturday for 3 years I worked and learned from that sweet Lady. GOD bless her.
Dan Dovey:
Jody is my 2nd Cousin and we were both born on the same day and year. - I've been researching my grandmother, Anna Helen Labuda, and her ancestry with focus on her parents' descendants. I discovered Jody and was excited to see that we share the same birthdate along with my twin brother. So Anna Helen's parents, Andrew Labuda and Anna Vilcek, had three new great-grandchildren all born on the same day!
