WEEKEND OUT AND ABOUT
On Friday, Sept 7, Terri dropped us at Bob Hope Airport in
Burbank for our short 2 ½ hour flight to Seattle where we rented a car and
drove to Bellingham Washington. On
Saturday we met our good friend Diane Herbert who accompanied us across the
border to the Richmond Country Club in Richmond British Columbia for a
celebration of life memoriam in honor of Diane’s husband, Bill. Our special relationship with the Herbert
family dates back to my years with the CBS West Coast Law Department where I
met Marian, sister in law of Bill and Diane.
We became friends with Marian and her husband, Ken, and our frequent
visits to their home ultimately resulted in our getting to know this very
special Herbert family.
In 2006, Bill and Diane invited us to join them and three
other couples on a caravan adventure in our recreational vehicles into Mexico.
We enjoyed an extended stays in Mazatlán and Playa Amore from which we did
numerous day trips and long weekends into surrounding areas. It was a wonderful three month adventure with
a great group of fun loving people with whom we bonded and formed memories that
we will never forget. Bill and Diane
along with other members in our caravan of RV’s, had been to Mexico many times and they knew
the natives, best RV resorts and places of interest. We were blessed to be invited to accompany
this group of outstanding and savvy RV travelers.
In 2009, We again put on our traveling boots and with Bill and
Diane and three other couples, including our good friends Bob and Marvis Gersten, we enjoyed a 49 day cruise from Ft Lauderdale, Florida to
San Francisco, California around Cape Horn. What a wonderful trip that was.
In 2015, we joined Bill and Diane in Port Liberty, New
Jersey for a 58 day around the World cruise from Port Liberty to Shanghai,
China and back to Southern California. Bill and I were fortunate to enjoy many of the
trips vicariously while Diane and Ken returned from their visits at many ports
of call that were too adventuresome or grueling for Bill who by then was
suffering from Parkinson’s and my activity was limited by the need to wear a
boot for the entire trip. We enjoyed the
evenings in which Ken and Diane shared with us the places they visited, the
sights that saw and gave us the highlights of their day out.
In addition to our
spectacular travel adventures, we shared many lovely evenings with many of the
Herbert’s where, over wonderful gourmet dinners, we debated the crises around
the World and debated the political dilemmas that needed our attention.
During the course of our travels and subsequent in home
visits, we came to know Bill as the patriarch of the Herbert family. The Herbert children experienced the
hardships of a broken home and were raised in foster homes. Brother Bill, an
affectionate term by which Bill became known, exhibited distinctive “father
figure” characteristics unique to a young person of his age. He did his best to keep the family together in
their youth and throughout his life. His
example in youth was no less in adulthood and he was affectionately referred to
as Brother Bill by his large family. The
family remains a very close knit and committed family in the manner of few
families today. In spite of their
difficult early beginnings, individual family members went on to become outstanding
citizens and successful entrepreneurs in a rare example of accomplishments, both in business and family devotion. What a wonderful family they are.
It was a rare pleasure and wonderful experience to share in
the celebration of this man’s life. The
accolades expressed by family members, friends and former business associates
were an acknowledgment of a man, humble in demeanor, dedicated in purpose and
loving in nature. He lived life to the
fullest, gained acknowledgment of his success and preserved his image as a
loving husband, father, grandfather and friend.
Few have lived a fuller or more complete life.
In view of our recent travel to Seattle, I want to
acknowledge the kindness, respect and
outstanding treatment that we received from Alaska Airlines and their staff and
from many fellow passengers. I do a lot
of complaining about the state of our Country and the dumbing down of our
society but there are a lot of good, kind and caring people out there as well.
Thank you World for acknowledging that old age must be
suffered through by all of us! People are basically good but – do not forget –
there are a few who may not have received a full commitment to compassion but
the good make up for any who suffer otherwise.
Everyone was so good to us and though none will ever see this, I shall forever be mindful of their kindness.
