Although she had so many brothers and sisters, I never really got to know any of them as much as I did Aunt Doris. Mostly because they passed away early on.   But she was always so much fun and full of life.  You know how everyone had that "cool Aunt"?  Well, that was Doris.  She told me I could call her Bubbi, we were that close.  I just thought it was just a term of endearment in the Jewish family....I didn't know it meant grandmother until just now, reading Sonja's story about her life.  I did not know all of this and I am amazed at her resilience!  I will miss her dearly, my sweet Bubbi!

There are so many stories and great memories that I have with Bubbi, Doris, Mother. The one that keeps coming to mind is when she helped me by babysitting my 8 year old nephew for a few hours. Andrew loves to cook and bake, so Bubbi decided they would bake cookies. They got out the ingredients, measured carefully, mixed and bake them together. Everything was great until the cookies got pulled out of the oven. They were hard as a brick!! Upon consideration, Bubbi thinks they may have forgotten the sugar... We laughed and laughed! Even after 6 years, Andrew still asks about Bubbi. 

Loved her like my own.

Forty years ago this beautiful lady accepted me as her new sister in law and we became so close.  My heart swells when I think of how much she loved me and believe me that love was returned.  I will miss her so very much.

I have so many memories of my dear "Aunt Mom." Here's one:

Doris came to visit us in Half Moon Bay, CA  in October 1996. We were all so excited to have her with us. We were sitting around the dining table, when suddenly Marsea got teary eyed and said, "She reminds me so much of Mother. Her smile, her laugh, her mannerisms. " Suddenly, all three of us--Marsea, Libba, and I--burst into tears. It had been ten years since our mother (Julia) died. Doris got up and went out to the back patio. She  said, "I feel terrible! I don't want to be the cause of sorrow." But it was a feeling of connection to our mother that was both sweet and sad. We had a great visit. In this photo, you can see what a "game chick" she was, sporting Chuck's cowboy boots. So full of joy and love!

I doubt that any husband could be blessed with a better mother-in-law. She always showed me nothing but love and respect. She greeted me as "my brilliant son-in-law" or "my handsome son-in-law." Made me feel special. Sometimes, she even took my side in disagreements with Sonja. I will miss her greatly, but feel very fortunate to have had her in my life for over 25 years. May she rest in peace, and live on forever in our thoughts and memories.