I've been thinking about Sturdy all this Memorial Day weekend while seeing some of my favorite musical artists,cooking food,talking about the news and books,watching sports on TV,walking on the beach and looking at the golden California hills,cooking more food,wondering about how things work, all things I used to share with Sturdy. It's hard to think of what to share to summarize a friendship spanning over 40 years from Virginia to California,several homes, some of which we shared, 4 marriages (2 each),deaths and births,jobs lost and found,raising children,mostly having lots of fun thru it all.
What stands out in my memories of Sturdy is his unbounded enthusiasm for everthing he was involved in and how happy he was to share it all with you,his friend. I know a lot about surveying and star triangulation and cooking and sports and baseball and math and fretless basses and Martin guitars and contruction and pooring concrete and sailing barges and car engines and music and land use surveys in Sonoma cty. and student teaching and restaurant cooking methods and splitting wood and much much more because of Sturdy. I always felt he could do about anything.One of the great compliments of my life was when he told me he thought I was a competent person! He was a musician and a cook and a teacher and a Merchant Marine and a construction foreman and lastly a Licensed California Surveyor. Even in the last year or so after all his physical challenges whenever we spoke he was really optimistic and excited about how he had created his unique area of expertise about survey records in Sonoma County.
I remember my 1st ever Camping trip canoeing down the Shenendoah(famously named the Trip where Meg had the Most Fun) when it had been raining for days and continued to rain and half our gear(such as it was) was soaked by falling in the river, Sturdy and George went out into the woods and brought back soaked logs that they split to the dry heart of the wood and made a fire to warm us. I was pretty impressed though totally miserable! That was not the first or the last time Stuart Righter brought warmth,comfort and fun into my life but it is one of the most memorable. I 'm so sad that his great heartfire which he was so happy to share with All of Us is gone from this world.If he were here he could tell me a pithy quote from Heinlein to end with but I can't think of one right now.
Love to you my friend,Meg
