Today is Oots' birthday ❤and I am holding her in my heart with eternal love. We met at 14 at MSJ, roommates for a year in college and stayed friends for 54 years. I miss her and always will.With so many memories
( especially the laughter) to cherish...Thank you George for the love you shared. Much love  to Maryanne's family she loved so deeply.

It’s been hard for me to write a tribute to Maryanne. The younger ones are not supposed to go first. The unfairness of it made anything I wrote sound sorry for myself, maudlin even. She wouldn’t have liked that. It was always supposed to be about the good memories, the happy times, that could be mulled over and savored. It was all about the family stories we would tell, laughing so hard we could hardly finish saying the words. And we had so many of them. Like the time in first grade that Maryanne went to school for the Halloween party, all dressed up as a nun, huge rosary beads hanging from the waist cord, ……a day early! I’m not sure she ever recovered from that one.

A few years ago Maryanne called about something I “had to know about. You’re gonna love this!” It was the Steals & Deals segment on The Today Show. It was on every week and the items were usually high end at amazing discounts and if I didn’t watch morning T.V, I could access it online. She loved to “share the wealth” that way. She was right, of course, It was the type of thing I like and I accessed it a few times before forgetting about it. Then, out of the blue, after all this time, I received an email last week from Steals and Deals.How did that happen?!

So many of my contacts with Maryanne were like that. We talked in short bursts, the short phone call with not very important news that couldn’t wait. It was our main way of keeping in touch as our lives got so busy. Long gone were the hour and a half long phone calls from Mill Valley to Burlington when the kids were babies and Ray was traveling. She was a great conversationalist and a good listener.

I miss you Oots and I always will. Happy Birthday.

George, I loved the above stories and pictures attached. I've been meaning to add this story from Bob Foster for those that didn't see it on Facebook: Bob Foster: Maryanne and I started working for the State of Vermont, Social Welfare department, on December 10, 1973. We attended a two week Department training program in Montpelier. There were very heavy rains at that time and she was petrified we would drown during our commute. She said, "Bob , we are going to drown together and I just met you." I assured her I would not let her drown as her mother and my wife,  Patty Peters Foster were waiting for us to return home. Before Maryanne moved out to be with her dear friend, George OHagan, she called me and we talked for about 20 minutes. The three of us all worked together way back when. She was so excited about getting back together with her soulmate, George! She promised to send me a message on Facebook after she settled in with George but she passed away before she sent me the message. She was one of my all time favorite fellow workers. Rest in peace , Maryanne Halpin !