Always miss you, Polly, especially making music with you and enjoying Festival Mozaic together.

It's hard to believe it has been four years since your passing. With our two boys up at Cal Poly, trips to the central coast, SLO and Pismo feel like missed opportunities for them, us and you. I am sorry our boys do not have their grandmother to support them, celebrate with them and champion their efforts.
We miss you dearly!

I think of you often, Polly, and miss you.

Easter flower for you. 
Love you ❤️Diane

I think of Polly often. Usually when a flute player is featured. Most recently on PBS’s Now Hear This when Alice Dade played during the segment. Polly knew and was very fond of Alice during all the many years Polly attended Festival Mozaic concerts in San Luis Obispo. Polly would be thrilled to see Alice in this wonderful program.

Polly, you are always missed. I just told a violin friend the other day about playing trios and duets with you. Your flute, violin, viola music was so great and we had such fun playing.

Sorry, everyone. It is with heavy hearts that we decided to cancel the memorial gathering. It was going to be such a beautiful day, and a lot of Flute Fun people were preparing a great concert for us, too. Sad.

Diane and I are confident that this is 1) the right thing to do, and 2) what Mom would have done, to protect her loved ones.

We will reschedule something next year, same time, probably the same place. And as Polly would say, stay positive! We look forward to seeing you then.

I want Polly's family and friends to know that Polly is mentioned with love in remembrance in our 50th Anniversary Festival Mozaic History that will be published by May 2022 and available at festivalmozaic.com.

I can understand the cancellation at this time of Polly's memorial service. I know it is a difficult decision, but a wise one. Again, condolences. We don't get over our grief; we just learn to carry it with love.

I came across this email exchange with Polly, and thought I'd share it with you all.

Re: Polly-Mom-Sis's "Stallman Project" Report :-) This is a long one!

On Apr 6, 2009, at 7:33 PM, Polly Monson wrote:

Dear Family and Dearest Friends.......This has been one very fabulous project driven by my passion for excellence. Bringing Robert Stallman to San Luis Obispo (and Arroyo Grande) was like a dream job with a superb pay-off. :-) I want to thank all of you for your wonderful, kind, supportive, informative, patient, and generous contributions to help make this a most amazing series of events.
Don, who came Friday to be my "First Mate - Gofer", was SO WONDERFUL! I could never have managed without him :-) ...and I'm so sorry he got locked out of my Park for TWO HOURS after the Recital!!! How was I to know that I was NOT taking the artists back to their motel until AFTER visiting Madonna Inn and seeking a late dinner spot...which turned out to be Denny's in Pismo!!! because our county is NOT Cosmopolitan - we don't serve European hours!! And I had no cell phone with me. Don took and has sent neat photos on Flickr... Don - you were GREAT - Thank you so much for coming to share this with me and for all your help. :-)

Doug and Sherrill, who came to my rescue many times in many ways.....giving advice, helping "brainstorm" the potential good and bad possibilities of hosting an event, counseling me on "cost control" & bookkeeping, enabling me to buy the Event Insurance at a better price, and gifting me with a very special dinner card. You two are so special and so greatly appreciated....THANKS FOR IT ALL.....:-)

Pete & Sue - who were so patient when I first "got the Stallman bug".....and went on and on and on and on.....Thanks for listening, sharing the enthusiasm, and getting such a kick out of hearing about the progress of this undertaking. You are the host and hostess with the mostess....:-)

Liz and Rebecca....You gals are SO WONDERFUL to have as friends. Thanks for all your care, concern, and support. I love you guys.

Marti - You are absolutely FANTASTIC! Not only did you make, buy, and bring tasty treats for our Reception but you made the ULTIMATE Recital Saving contribution......you were the PERFECT page turner! Mark Anderson appreciated having such a super helper (he said he was so grateful to have YOU!)....Bob Stallman and Isabelle Chapuis fell in love with you too and also send their thanks.

Carol Metzler - thanks for all your positive energy and good wishes.

Barbara - Thank you so much for your generous donation to Flute Fun....it helped a lot......I'm so sorry your body had to go and get sick and you couldn't attend the Recital.

Ruth, Carol Johnston, and Bonnie - you "flute fun friends" are a great gift to me. I love our time together and making music together.  You have all enriched my life.

So...now the "Report":

Wednesday, April 1. Robert (Bob) Stallman and his long-time friend and performing partner, Isabelle Chapuis who both studied under Jean-Pierre Rampal at the Paris Conservatoire arrived.

Thursday, April 2 We met Thursday morning and I brought them to my home for lunch. Later that evening, I hosted an elegant meet/eat/and greet dinner party in a private room at Lido, a very nice restaurant with an outdoor patio overlooking the Pacific ocean at sunset. The guest list included Andy Harp, the KCBX Afternoon Classics host on whose program I first heard a Robert Stallman CD; Paul Severtson, KCBX Development Director and one of the finest violinist/violists in SLO; Curtis Pendleton, Festival Mozaic Executive Director (who I took a few flute lessons from last year) and her husband, French Canadian, Robert Caron (who also went to the Paris Conservatoire); Alice McGonigal, first flutist in SLO Symphony; Bonnie Richan (Flute Fun.org co-signer) and her husband Steve Aiena, who created our flutefun.org Web-site (for free). (Unfortunately Michael Nowak, the SLO Symphony conductor was unable to attend - (Hollywood and family obligations)

Friday April 3 Recital was superb. I was so pleased that there was a "respectable" number in the audience....we estimated around 76-80. Bob chose a very appealing program titled: "A Celebration of Spring" and played magnificently. Isabelle Chapuis, the darling VERY French flutist was a perfect playing partner for the Mozart Sinfonia Concertante. And the accompanist, Mark Anderson was wonderful. We were treated to a World-Class Recital and the audience gave them a standing ovation.

Saturday, April 4 was the Masterclasses Day and Open Discussion and Mini- Performance. This was inspiring to all who attended. For you non-musicians - Masterclasses is where performers (who have prepared a piece) perform and then the coach gives comments and instructions on how you can improve your performance. Since players are at all different levels - this takes a great deal of skill on the coaches part to instantly evaluate the performance and focus on the most positive approach to helping the performer strive for a higher level. Bob was masterful at this. At the end of this day Bob gave a Private lesson to Shelly (one of our new county resident flute players).

Sunday, April 5 was Flute Choir Day - 12 of us playing together...kind of a flute orchestra....with C flutes, Alto flutes, and Bass flute. REALLY FUN. At the end of this day Bob gave TWO flute lessons (Nancy and Martha).

The revenue from flute participant registrations and ticket sales did not cover all the expenses but the revenue was greater than I expected and I ended up having to pony up less than I expected. It was worth every penny of it! We were able to sell quite a respectable amount of Bob's HUGE library of new publications for flutists, and a goodly number of his CD's. I almost forgot - Don took great care of setting up the sheet music display on Friday night and making the pricing nightmare manageable. That was a HUGE contribution to the success of the sales.

Monday, April 6 - Bob and Isabelle packed up...came to my house one last time...then we drove to Montana de Oro through the beautiful spring green and wild flowers of Los Osos Valley while listening to one of Bob's latest CD's of Schubert arrangements for flute and strings. We drove along the bluffs and admired the vastness of the ocean and beauty of Morro Bay and all the coastal vistas....then lunch and then GOODBYES.....We experienced the joy of beautiful music and feel like family now.....:-)

What a great thing happened these last few months! I'm glad my mother told me "Do something constructive"......  I think I did....:-) ......Thanks to all. :-)

Love,
Aunt-Polly-Mom-Sis

-----------
My reply:

Photos:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/dsleeter_2000/sets/72157616280947125/

Mom,

Congratulations and kudos to you! It was a glorious idea you had. You nurtured it into full bloom and everyone involved was so happy to be part of it. Really! We all should be thanking you! 

The best part, I think, was the wonderful loving relationships you formed with Bob Stallman and Isabelle and Mark, and this includes the warm friendships you have with all your music loving friends. It is quite true that you did something constructive, but you did it with pure joy and love with so many people. The music and program and venue were all superb. The reception was amazing, too. You are definitely a great impresario. 

I only wish I had gotten a good group photo of you all of you together. For those of you who do not know my flickr site, Here are the photos I did get, most of them from the back of the hall.

I'm really glad I could be there with you and for you. You are amazing.

Love,

Don

My condolences to the family

The year has gone by quickly and all of us have been obliged to deal with COVID19... but fond thoughts of Polly have recurred often. When fires raged  nearby she offered me a place to sleep if needed. It wasn't, but that was Polly, always considering others. I will treasure her memory as a close friend and a wonderful person.

It's hard to believe that one year has gone by. I think of you often, Polly. And, now I found your flute repairman, and we both miss you!

Think of Polly often; I have this date marked on my calendar. I know she's in good hands now and I wish all of the family my very best.

I think often of Polly. I miss her smile, her enthusiasm for music and our shared concerts.
I always wanted to be seated by her, as she knew so much about the music we were listening to.
My thoughts go to her children, who she shared adventures with in her last years. She is missed.

My very good friend for many years, Polly comes to mind frequently when I
come across items that would be of interest to her. It is difficult to accept
that she is no longer with us, though she left a memory of a fine, caring and
considerate person. Always genuine.
My very best to her loving family and numerous other friends.

Miss my dear friend so much. Miss her bright smile and happy laugh and our shared passion for music. She lives in my heart.

   I am still processing the news of Polly’s death. We had such a good time with her when we were in Avila this winter. She was full of enthusiasm around all her interests that were, in turn, very interesting to us. We had even hatched a plan to join her for concert in a winery this coming July. 
   She was such an organizer of people, in the best sense of the word. We especially benefitted from her putting together the mini-Fresno High reunions that were timed to happen while we were in California. We had an especially lovely dinner at her home the night before we returned to Princeton in early March. She was so excited about her upcoming Tapestry boat trip.
   Though Polly had been very upfront about her diagnosis, she continued to be vigorous and full of life. I am so grateful for the seasons that Eliot and I enjoyed Polly’s wonderful presence.

Happy Mother's Day Mom. Miss you and think of you often. And today was our first Mother's Day without you. It's strange and a bit sad to not be able to share this "holiday" with you. 
Love you,
Diane

(reposted from facebook site from April 12. 2020)
Poly was our dear friend and neighbor for almost 40 years. She was across the street when we moved to Fresno with our big, rambunctious family. She and her husband, Bill almost despaired as the van full of kids pulled into the driveway. We grew to be close sharing SuperBowl, Fourth of July fireworks, Christmas neighborhood parties and numerous birthday celebrations including my own 50th for which she and Bill performed an original song about the old days. They moved to Pismo Beach and we followed . Our relatives, my sister and brother in law shared a place in the Pismo Senior Mobile Home park and just about each time we were there, we visited with Poly and Bill and then when Bill passed, Poly and other neighbors. We attended the Mosiac Festival with Poly and her son, Don and enjoyed numerous musical and gastronomic experiences. We met and enjoyed so much each of her children and their families. The last great adventure with Poly was a trip, this last September, to Northern Italy in the Lake Como region with her son, Doug Sleeter. We walked, dined, explored quaint little and some big villages , museums and spent much time just talking, relaxing together in our rented villa and sharing boat rides. The last time we saw Poly was a month before she died. We traveled from Northern California, visited Diana, her daughter, ate together with friends from the park and talked and shared fond memories of so many events in our lives. She seemed to be tired more often, but was still very present and vivacious, adventurous and so very Poly. We will miss her and share our thoughts and condolences with her family. Good bye, Poly.

My heart is full. Polly was my lifeline after moving from the Chicago area to the Central Coast. We met through a neighbor who knew her from Opera SLO meetings when Polly was looking for housing for visiting musicians. From that early introduction we played together all the time we were both in town--initially once a week, eventually a second time weekly with our clarinetist friend Steve. Over the years we bonded in so many ways, cooking, wine, attending concerts, performing a few actual gigs, and traveling together on the memorable trip to Ischia. Polly's generosity is only one of the ways she modeled for me a life well-lived. Her focus, follow-through, attention to detail, celebrating each moment, and even near her final days on earth caring for others, are all teaching moments for we who loved her. We carry her spirit with us.

I am so proud of Pauline using her exceptional organizational skills to live her last year of life to its fullest. And to leave this life in a way that she was in charge of. Polly had a life force that served her well in everything she did, and it is so gratifying to see that so many people were touched by knowing her. She was the reason I played flute when I was growing up because I knew that cousin Pauline played the flute so well. I know she will be missed by everyone in her family and all her friends. Good bye dear Pauline.

Polly is full of fun! She always had a hearty laugh and a very patient spirit. She played as a substitute in our Santa Maria Winds Quintet. We performed school concerts and different gigs together. She was a competent and lovely flute player. When able, I was a participant in her flute choir. She loved it when my students participated as well. We will miss her sweet smile and willingness to play in many different groups in our community. God has blessed us with being her friend!

Polly I probably met you as a young teen but we will miss you. My best to Donald, Doug and Diane . 

I am a part of Polly’s Flute Fun group and she is one of my heroes. She was always positive and encouraging and I admire how she embraced life and faced it head on. I am a better musician and a better human being for having known her. Although we will continue her group, Wednesday afternoons will never be the same.

I became acquainted with Polly 68 years ago in the Fresno High School band
where she played excellent flute and I, the trombone. A warm and caring
individual who became a good friend right away. She had what I call "soul."
We remained friends over the years while our lives went separate ways. But a vivid and meaningful memory often comes to mind of when she invited me to attend a Stravinsky concert in the meadow behind the Ahwanee Hotel in Yosemite (1968). I had accepted a company move to New York and would leave in a few days. That event and her empathy for my mixed emotions made an indelible impression that I have recalled and cherished over the years.

R.I.P. Polly. You were loved by many and will be missed immensely.
With this note also comes my heartfelt condolences for your family
and thanks to Doug for this memorial site.

Polly and I first got acquainted because of our mutual affection for Rebecca Sloan, who was at that time my piano teacher. Through Rebecca's long illness, Polly and I would meet at Festival Mozaic events and share stories about Rebecca. Our friendship grew after Rebecca's passing, and we continued to enjoy seeing one another at Festival Mozaic events. The Mexico City trip was definitely a highlight! Polly was always and ever cheerful, generous, gracious, and a thoroughly wonderful person. She will definitely be missed.

I remember sharing so many happy moments with Polly. She loved Festival Mozaic. I had boycotted the festival since it changed its name in 2008. But Polly invited me to come with her to a Notable Encounter Dinner and I was converted. We shared our love for the festival from then on. We also played chamber music together. She had the most incredible music library. She brought the music , her flute and sometimes a friend and I sightread the piano parts while she made it all make sense with her lovely flute. We had so many great afternoons making music. We had both been teachers, so we had many stories to share. We loved the music in our community and could count on seeing each other at the various concerts around town.
I will never forget the time Polly and I drove to the LA Opera to see Placido in
Nabucco, driving home that same night. We had to put the comedy station on my SiriusXM to keep us awake so we could make it home. Polly was such a good sport and a dear, dear friend! I will miss Polly and remember our adventures forever.

I have known Polly for over 30 years, I am a friend of her daughter and family. I always enjoyed seeing and visiting with Polly. I will miss seeing and talking with her at family gatherings and visiting with her at her house. I will really miss her. 
♥️♥️

My heart goes out to all of Polly's family and friends. We will all miss her, but she lit up our lives while we had her.

This is Diane, Polly’s daughter. First and foremost I want to thank my Mom for a wonderful lifetime of memories. So many times of inspirational people and music throughout my life!!
As a very small child I learned about symphonies and operas and got to experience the richness of music. It was my normal to have various flute students come into my home and be mentored and encouraged in their gifts. I listened through walls and listened through the years. It was really a great way to grow up!!
Mom loved getting to know people. She enjoyed the human experience and finding out what made someone “tick”. Finding passion in others gave her smiles.
She was the ultimate organizer. We all knew she had fun planning all kinds of get togethers - no matter what group she was in. Family celebrations came with special decorations or silly well thought out gifts for sure. You always felt well celebrated when your birthday or important days came by. 
She loved being active and engaged with her friends! Her travels were so very special. She would always come home and share her adventures with pictures and stories and something fun to laugh about.
She always looked forward. Was an inspiration to me to look forward and do my best. 

It’s so touching to read all of these stories. I really appreciate all the love she had in her life!

I got to know Polly during the last 10 years. She came to Santa Barbara to play in our chamber music workshop twice a year. Perhaps we played together 2 or 4 times. She was a fine musician and a great partner in the group. I loved her "straight up" attitude and ever-present sense of humor. I will miss her and her smile. Family members, please know she loved you dearly and spoke fondly of you all.

Polly (“PollyMom”) was a wonderful Mother-in-Law to me for the past 34 years. She always took the time to ask me how I was, to thank me, compliment me. She was a terrific mother to my husband and grandmother to my son Thomas. She was most definitely the grand matriarch of our extended family.
There are so many things I admired about her. She had incredible energy for life; she was lighthearted and quick to smile and laugh; she had talent and a deep love for music; she was incredibly generous; she showed courage in raising three kids as a single Mother; she was always curious and a lifelong learner; she had the ability to talk to anyone and engage in interesting conversation; she had great listening skills; she was an enthusiastic party planner; and more recently I learned what an incredible “documenter of people and life events” she was.

She has amazed all of us these past few years… living her life with gusto. Once she learned her cancer diagnosis, she focused on LIVING. Polly was a planner… and her final plans were executed with such GRACE and COURAGE. She will be sorely missed.

I knew Polly for many years through my sister, Sherrill and her husband, Doug, one of Polly's three children. My favorite memory of Polly was just last summer, hanging out with her and the other grandparents of Tom and Megan at their engagement party. Polly was hopeful about making it to their wedding despite her diagnosis and her spirits were high that day, she wasn't in too much pain. We sat by a fire and chatted and celebrated with a large circle of family who hung out later than most of the party. A little drinking was going on, all the grandparents posed for several photos I took with Tom and Megan. Polly really lived her life, she was a huge music lover and had done tours with a group as a flautist, she enjoyed them so much. She always remembered things about my life and what was going on with me and that always touched me. She loved all her children and grandchildren so much, she appreciated her blessed life. She will be missed. In my last text to her, I told her we would have a photo of her up at the wedding and that she would be remembered fondly. She wrote back with emojis-- 4 hearts and a face blowing a heart kiss. RIP Polly, your thoughtfulness will be remembered.

It is my privilege to be a member of Polly's Flute Fun group. . . and it is fun! We were so fortunate to have her open her home and organize our get-togethers each week. She was exceptionally thoughtful, making each of us feel welcomed and included. The friendships among all of us are blossoming thanks to her. Polly has definitely left a hole in my life, but she leaves a legacy of strength, enthusiasm, hope, love and positivity for all of us whose lives she touched .

Polly was a great mom to all "her kids".  I was fortunate to have such a caring, considerate and give-it-to-you-straight mama mentor. Her advice and wisdom was not always what you wanted to hear, but it was always what you needed to hear. 

I am a better person because Polly was a guiding light in my life. 

Hi everyone. Don here. Our family thanks everyone for the warm and loving kind words. I think we all love reading stories and sharing memories of Pauline-Polly-Mom (we've been hyphenating her name for years now) 

If anyone would like help uploading photos or entering into the website a story, tribute, or photo(s), please let me or Doug know. We can upload for you.

To contribute a tribute, story or photo(s), all you need is an email address and new password to get a "login" for this website. I trust forevermissed.com to be respectful of your/our privacy. For security reasons we need to login. Keeps spammers out.

By the way, this site will last "forever." I hear you wondering what Polly-Mom would say to that.

Thank you, Doug. I can't believe she is gone. I can't get her out of my mind. She was such a dear friend. Cheers to you!

From Mary-Louise (Baer) Peters:

Like Rochelle and Maynard, I went to school with Polly from kindergarten through high school and Fresno State. We were a wonderful group of friends who she called “Kindergarten Cuties.” Many times on Fresno High School reunion weekends, Polly entertained our College Elementary group in her Fig Garden home/back yard. Always a wonderful get together. We brought photo albums of our elementary school days and just enjoyed each other’s company. Polly had that wonderful talent to bring people together with her warm and welcoming personality. She will be missed by all of us.  Mary-Louise (Baer) Peters

From Rochelle Anixter, a childhood friend.

Dear Doug and Family. I am so sad to hear about your mother's passing. Polly was a month and a half younger than me. I remember her birthday, January 6th because it is the same day as my dad's birthday. Polly lived around the block from me on Yale in Fresno. We walked to school together from kindergarten though high school. 

My thoughts are with you and love too. 

Dear Polly in absentia,

You know how much I will miss you. We have known each other for almost 80 years, having gone to pre-school, elementary school, junior high and high school together. You were always one of my dearest friends. Here is a poem, just for you.

The spirit
of my dear friend
sails off
into the soft sunset.

Her destiny unknown.

A piece of my soul
sails off with her
her loss,
is my loss, too.

Bon voyage, dear friend. I hope I catch up with you soon. Much love.

Maynard

I will always remember the feeling of pure JOY that surrounded Polly- joy that permeated which ever room she was in. Her love of music and her fellow musicians blessed so many of us. She brought incredible talent and experience with her, and always made everyone feel loved, included, and important. I am so grateful for the time spent with her and will cherish my memories with her. I am happy to have some of her flute literature in my library. I will think of her each time I pull one of those pieces out. Requiem aeternam, sweet Polly. Et Lux perpetua!

Polly and me were High School class mates. We hooked up again a number of years ago when my sister discovered she lived in Pismo Beach a stones throw away from Arroyo Grande where she recently moved to. We attended along with some other folks mini class reunions and short trips together. I tried to set up a lunch date or drinks with her and my sis whenever I was in town visiting my sister. We had such a good time reminiscing (sp?). She was a super lady and I will miss her.

Polly became a wonderful, kind and generous friend during my student years at Fresno State College in the mid-1960s. I resided with her and her family for more than three years and was always treated as a member of the family. I remain very grateful for the genuine friendship shown me over the years by Polly, her husband, David, and children, Don, Doug, and Diane. I am very saddened by her passing away and will miss her very much.

I loved playing woodwind quintets with Polly. She was awesome! She always tried to recruit for her Ischia, Italy Music 'retreat'. She was also an ardent Words with Friends online player. She was very good at this too! Polly, I will miss your online presence, your flute playing, but mostly your joy!

I call Polly my "flute angel" because I met her on July 30th, 2019 when she rescued me from depression and loneliness. I stood next to her at the Office Max print shop and her music copy lead me to say, "that looks like a lot of fun." We discovered that we both played the flute and she invited me to her Flute Fun Group the following week. In addition it was Festival Mosaic week and she introduced me to this great group of musicians. She was an amazing woman and I'm blessed to have known her. She is forever in my heart.

If you ever lived at Hillsboro court, you had the pleasure of knowing and being with Polly. What a spirit to do so much and provide happiness and friendship.

from Sally and (Yvan) Albert

I remember meeting Polly so many times at your home- -your family summer parties, Christmas.  She always seemed so happy to be with her family and I enjoyed the many conversations that I had with her. I'm sure she will be missed.

Polly was a dear lady that always had a smile for everyone. I never heard her say a bad thing about anyone. Her love for life and joy was infectious. A true inspiration of a life well loved and lived. I miss her and send my condolences to her family and friends.

Sharon and I were so privileged to know and love Polly for 45 years. She was a great lady, and we will miss her all the rest of our lives.

My sweet, dear friend Polly Monson is playing her flute amongst the angels....I will miss and treasure you always...every time I play my flute (and turn on my clip fan!) I am so blessed to have had you in my life...