Mom was 62 when the symptoms of Alzheimer's were noticed. She was tested and found to have Mild Cognitive Impairment, a form of early-onset Alzheimer's (ALZ, form of Dementia). She continued to provide services within her Marriage & Family practice, which was thriving - but with increasing difficulty. The following year, with ALZ progression, she was forced to retire.

For the next several years, the disease savagely erased Rebecca's memories, then almost all of her abilities... taking everything from her, and from us. By 2020, she was the equivalent of a toddler. However, we still had fleeting moments of her love and bright smile... we lived for them.

In February 2021, we made the very difficult decision to move Rebecca to a memory care facility in Stockton, CA. The staff immediately fell in love with her, giving her dignity and care, plus the space to walk endlessly around the grounds in safety (she loved to walk). There were still some good times, but we did not expect her time to be so short. Steadiness became a serious issue, and she suffered 4 falls within her last year. The final fall, on July 5th, being the worst. Early that day, Brianna and I had taken her to get her nails & hair done, then a nice lunch with the family - complete with pancakes. Our hearts were happy; so many smiles and love shared with her. That night, we got a call that she had fallen again. After a long night in the ER, Xrays showed a broken hip, requiring surgery. Hopeful for recovery, the fall and surgery had taken their toll...quick progression and decline followed. Rebecca passed away the morning of August 18th. I was holding her hand, playing music for her. "Just the Way You Are" by Billy Joel (one of our favorites) had come on, I was singing to her as she took her last breath and slipped away peacefully. A precious moment I hold in my heart forever.