ForeverMissed
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Her Life

MODEL FOR PAID DEATH NOTICE

April 15, 2012

Seen in a regional paper, DOD 4/2 and date of obit 3/14:

"Headline" [name of deceased and town of decease]

AURORA, Colo. — [name, age. town of decease] and formerly from [regional town near newspaper] died peacefully surrounded by her family, on Monday, April 2, 2012, at [place and town of decease].

 

This type of notice is primarily for the purpose of letting folks know where to send cards and/or seek local undertaker/official records/estate info.

 

~S~

Her Parents

April 13, 2012

Mom was preceded in death by Robert and Margaret Carpenter, who their grandkids always knew as "Bob and Margaret--" their preferred form of address.

Bob was a Dean at New Trier (I think the first NT before it spawned regional satellites). I alwayts remener himbienbg Dean of Faculty, but others recall hinm as Dean of the Englsih Department. I think he probabkly wore both hats at various times. I particularly recall how cool it wast ohave a grnadfather who vouod hget me into the New Trier pool anytuime he wanted, and he called me a waterbaby-- a name that still sticks. Bob was also awonderful host at Camp, here he would share his brothers, our uncles, upooin whom I reall each of us climinbg twith complete abnadaon any tiome we visited Camp. One of BOb';s favorite expressions, with twinkloing and dancing eyes and a deep voi=ce roaring in satire, "RUBBISH!"

Margaret was an early pioneer in being a career woman; during Mom's childhood she was a person of responsibility at Searle Co. (Skokie?). Margaret was not he person most fond of siummers at Camp, but I recall the side-by-side partner's desk she and Bob shared, in their comfortable Winnetka home, as a place any child would love to "pretend" from about their own eventual careers.

Carol and I enoyed many sleepvers in that Winnetka house, in what had been Mom's upper-story bedroom. It was a 2-room space probably originally an attic, from whcih we could hear the commuter trains pass by right behind the house. Mom must have loved that room-- it was so HER. A sleeping room and a sitting room connected by a wide archway.

Boib abd margaert retired to a lovely small home in Florida, where Margaret fought a long battle wioth breast cancer to which she succumbned in 1979 a few monbths before Dave's birth. Bob fed me on Florida produce, congratulated me on pregnancy, someitmes confused me with Mom, and gave me the run of his pool and lanai as well as the master bedroom he had not used in years-- he had movced to another room to be next door to Margagert's sickroom, where she was still a pioneer-- in homecare and home hospice.

Before Margaret got so sick and Bob got so confused, they spent their retirement years at ballroom dance lessons and then cometitions. Her closet was stuffed with the most gorgeous ballgowns and wigs. Bob sonvtinued active in Rotary in Florida and was looked after (after I left) by loal friends. He eventually met a nice lady, Hila, who whe married and who our Mom always appreciated as a dear second mom..

Sorry for typos-- will edit later. Hope y'all can add/correct memorires of Bob and Margaert and the rest of the Clan.

~Susan

The Bookkeeper

April 13, 2012

Mom worked for many years for Dr. Robert Williams, a Northbrook orthodontist whose practice grew to include several locations. He recognized in her the calm and capable receptioninst who could becoamse his full-charge bookkeeper, based then in Chicago, as he expanded his business. He must also have shared with her the credit for the abundant success that it had.

Upon her retirement, she was tickled but somewhat shocked to learn how thoroughly his appreciation had been demonstrated in her "retirement plan." She often laughed about this (in amazement and gratitude) after she moved to California to continue supporting her family-- her REAL passion in life.

~S~