Tuesday, December 3, 2024
Shirley,
I've been thinking about some of the good things Mel did for me when I was young. Here's three: I loved to read and he gave me just the right books to match my interests, hard-cover books, at that. One year I was enthralled with a song on the radio (and probably the singer, too) and he surprised me with the record. When I was waiting to leave for my first high school dance, he took my hand, twirled me around in a circle and gave me a nice complement - I forget what he said, though, it's been sixty years! I'm grateful he was my big brother.
Since I can remember, he pronounced my name in a unique way and I can still hear him say it. That feels good, too. David and Geoff want me to add that he made a great brother-in-law and uncle, full of good stories and fun!
With sympathy and love until we're together on Friday,
Iyla, David and Geoff Ottoson
