Happy Father's Day

I've been battling some sort of stomach bug for the past four days and I'm still putting in a bit of overtime at work. So to my father and father-in-law, your Father's Day cards will be a day or two late. To the both of you, thank you for all your support and patience. It has made me a better person.

I'm starting to figure out some of the concepts of the various technologies, but it's been a slow process. It's frustrating because I usually pick up programming languages and other technologies very quickly. I'm looking at the process as "short term pain for long term gain". The questionable part is defining "short term".

We're out of the monsoon season, but we are still getting enough rain so that I have not had to water anything but the pansy bowl in front and the impatiens in back. The mini glads have shot out of the ground, the daliahs and cannas are over a foot tall, and the mystery delphinium I moved earlier in the season is a deep purple. Lucy only bought true blue delphiniums so this one is courtesy of  a bird. All the shrub roses are in full bloom and the climbing rose is loaded. Lucy's lilies are looking better than ever. I'll be picking about a pint of blackberries in a couple weeks and five or six quarts of raspberries in early July. Lucy loved this time of year when everything was blooming and green. I'm sure she is happy her gardens are doing so well.

For those of you who can, give your father (or father figure) a big hug today. Trust me, they earned it!

Two months

Today marks two months since Lucy's passing.

It was another long day at work, and the indications are this is not going to get better for the next month.

Suzy was over tonight to pick up some magazines. It was nice seeing a friendly face today.

Happy birthday to Ardelle tomorrow.

Give your loved ones a hug tonight and make the hug meaningful.

The hurrieder I go, the behinder I get

Benjamin Franklin has wanted "Tempus Fugit" (time flees) as the motto of the united States, and had that motto placed on some of the Continental Congress coinage. Working extra hours shortens my week, of course. I swear about the time Silverlight starts making sense something else throws me for a loop. I know my brain is not functioning at anywhere near 100% which isn't helping. I keep blanking out on stuff that I know.

Minnesota Oncology sent a sympathy card that arrived on Monday. The post office screwed up delivery. It was very nice of them to do that. Lucy and I knew she got the best possible care from them.

There were three birthdays, Jane on the 6^th, John on the 7^th and Julie on the 8^th that I haven't properly acknowledged. Happy belated birthday to each of you.

The flower gardens are hitting their stride. I need to get a few more photos in the photo gallery. The Asian lilies are spectacular this year and the ancient and sickly peony actually bloomed. It looks like I'll get a pretty good crop of blackberries and raspberries and the string beans I am growing in containers on the deck look to be setting flower buds. Now that the monsoon season has ended, the lawn doesn't require twice per week mowing.

Lucy would be happy with the increased number of monarchs I am seeing. Monarchs had a huge population crash several years ago when a large wintering area for them got unseasonably cold and killed a few billion of them. The dragonflies are really busy and I'm seeing sphinx moths which almost look like hummingbirds. I have not seen a hummingbird yet this year, but I'm sure they are out there.

Wednesday will be two months since Lucy's passing. In some ways, it doesn't seem like it's been that long, yet in other ways, it seems like two million years.

The weather has cooperated nicely for the Twin Cities area as of late. It sounds like tomorrow night could bring some rain and possibly a few storms our way. The air conditioner has been getting a workout lately, too.

Give our loved ones a hug tonight and make it meaningful. You may be surprised at how much a good hug is appreciated, especially when they go from plentiful to scarce.

Today would have been our 24th anniversary

Our wedding day was unseasonably hot and the area was in a dry spell. June 4th is supposed to be around 77 for the high. I think we hit 94 that day, and we had an outdoor wedding. Despite people almost passing out from the heat and my brother Robert with a very painful sunburn, it was a perfect day.

Today went better than I thought it would. Reading everyone's comments before heading to work helped so much. Last night was actually tougher. Thank you everyone for thinking of me!

I left work at 4:30 (I was in at 6:15 this morning) and went to the cemetery to visit Lucy. The cemetery was supposed to have flowers placed for her today. I filled the paperwork out in late April, so they had their requisite one week advance notice. No flowers. Cub Foods is about two miles away, so I went there and picked up a nice summer arrangement. Lucy enjoyed monarch butterflies in our backyard, so finding this bouquet was perfect. One of my (numerous) quirks is when I would get flowers for Lucy, I ensured that at least part of the arrangement was something we did not have in our gardens. The Gerber daisies fit that criteria. I sent a fax to the cemetery asking what happened and insisting on a refund.

It's about 6:20 pm CDT as I write this, which is the earliest I have managed a posting since I started work (at least on a weekday). Thank you again for thinking of me today! I wish I could adequately express how much it helps.

The last minute bouquet from Cub Foods (the monarch is a decoration, not a real one).

Thank God for friends

I had a really great Memorial Day weekend. The work week got long. I like the company, I like my co-workers, my bosses are great, but we're on a very aggressive product timeline and I'm trying to contribute without slowing everyone else down. I spent seven hours in the office Saturday to get as much behind schedule stuff done as I could. I've learned quite a bit of stuff these past three weeks, but I have only begin to scratch the surface. For a new hire to be successful, you have to endure some short-term pain to get long-term gain.

Today was an example of where friends come in. I got to catch up a bit during a large landscaping job with a friend I hadn't seen in about fifteen years, though we've exchanged emails and IMs through the years. It's funny how we picked up as if the last time we had seen each other was last week. That's the most wonderful part about long-time friends. Thanks, Kell! It was nice meeting her husband, Darren, and seeing her daughter, Amanda, too.

Tomorrow is going to be a tough day. It would have been our 24^th wedding anniversary. I'll be going to work tomorrow and start hammering away on a fairly complex project I'm a week behind on. It sounds like thunderstorms are forecast for tomorrow afternoon and evening, so I might not get to the cemetery, either. Lightning seems to like the cedar trees near Lucy's grave. I think she'd rather wait for me to join her from natural causes rather than from ten billion joules running through me (and yes, I had to Google that piece of trivia). We normally would go to Don Pablo's or Romano's Macaroni Grille for dinner, especially since our anniversary falls on a weekday and we both have to get up early the day after. My guess is many people thought we were a boring couple, but we enjoyed spending time together. That was our gift to each other: time spent together. It meant more than anything we could buy. We had to share our week with work, but we tried to spend as much time together during our weekends. They were precious to us.

It's been nearly two months since Lucy died. I know I'm slowly healing and I hope the others who love her are feeling some healing, too. She was a very special woman. As I wrote in her eulogy, it took time for me to get the courage to ask her out. The more I got to know her, the more it seemed right. I wanted to be sure that I wasn't getting my hopes up only to find she didn't feel the same towards me as I did towards her. It seriously damaged a wonderful friendship decades ago when I saw what I wanted to believe, and I didn't want to go through that again.

Perhaps that's why I remember so many seemingly trivial details about our relationship. Our first kiss took awhile because I didn't want to mess up a good thing. I could see how happy she was when we were together and it took a bit to be sure I was the one making her happy. So much for my above average observation powers, eh? I believe that no opportunity should be wasted, but some opportunities require more care than others, none moreso than l'affaires de cœuer. (If I butchered the French, it's been about 35 years since I ran through a French Berlitz class. My Spanish and Latin and slipping badly and I have totally forgotten what little Norwegian and Danish I knew.)

I'm grateful for those of you who read this blog. I have no idea what the future holds for me. Some of you have lost a spouse and have found love again. Perhaps that is in my future, but Lucy will always be special to me no mater what. Some of you are in long term relationships and/or marriages, and my hope is your happily ever after lasts for many more years. Others are battling health issues, or being a caregiver for a loved one, with a great deal of dignity, good humor, and courage, and I hope your battle is fought on your terms. Some of you have loved ones serving in the military and are enduring a long separation, and I hope your loved one returns safely so you can keep going with your happily ever after.

The common thread is that love gets us through life. Love is a priceless blessing that someone shares with you. I find inspiration, strength, peace and hope in each of you. Thank you for sharing that with me.

Memorial Day 2012

My trip back from Luverne last night was an adventure. I was delayed in Worthington for almost 30 minutes because of a hail storm (no visible damage to the car). Then I was delayed for about 20 minutes near Jackson because of horizontal torrential rain. The next delay was from Fairmont to Alden because of high winds and wet highways. At least I missed the storm that hit the Twin Cities because it had wound down by the time I pulled into my driveway. It took almost two hours longer than usual, but it was worth it.

After a few hours dealing with a work issue this morning, I went to Dawn Valley for their Memorial Day service. I wound up walking about a half mile to the cemetery, but got to drive in a little later. The service was very touching and I spent some time with Lucy while I was there. At least I was smart enough to bring Kleenex this time.

My dad's side of the family has a number of generations that served in the military here in the US and back in the "old country" (Norway). I entered college as the Viet Nam war ended and got to know a number of veterans, and was shocked at how despicably they were treated by society at the time. It was bad enough that many of them were drafted. They got forced to serve, then got treated like garbage when they get back. No wonder there were many who suffered greatly after coming home.

Because of surgery on my left ankle (and not because of my left hand) I had a medical deferment. It was a moot point because the draft ended 28 days after my 18^th birthday. While I couldn't serve, I am very appreciative of those who did serve, either by draft or volunteering. To the veterans reading this, thank you so much for your service.

Julie G. invited me to a BBQ tonight. Suzy and Bob were also there. I was so fortunate to be able to spend time with both my families this weekend. There is nothing like good food, lots of laughter, and hugs to lift one's spirits. I am really blessed by having them in my life. It's going to be a really busy week in the office, so this weekend was a great pick-me-up.

Thank you for your support, for giving your time to reading this blog, and for keeping Lucy's memory alive.

Cacti in Minnesota? You betcha!

Prickly pear cactus are native to a small area in southwestern Minnesota. This stand is growing right outside my parents' front door. Blue Mounds State Park has prickly pears growing throughout the park. I was too early to see them bloom this year.

Even more rain is supposed to be rolling in tonight. The forecast is for 1" - 2" tonight, then fairly decent weather tomorrow. Perhaps this will start drying out. I've had 7.7" of rain this month already. That's close to 4" above "normal".

Even though it was a quick trip, it was nice to get away for the weekend. I think the last time I had a weekend away from home, excluding Lucy's hospitalizations, was in August.

Tomorrow is Memorial Day. Dawn Valley is having an open house and they are doing a Memorial Day service. Please remember why Memorial Day occurs, and as always, give your loved ones some extra attention tomorrow.

Almost ready to bloom!

Lucy's monument

It rained heavily today. My electronic rain gauge quit transmitting after 2.33". We set a rainfall record of 2.58" today. The rain actually started about 10:00 pm last night, so we wound up with 3.39" total. There may be more on the way later tonight into tomorrow late morning. The rain quit in Eden Prairie about 1:30 and moved out of Bloomington by 3:00. That must have been when her monument was placed.

I hope to get back and visit my folks this weekend. It's been awhile since I visited my brother Robert's grave in Albert Lea. I'll make a trip to the cemetery on my way to Luverne. With the 10 hour days at work right now, it will be a short trip home. I'll need Monday to get household chores done.

Have a dry night!

I wanted the full dates for her birth and death but that supposedly wasn't possible with the new design.

And the forecast calls for rain

Remember all the weather folks in the Twin Cities bemoaning the drought ad nauseum? We're not hearing too much about that anymore. Some areas are going to get over 3" of rain tonight. I've been treated to a pretty good sound and light show (thunder and lightning). Everything is green and lush. I think I'll be picking blackberries in two weeks and raspberries in about four weeks. Neither apple tree bloomed this year, though.

I got to meet my cousin Julie at Jake's City Grille in Eden Prairie after work. It was nice catching up a bit. I needed the decompression time. The garlic burger was very good. As we were leaving because of the impending deluge, "Second Chance" started playing as the background music. The rain even held off until I got home.

Apparently the bronze vases at the local cemeteries are getting stolen by the hundreds.  Just a couple years ago, the bronze grave markers for veterans were getting stolen for scrap. One has to be a particularly vile low life to steal from the dead.

Remember to give your special someone a hug tonight.

Garden photos finally

I finally have some May garden photos uploaded. The link should open a new window. Comcast is playing with bandwidth throttling, so it will be a touch on the slow side.

There does not seem to be any hail damage from a couple nights ago. The tree rats are doing more damage to the planters than the hail did. So much for my bluebonnets. It is supposed to rain the next couple days so the surviving planters will be happy.

The cemetery has annuals planted in the garden across the driveway from Lucy. The petunias are cheery.

 Have a great evening and let your loved ones know they are special.

The annuals garden at Dawn Valley

There may not have been much hail, but it was backed with some strong wind.

The hail with it!

May seems to be popular for weddings

In addition to Mike and Sarah's wedding tonight, I found out a friend of mine got married last week. A belated congratulations to Kelly and Brad! Tonight's wedding was huge. I thought Mike was kidding when he said about 400 guests were invited. There were probably close to 450 people there.

Today was not a fun day to drive from Edcen Prairie to St. Paul. What should be about a 25 minute drive turned into close to two hours. The weather was warm, the Twin Cities set a record high of 93°F today, but there should not have been THAT many cars stalled out. Maybe the 10-15% ethanol we're required to have in our gasoline is causing vapor lock. In addition, St. Paul decided to close just about anything that was paved. I-94 was closed, there was a lane closure in I-35E. The main thing is I made it.

Work is going OK. I'm figuring out how things go together in Silverlight and C#.NET hasn't been too onerous yet. I'm already working on a live project and moving forward on it.

With all the love in the air, please take time to let your loved ones know you love them.

Congratulations Mike & Sarah

I will be attending their wedding tomorrow night in St. Paul if (a) I'm not stuck at work really late and (b) the dreaded orange barrel season hasn't choked off the thoroughfares down to hiking paths. There is some irony in attending someone's wedding after losing my spouse. Life keeps moving with or without us. Lucy and I were softies for newlyweds. We hoped they would have as much joy in their marriage as we had in ours.

Tomorrow might be our first 90°F day of the season here in Bloomington. Today's rain fizzled out after a few drops. Our next chance of rain is the whole weekend.

Since I work in Eden Prairie now, my commute takes me with a mile of Lucy. It's nice that I get chances to visit her.

The bald eagles are out in force today. I saw one in Eden Prairie and three in Bloomington, We also have about a dozen turkey buzzards soaring along the Minnesota River south of me.

I hope to get some pictures of Lucy's gardens this weekend. Perhaps the weekend won't be a total washout.

Thank you for thinking of me and for keeping Lucy's memory alive by reading this. It really does mean a lot to me.

One month

Today marks one month since Lucy passed away. My parents and I went to breakfast, then stopped by the cemetery to visit Lucy. They left about 10:30 this morning.

I saw my first monarch butterfly today. Lucy enjoyed butterflies and hummingbirds. The painted lady butterflies have been around for well over a month, but Lucy would be excited seeing the first monarch of the season.

Late this afternoon, I heard a fox yipping and barking. My guess is a pair is scouting locations for a den. It was this time last year a male and female were in the neighborhood.

The gardens really kicked into gear now that the weather has warmed up again and the rain has stopped for a few days. OK, so the fool living southwest of me is watering his back yard and then will gripe loudly and profanely about the mosquitoes. You would think that over five inches of rain  the first ten days of the month would adequately moisten the soil down several inches. I know the ground clumped when I was planting glad bulbs today at a depth of four inches.

I had planted dahlias a couple weeks ago and they have sprouted. The string beans in the hanging planters are about an inch long now. All the blue flax is in full bloom and the white flax is starting to bloom. Lucy would be happy with her gardens right now.

I'm behind on getting garden pictures taken and uploaded. The upcoming week is going to be incredibly busy, but I hope to squeeze in some time for photos. It is supposed to be in the 80's almost the entire week, although Friday into Saturday looks stormy and sticky.

Happy Mother's Day to everyone! One of my blessing is my mother is still alive. Lucy had lost her mother in August. This would have been her first Mother's Day without her mother. Now they are together.

Thank you for your time, and please take time to count your blessings. You have more than you think!

Lucy was my rock

Lucy is in her final resting place today. Her inurnment service was at 1:00 this afternoon. The weather was beautiful and Rev. Naumann did an outstanding job at the service.

After my brother died fifteen years ago, Lucy and I made the decision that we would be cremated after we left this world. We had visited Dawn Valley Memorial Park a couple times while doing family history research around ten years ago. Lucy had commented how much she liked Dawn Valley.

We both loved the outdoors. Lucy had gathered some interesting rocks through the years which we have incorporated into our landscaping. When I was looking for a resting place for us, the boulder gardens were a unique feature. It was very appropriate. Lucy was my rock.

The boulder below is the one we will be sharing eternity. Lucy gets the right side, just as she did at home. The marker will be ready in about six weeks.

Our final resting place

She is the farthest from our neighbors, is in the highest spot, and has the best view. There is a nature preserve close by. I saw red wing blackbirds, Canadian geese, goldfinches, and cardinals, and heard bluebirds and robins before the service.We are close to a pond, marsh, trees including pines, a grassy area, and a flower garden. It's very peaceful and I know Lucy would have selected the same spot.

We are the boulder at bottom right. The three rocks behind us are decoration; the rose quartz is stunning.

Be sure to tell your loved ones how much you love them tonight.

"Nights are Forever Without You"

The England Dan and John Ford Coley hit from the mid 1970's pretty much sums up how I am holding up right now. I'm finally managing to get close to a full night's sleep without waking up every couple hours. I know the sleeping will get better. Right now I'm trying to get a lot of the administrative stuff done before I start my new job. The challenge of the new job will also contribute to some insomnia, but that will abate when I start contributing and earning my keep.

Lucy wanted me to move forward. I've been trying to do many of the things Lucy and I would do together: walks, gardening, household chores, grocery shopping. It's strange coming up from the basement office and not seeing her in her glider rocker watching TV or reading; that was always a good time to do something incredibly ridiculous to get her to laugh. When we would go for our almost nightly walks, I would get her smiling or laughing a couple times; now it's a quiet time to reflect. Gardening was semi-serious business for us and we enjoyed doing it; it still is enjoyable. I would help Lucy with household chores, though I was usually relegated to yard duty; I have a much deeper appreciation for single mothers now since they do so much on their own. We both hated grocery shopping though I would try to lighten things up; now it's a task to get done.

For those who have asked, I am eating properly. I dropped a lot of weight mostly because Lucy and I changed our diets to help her cancer battle. I'm still down almost 70 pounds and intend to keep it off. I had bought a suit about four years ago for a sales presentation. I showed Lucy's siblings how it no longer fit "Biggest Loser" style. The pants nearly went around me twice.

I had a friend tell me a long time ago that just because you no longer cry for someone doesn't mean you no longer love them. What happens is as the sadness and sorrow diminish, happy memories fill in those spots. I'm already finding that out firsthand. Love conquers sorrow.

It's everyone's kindness that is helping so much right now. Thank you Ginger for sending a nice sympathy card and note today. Thank you Julie for calling to see how I was doing and for getting me to laugh a little. Thank you Cathy from GBS taking time from your hectic schedule to allow me to pick up Lucy's belongings at work Each of those acts is deeply appreciated.

So here's hoping for some rare events in the near future: rainless days in May and the Twins winning some ballgames. Let your loved ones know you love them, and thank you for your time.

So today's NOT Mother's Day

After wishing Suzy and Julie a happy Mother's Day, I realized I was a week early. At least I didn't mail my mother her card yet.

After another major soaking today, I think we can say we're out of the drought. The storm that rumbled through at about 2:00 am and ended by 2:45 am dumped 1.42" of rain and some pea sized hail. There doesn't appear to be any garden damage, but that might take a couple days to show up.

Lucy knew about my new job. I had interviewed on March 20th and we found out the next day that Lucy's battle turned significantly worse. I called them to turn down the position. Later that day I heard back they would hold the job open while Lucy needed me.

I had promised Lucy I would take care of some tasks for her this year. The basement steps are almost fully painted and my back and knees are letting me know it. That was on hold because I didn't want to expose her to paint fumes. Even low odor paint with no Volatile Organic Chemicals (VOCs) still off gases as it dries.

So even though it's not Mother's Day, give your mom a hug anyway. She's earned it.

"The Sky is Crying"

Lucy's MP3 player has about 1,400 songs on it (all legal, of course). One of them, Stevie Ray Vaughn's "The Sky is Crying" seems appropriate today. My backyard picked up 1.11" of rain since midnight, and 1.46" since the yesterday. The Twin Cities metro area was about 5" behind on rain. I don't see any standing water despite all the rain. I also haven't seen any state birds (mosquitoes)...yet. I swear the Siberian irises have scuba gear on now.

The garden planting is almost complete despite the downpour. The garden work has been very therapeutic for me.Lucy and I would eagerly await the arrival of gardening weather. It gave us some wonderful quality time together through the years.

It's been a tough week dealing with the administrative minutiae that needs to be done once a person dies. With the exception of one local financial institution, everyone I have dealt with has been sympathetic and helpful. Lucy and I tried to cover all the bases to minimize the hoop-jumping for the surviving spouse, but it's still tough

Most of you know I start a new job on May 14th. I'll be working in Eden Prairie as a Sr. Software Engineer for a company that is growing quickly but intelligently. The job is going to be demanding and I'll need to be as close to 100% as I can be when I start. That's why I'm trying my best to get the administrative stuff done so quickly.

Thank you again to everyone who has called, emailed, or visited. Words cannot describe how you have helped me.

An unexpected gift

I am still receiving sympathy cards. Yesterday's mail also included a card and memorial candle from Fairview Hospice. They will call me tomorrow with information about purchasing additional candles.

Lucy enjoyed dahlias and lilies. Yesterday before the storm hit, I planted four dinnerplate dahlias, two canna lilies and nine Oriental lilies. I'm also going to take another whack at growing morning glorys around the arbor near her rose garden. Like last year, I'll be planting borage, cardinal flax, and bluebonnets. I know I'm running about a month late on some of the seeds. Now we're getting into a rainy period. Yesterday saw ¾" of rain which helped put a dent in the drought we have been in since July of last year. Here's hoping we don't get a hatching of mosquitoes to go with the rain.

Give your loved ones a hug from me tonight.

The Hospice memorial candle

Another tribute

Lucy's brother, Steve, just sent a very touching tribute tonight.

Memories are all I have now of my oldest sister Lucy. I remember Lucy took immaculate care of whatever she owned when we were growing up. Whether it be her Western Flyer bicycle or her 1st purchased car, a 1974 vinyl top Buick, and to all the other cars she owned, they were well taken care of. I guess that carried through the rest of her life as she took care of her home, her gardens, and her husband Ken. A wonderful trait to have.

Her listening ear will be greatly missed. When our Mom started having medical issues, Lucy was readily available to listen to me and give input if I were doing the right thing to see Mom was getting the best care. Lucy was unable to visit our mother when she was ailing due to the fact Lucy was beginning her battle with cancer.  Even though Lucy was going to doctor visits and chemo treatments, she made it to our childhood home to clean it out before our putting the house on the market after Mom died and Dad was relocating to Burnsville.  Just seeing her with us during this closing chapter in our lives brought much comfort to me.

I have fond memories of going on bike rides with Lucy.  Those carefree summer days of growing up are still vivid in my memories. As teenagers, we would pack up the family car and go to the family cabin on Lake Vermilion or a beach at Lake Leander for the day. Another fun memory is when we were in our late teens and stayed with our relatives in Princeton. We once drove to Ridgedale and spent the day shopping with what little money we had back then.  I could depend on Lucy to be my co-pilot in our travels.

Lucy’s battle with cancer was a reinforcement to me that life is so fragile and to live each day fully. We can never turn back the clock of time but can only move forward as Lucy would want us to do.  Her presence on this earth will be missed but the gentle wind on a summer morning or the beauty a flower will remind me of my dear sister who rests in Peace.

I will miss you, Lucy, until we meet again.

Your brother,

Steve Honkanen

Tributes, day three, and the blog will go on

Today is the last of the tributes from Lucy's funeral. Some were from people who could not attend the funeral but wanted to share their memories. I am so thankful to everyone who took the time to write a tribute.

The blog will continue on because Lucy's story is not done. Thank you for sticking with me through this tough time.

Please accept my deepest sympathies on your loss, and also accept my thanks for the time and inner strength it took to share Lucy’s journey with us on your blog. Your notes always helped friends and colleagues to keep up with both the good and the bad.

Lucy was an important part of our team at Gallagher and will be greatly missed for many reasons.

Anyone who knew Lucy knows that she was not afraid of hard work and was incredibly dedicated to her clients and colleagues.  After her initial surgery and diagnosis back in 2010, she was very anxious to get back to work and focus on moving past the health challenge.

Lucy’s quiet determination to beat this thing served as an inspiration to us all.  No matter what was going on or whatever set-back was being faced.  Her inner strength was just incredible as she would take time off, have a surgery or chemo treatment, and then come back to work like nothing was amiss.

Being compensation people and consultants, we like numbers and quantifiable relationships. Here is my take on Lucy:  Determination + Strength + Dependability + Grace + Smile = Lucy

I know that Lucy will be an Angel for you, watching and helping you as best she can.

God bless you, Lucy.  We miss you.

Scott Hamilton
National Managing Director
HRadvantage, a division of Gallagher Benefit Services, Inc.

I am thankful for the opportunity to have known Lucy and be part of her journey for a short time. Her courage and determination to beat cancer was amazing.  Being part of the Ovarian Cancer 5K walk/run with her and Ken in September 2011 was an inspiring experience.  All of us at Gallagher were anxious to have her win her battle even though it slowly became more apparent that this was not to be the case.  Thank you for sharing through Journey of the Teal Owl.  I will miss Lucy very much. 

Cathy Johnson

Manager, Technology & Operations

Gallagher Benefit Services, Inc.

I worked with Lucy for more than seven years and only really got to know her in these last two years. What I will miss most about Lucy is her smile and her positive attitude. She was a quiet person but I found as I got to know her she was very willing to have a conversation and they often ended with smiles and laughter. I don’t think I ever heard Lucy complain, whether it was about her job or her health. I will personally miss her, and our team will too.

Karen Pielow
Area Senior Vice President, Client Services & Operations
Gallagher Benefit Services, Inc.