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<\/a>My dear husband, Alan, passed away on Friday.\u00a0 He has had a tough year, diagnosed with early Alzheimer’s, tongue cancer, c diff, COVID, hospitalization for a second bout of c diff, and heart rhythm problems. \u00a0Yet through all of that he kept an upbeat attitude and his wonderful sense of humor. In February he had successful surgery on his tongue, but oral cancers are usually aggressive and by mid-July he began having problems swallowing.\u00a0 On July 19th a scan showed the cancer had recurred and there was wide-spread metastasis.\u00a0 No further treatment was possible.\u00a0 He went into Hospice on July 25th and died July 28th.<\/p>\nIndulge me in writing a bit about him.\u00a0 He was born in the Philippines just prior to the outbreak of WWII; his father was a Scottish businessman stationed in Manila.\u00a0 When the war broke out, Alan, his parents and brother were all interned in a Japanese prisoner of war camp.\u00a0 It was as grim as you might imagine, in the end living on one cup of rice for the family and sheltered only in a lean-to shanty. They were rescued in February 1945 and chose to immigrate to the United States.\u00a0 They settled in Pasadena, California, where Alan grew up and was involved in sports, achieved Eagle Scout rank and according to his mother, excelled in creating general mayhem.\u00a0 He always had a twinkle in his eye and an ability to schmooze that served him well over the years.\u00a0 His profession was in marketing for large commercial insurance companies, and he was well-suited to the job.<\/p>\n
He was a loving, devoted dog dad to Dash the Wonder Dog.\u00a0 In fact, I coined the “wonder dog” name because for 20 years Alan did not want a dog.\u00a0 When he finally relented and we got Dash, Alan became putty in his paws.\u00a0 In almost every photo I have of him he is holding Dash.\u00a0 They created a special bond and Dash turned an indifferent pet owner into a complete sap.\u00a0 Dash truly did wonders for him, especially during his trials this past year.<\/p>\n This is a very sad time for our family.\u00a0 Dash is confused and keeps looking for him, which breaks my heart.\u00a0 I know our lives will never be the same.\u00a0 But I have tried to look for bright spots along the way these past few days.\u00a0 First, and most importantly, the whole family was able to fly here the weekend following his diagnosis to spend time with him.\u00a0 They were able to tell him how much they loved him, and he could do the same in return.\u00a0 He told Matt and Jake how proud he was of the young men they have become, and that is a gift they can treasure for the rest of their lives.\u00a0 He and I were able to spend time saying all the things we wanted to say to one another.\u00a0 He knew how much I loved him, and I know his wishes for me as I go forward.<\/p>\n The second gift was the friends who gave me support and comfort this past week. My friend Debbie brought me support in innumerable ways, not the least of which was being here when the hospice transport came, and Alan left the house for the last time.\u00a0 My friend Marge drove down from Idaho in hopes of saying goodbye to Alan.\u00a0 After a two-day drive she arrived at our house at the exact moment they were transporting Alan to hospice.\u00a0 She went with me to hospice each day and to the mortuary to make final arrangements.\u00a0 My niece Shelley came up from Tucson for a day to spend time with me and give me a much-needed hug.\u00a0 I am so blessed to have such a loving family and friends, all of whom have offered support and love, both in person and from afar.<\/p>\n I am also grateful for the way in which he passed.\u00a0 It was not sudden, nor was it drawn out.\u00a0 He had the opportunity to tell all of us how much we meant to him, and he heard how much we all loved him.\u00a0 Not everyone gets that experience at the end of their life.<\/p>\n I stumbled on this phrase from Ram Dass a few months ago that struck a chord then and has resonated a lot this week:<\/p>\n Sharing our love and our gifts Rest in Peace, my sweet angel Alan.\u00a0 It has been my privilege to walk you home.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" By Suzanne Sparrow Watson My dear husband, Alan, passed away on Friday.\u00a0 He has had a tough year, diagnosed with early Alzheimer’s, tongue cancer, c diff, COVID, hospitalization for a second bout of c diff, and heart rhythm problems. \u00a0Yet … read more![\"\"](\"https:\/\/fromabirdseyeview.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/Wendy-and-Colin-300x185.jpg\")
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<\/a>Alan had two children he adored: a son, Colin and a daughter, Wendy.\u00a0 He considered Wendy’s husband, Steve, to be like a son. Alan loved being a “Grandpa” to Wendy’s two boys, Matthew and Jake.\u00a0 They held a treasured place in his heart and they had him wrapped around their tiny fingers from the moment they were born.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/fromabirdseyeview.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/USC-300x226.jpg\")
<\/a>He explored many hobbies over the years, but in 1990 began playing golf and in it he found his passion.\u00a0 When he retired, he spent a lot of time playing, but he also enjoyed practicing.\u00a0 He was a true “range rat”.\u00a0 He visited the PGA Superstore so often that I once suggested he get a job there. He loved watching hockey, particularly the Montreal Canadiens and the Washington Capitals.\u00a0 But mostly he was a rabid USC football fan.\u00a0 And I mean a fan.\u00a0\u00a0<\/em>Every fall he asked me to mark the SC games on the calendar and woe be to me if I scheduled any social engagements that conflicted.\u00a0 Our friends would gently suggest that there was such a thing as a DVR, but Alan insisted (and I kind of agreed) that nothing beats watching sports live.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/fromabirdseyeview.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/summer-2022-192x300.jpg\")
<\/a>I know I have a difficult road ahead of me, but I am trying to be grateful for the time we had together.\u00a0 Next month we would have celebrated 36 years of marriage.\u00a0 Many years ago, someone asked me why I thought Alan and I were so happily married, and I told her that he made me laugh every day.\u00a0 I think that was our “secret sauce”, as no matter how irritated we might get over something, we always ended up making each other smile.<\/p>\n
\nWith any who join us on our roam,
\nEnlightenment comes to let us know
\nWe Are Just Walking Each Other Home.<\/p>\n