Michael passed away October 22, 2009, in Pacifica, California, surrounded by his children, daughter-in-law and me, all except one daughter and son-in-law still in Germany. He left the earth where I'd met him 28 years before at an LDS Church Halloween dance, in Pacifica. We were married a year later on December 11, 1982. We each brought a five-year-old daughter to the marriage and two sons were born to us in 1983 and 1985. We lived in San Francisco in an apartment on Parnassus Avenue, 17th Avenue, and a house on Santiago Street before saving enough for a down payment on a lovely home in Concord, California. It was all I'd prayed for: 3 bedrooms, 2 baths, almost 1600 square feet, fireplace, lots of closet space, yards, good neighbors, and even a pool down the street. In the nine years we've lived in Concord Michael has made no less than 57 improvements on our home. We've lived here 1/3 of our married life together, dancing at outdoor concerts day and night, at weddings, and Church dances. He became the cook and even grocery-shopper for us. We camped at Mt. Shasta every summer with or without our children from 2001 to 2008 including two trips to Crater Lake and Lewiston, California, we hiked Mt. Lassen, and camped at other camp sites before then. We camped on Bainbridge Island to attend the golden wedding anniversary party of Don and Bev in July 2004. We took three major trips together the last three years: a cruise to Catalina Island and Ensenada in 2006, a cruise to Inside Passage in Alaska in 2008, and finally in 2009 a two-week vacation in Paradise--Oahu, Hawaii. Today is my birthday and I'm remembering the traditions my husband made for me to make it special. He celebrated his 57th birthday on October 18 in Tijuana surrounded by the same children and me who were with him his last moments on earth. To my recollection he never once complained during his last year throughout all manner of trials. His last words: "Oh, come on!"
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