Re: OT: My Mom

[Mark Sottilaro <sine@zerocrossing.net>]

I'm sorry Rick!  Bill!  Oh man.  You are lucky men, for sure.  My mom, 
while educated has no interest in music outside of "lite adult 
contemporary" and the like.  She's never supported my brother and my 
musical endeavors, and often hindered early attempts at our love for 
music by forbidding us to be in bands or have a small portable stereo 
in our room.  She did always keep a lot of books for us to read (she's 
a librarian and dad's a school teacher) so we had that, but it was 
always a tough road.  I won't say I feel your pain, but I can imagine 
how it must hurt.

Mark Sottilaro

On Sunday, May 25, 2003, at 09:03 AM, Rick Walker/Loop.pooL wrote:

> Dear Everyone at Loopers Delight,
>
> I realize that you all have in a very palpable way have become part of 
> my
> family, so I wanted to share this with you:
>
>
> My Mom.
>
> My mother was always a firebrand. From as young as I can remember she 
> always
> had an idealistic cause that she fought for.    She had a razor sharp
> intellect and was highly educated.  She didn't suffer fools gladly, 
> but she
> always had a strong sense of morality
> and the fact that it is a relative thing in this world.
>
> She taught my brother and sister and I to care about people and to 
> guard and
> nurture a strong sense of optimism about the world, even as crazy and
> hopeless as it sometimes seems.   She taught us to try to love and at 
> least
> understand and have compassion (when that wasn't possible) for all 
> people,
> no matter what their circumstances.
>
> She championed education and was, at various times, a teacher, a 
> chemist and
> a homemaker. She urged us not to let institutions of learning hold us 
> back
> from the true passion of learning and was a voracious reader and a 
> great
> lover of art and music (having played drums and violin as a
> kid)...............especially her beloved Opera (a form of music that I
> ironically never shared a passion for).    She frequently read a book 
> a day
> as I was growing up.
>
>   If you have ever appreciated the work that Bill and I have done or 
> the
> dedication we have had to our community (both in Santa Cruz and here at
> Loopers Delight) you have to thank my mother.................really!.
>
>  Bill had a constant looping gig (yeah, they DO exist, believe it or 
> not) at
> a local classy restaurant.   My mom went to every gig he played there 
> and
> could always be seen
> nibbling on a desert and taking pictures of the performance.
>
>   She constantly chronicled and championed our music careers and always
> encouraged us to follow our hearts and to stay supportive of one 
> another.
> We owe so much to her.
>
> My beloved mother,  Mary Lee Jensen/Walker passed away this last week.
>
>  She was sharp as a tack up until a surgery and she felt no pain 
> afterwards.
> She was at peace with herself; dearly loved and supported by her 
> children
> and family and had no fear of death, which is an unbelievable 
> blessing.  I
> only hope that we will all be so lucky when our time comes.
>
> Bill, Allee, and I and all our loving partners (Nancy, Ken and Chris) 
> will
> miss her more than we can possibly say.
>
> She was one of the good ones.
>
>
> sadly yours,
> Rick Walker
>
>
>