Our Friend Jeanne

My blog partners Gaff & Steve & I are remembering a good friend, fellow coach & co-worker this weekend. It would have been Jeanne's 53rd birthday had she not succumbed to cancer this past September after a long & hard 4-year battle. Jeanne was someone who preferred to work in the background & away from the limelight. She quietly took players aside & helped them one on one. If she were to see this article, her OCD would come out as she was a great proof-reader & always detected spelling errors for us. Gaff & Steve & their spouses helped Jeanne with home visits, doctor visits & bringing work to & from her house. The last time I had dinner with Jeanne I saw in her eyes that she knew the end was coming soon. When she was hospitalized for the last time Gaff, Steve & I were able to be with her, as well as her sister, friends & co-workers. Jeanne passed away surrounded by the people in her life who were important to her. I was told that her estate has helped her nieces & nephews with their education, something she would have been proud of. It's a melancholy weekend for those of us who miss her. Happy birthday, Jeanne! You are not forgotten.