The loss of a dear old friend...

Those of you who know where I lived before the current address, know how amazing the setting was. 

I was looking to get out of a musty, squirrel infested ceilings, basement apartment and came across an add in the local paper for a small 2 bedroom apartment for rent. So I called and went to check it out.

This was the first time that I met Ollie and Lita. A wonderful older couple who rented out their re-purposed summer house to individuals in the area. They told stories of previous renters and listed their expectations and price. Dad walked through the apartment with me and I was instantly sold on its charm. Two months later I moved in.

I rented this place from them for close to 2 years, and in that time, I got to know what an amazing couple they were. I learned about their love for Penn State, his love for fishing, her love for antiques, their mutual love for their second home in Chincoteague, Virginia. We grew to enjoy chats over drinks and sweets, and tried to 'check-in' on each other every so often.

When it was time for me to move on, and Adam and I had decided to move in together, my heart broke at the thought of having to tell them that it was time for me to go. They had grown fond of having me around, Adam too. So in May of 2011, I moved out. 

We spoke a few times since then, bumped into each other in the grocery store, but haven't really kept in touch too well... Until this weekend.

We learned on Thursday evening that Ollie had passed away after a year long battle with cancer. I was surprised at how upset I was as Adam and I reminisced over the stories we remembered and his fun sense of humor. He always invited me in, offering me a (very strong) drink or to stay for dinner. They always asked how I was, how Adam was, and were just super fun loving individuals. We knew we needed to go to the services and pay our repects.

Today's service was such an honor to attend. We learned that others had just as fond of memories of Ollie and that he was so widely loved and enjoyed. A great great man was lost this week, and while he is no longer suffering his battle, I pray for those who are still here with a hole in their hearts that will never be filled. There is no forgetting Ollie - he was a one of a kind, amazing guy!

Here are some pictures.

Every Spring we got a family or two of ducklings!