As you already know Bob has left us for a better place. The final arrangements are: Thursday, 21 December from 2pm until 8pm there will be visitation at the St. Peter and Paul Catholic Church located at 510 Columbus Avenue in Sandusky, Ohio. On Friday, 22 December at the same location the Church will open at 9am, the Mass will begin at 10am. Bob's remains will be cremated afterwards. The reason that all the funeral arrangements are being held at the Church is because there is not a Funeral Home large enough to accommodate the anticipated number of people expected. Amen

J.D.

I just got this, and I think this is what you're looking for. Yes, it was very sudden. He was just fine in Ft. Worth, got the diagnosis of brain cancer in mid October, when he went in to have checked out, what he thought might be a pinched nerve, because his handwriting was not right. A bunch of us went to see him in November to celebrate the Corps' birthday, and he was optimistic and starting chemo-therapy. Some other guys were planning to see him on 7 December, but a week or so before that, he had a grand mal seizure and emergency surgery was needed to remove six golf ball sized tumors from his brain. So we rallied the troops and nine of us went to Sandusky. The Clarion Inn put us up for US$25.00/night; that whole town loved Bob. By the time we got there he was home, in a hospital bed in his living room, and we got about five minutes with him each. He was conscious, but paralyzed on one side and and could barely speak, so you had to get your ear really close to his mouth to hear him. He said: "This really sucks, Swampy." We left for home on 10 December, and decided that Zorch should be the point man with the family, and on the 17th they said he would be gone in a few hours. He lasted until 16:25 on the 18th.

So that's the thumbnail sketch of what happened since Ft. Worth. Bob was a really great friend, his family and community loved him and he will be missed greatly. It was a shame that his last days were so painful, but perhaps a blessing that he went so fast. So many people with cancer spend years in agonizing pain. My Christian faith tells me that he's in a better place, and that we will all be together young and healthy forever.

Be well, J.D., we've had enough of this for a while. Here's wishing you and yours a Merry Christmas, and Happy New Year.

Semper Fi,

Swampy