My brother died tonight (page 9)

Chariklo

So sorry to hear that, poppers, and so sad for you.

jgnat

My condolences. I really hate cancer, the way it takes people.

Magwitch

Poppers - I am so sad that you are going through this.

I want to thank everyone for the condolences and kind words; each of you here is a treasure to me. It's been a roller coaster of emotions for me, one moment deep sadness and tears, and the next a feeling of peace and thankfulness that he is no longer suffering. He had been having physical problems the last year and a half that doctors couldn't account for despite repeated tests. He reached a crisis in early August that required hospitalization, and it was then that they discovered he was in stage 4 pancreatic cancer.

I need to clarify that though he is my youngest brother he is older than me by two years, having just turned 63. I am the youngest of nine and he is second youngest. There were two groups of siblings, the eldest two boys and threes sisters, a gap of 4 years and us "four little boys," with Rick and I being the youngest of the lot. Growing up with him as my constant companion created a very strong bond between us as we learned and played every sport together, and my admiration for him grew as he matured into a loving husband and father.

He became the uncle that all my and his wife's nephews and nieces gravated to because of his entertaining ways, always ready with a story or magic trick - we was the funniest person I knew, and he didn't spare himself when it came to his own foibles. His skill at pool was phenomenal and he was an avid golfer his entire life, always working on improving his game, once scoring a 2 on a par 5 hole (527 yards) which earned him a mention in Sports Illustrated.

The source of greatest pride was his family, and he always made sure that his two girls heard the words "I love you" frequently, for none of us heard those words from our own father when we were growing up, so he was well aware of the importance of those three words. It was a great joy to watch him beam just a year ago as he gave away his two precious daughters in marriage within a span of just a couple of months. He was always a source of pride to me, especially as we grew up, and I looked up to him all my life - he will be dearly missed.

Here he is with his wife Teri:

Here he is with my brother Mike on the left and me in the middle:

My brother died tonight

Chariklo

mind blown

jgnat

sickandtired

Magwitch

Lady Lee

poppers

HintOfLime

minimus

poppers

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