December 30, 2011

So proud of Women of Wine Charities' donation
of $20K to Houston Area Women's Center!

I just read that a business associate, Richard Laurence Baron, died suddenly and unexpectedly last night. This news has left me – a word person – at a loss of how to describe my feelings! Byron's mother, who died in June, and our friend Joe Dupuis, who died earlier this month, were both in their 80s and their health had been declining. Their deaths were sad, but not unexpected. Our friend Bob Sanford who died about a week ago, had fought pancreatic cancer for two years. His death was sad, but again not unexpected. But RLB's death was a total shock. I guess he, like Bob, was in his late 60s. Maybe the deaths of two men who were within a decade of my age really hit home, and not in a good way.

Like me, RLB was a copywriter, but we had very different styles of writing. His style was much more formal than mine, which seems appropriate since he studied English literature and I studied creative writing. Many many years ago I showed RLB my "portfolio" (i.e., samples of my writing) and was totally intimidated by him. He was very tall and had a deep, booming voice, and what I can best describe as a "presence." You knew when he was in the room. By the end of our first meeting I discovered his wit, and soon thereafter, his colorful, larger-than-life personality was revealed. Rest in peace, Richard Laurence Baron!

Today I'm creating a yummy dinner for Mr. B. We ate leftover chili last night, which is strange because Mr. B usually doesn't like leftovers. I need to save the recipe for that chili!