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Frieda
Famously punctual, Frieda would have been the first to arrive here today. And she was!She always got to everywhere early – to restaurants, airports, sporting events (got there even before her grandkids arrived with their teams) and to church – assuring she always got the best seats and could settle in. She arrived so early to her own 90th birthday party, wound up setting up for her own party, and then ducking out and re-arriving so everyone could say “surprise” (sorry everyone- she loved every moment of the BBQ, but she wasn’t surprised.. just a fabulous actress). Speaking of acting, did you know that she once was the understudy to Maria in Sound of Music at the Ivoryton Playhouse. Not a long story – she never went on, but was prepared to for nine months every night. (Still counts These Are My Favorite Things in her top ten list of songs – along with Lady Gaga’s Edge of Glory (she actually had a Spotify playlist and we’ll play it at the reception). Anyone here remember her wedding song? Neither did she, but she remembered every moment of her honeymoon and how she locked her new ring up when she and Morris went swimming in the ocean. When she returned to get it back, the hotel receptionist couldn’t find it. She was so newly married that she kept asking for the lock box under “Dickson”, her maiden name. It was only hours later she remembered it was Corcoran and whew! got it back...
Anne
Anne, after a successful career in advertising, then as an author, and corporate wife and mom, went to Yale Divinity school at age 44. Who does that? Anne! She was raised Catholic but was more interested in comparative religions and wanted the best congregationalist theological education. And she got it at Yale. The kids in her class at first thought she was the teacher, but she soon blended in and at graduation, in 2000, they invited her to go out to Mory’s Temple Bar (hey it has Temple in the name) and she got home at 6 in the morning after drinking from the infamous Imperial Cup – and “communing” with the Whiffenpoofs in song. She remained friends with some of her colleagues (who are 20 years younger than her and hopefully here today) and taught with Audrey (Ms. Burns) at Iona College of Religious Studies for the next 20 years. A beloved teacher, who often paid for their books and computers for those who were in need, she ….
Marty
I want everyone to know that I did finally get my handicap down to an 11. And I owe that to my Schenley Park buddies (all at least 15 years younger than me) who made me feel like I was never slowing them down. I appreciate the way that they all pretended that they wanted to take a golf cart, when I really knew that would have rather walked. Boy, did I love the game of golf. It was the first time at a driving range that I was able to tell my daughter how much I loved her and how proud she made me with her life choices. It was on a golf trip to Arizona
with my son-in-law that I knew she had made the best choice of all. I want to say that golf has been a metaphor for my life. A round of golf begins in easy optimism, progresses through a lengthy middle period in which hope and despair are mingled, deteriorates into regret,
confusion, and finally resignation, and comes abruptly to an end. And then there are beers after. And that’s the way I hope I go out when it’s my time. I still have the New Yorker cartoon up in my office of a man with his golf bag swung over his shoulder rushing into the delivery room with the caption: “Sorry there was a foursome in front of us.” I kept it there to remind me that I could have been more present in my family’s life and if I can give any advice at all to my grandkids, it’s that family needs to come first if you truly want fulfillment. And while I am giving out advice, remember to finish your swing...
