Sid

Two weeks ago, we went shopping for a pair of black slacks. We started out at Kohl's but could find nothing to Bryan's liking. On a whim, we walked over to Men's Wearhouse. Once inside, I immediately had deja vu. The store smelled just like my uncle Sid; a mix of Old Spice, dress clothes, and soap. I mentioned this to Bryan, and started to miss my aunt Diane and uncle Sid. Diane is my mother's sister. For those who don't know, all of my mother's family lives in England, and they are the only family members who came to visit regularly. We saw them just about every other year. We even arranged a family vacation from Oklahoma to Utah around the time they would be in the states. They treated us to Lagoon. I was six years old and can still remember taking them to the pool (it's now Lagoona Beach). This is when my dad won the large stuffed orange dog. This picture is when they visited us in California. I remember my mom received a phone call from the base gate asking if she would give permission for two visitors to come on the base. My mom asked who, and the guards said they wanted to surprise us, so without knowing who was coming, my mom said yes. Were we surprised when aunt Diane and uncle Sid showed up on our doorstep! They always treated us to special dinners, British chocolate, trinkets and toys. Each time they headed home for England, they would clean out their pocket change and give us all of it. Uncle Sid's favorite pastime was trains. We would travel all over Utah to see train museums, go to train depots, and take them to the Heber Creeper. A trip to the states wasn't complete until he had a ride on a train. He was also particular about his pants. He loved American Dickies brand and would only use an American brand bar of soap. My mom would keep them stocked in-between trips. When we went to England, aunt Diane and uncle Sid took time to visit with us. The last time I saw them was in October 2006, just before Kirsten had her baby. Sid spent time chatting with me about vacations him and Diane had taken. He talked about Greece at great length and I was enthralled.

Today he passed away. To many, the loss of an uncle is sad, not devestating. For me it's in-between. He was a connection to family that I wouldn't have normally had. Because him and Diane loved to travel, I was able to meet my British relatives. We saw them so much, he became a grandpa in my eyes. I was deeply saddened to hear of his death, and am sorry that I will not see him and Diane any time soon. We had planned on spending extra time with them the next time we visited England and it will not be quite the same without him. Him and Diane are my role models, and I hope I can be half the aunt and uncle they are.