Faye………

I just got word that my college roommate and loving friend has died. I wrote an earlier post about her influence on my life, but a lot of that needs repeating, which in some way might make this reality a bit easier to process.

Faye contacted polio when she was about twelve, and for the rest of her life she used body and leg braces, crutches, and wheel chairs to navigate life. That navigation, I might mention, included, a stellar college career at Madison College, a Masters degree from Tulane, University, and a career of working with handicapped children in Virginia. So what’s that say to the rest of us.

She celebrated each of my girls as they arrived, she married a kind and understanding husband and held her family close. A dear great niece of hers sought me out when she came to JMU, and tolerated my stories of Faye and me as coeds and our tales of restrictions on us that made her laugh…such as having to wear a raincoat over any wearing of trousers or gym clothes when on campus.

She will forever be a positive force in my life and a very important memory of perseverance in the face of unwarranted obstacles. Rest well my friend.