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Tony Bird
climber
Northridge, CA
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Topic Author's Original Post - Dec 22, 2012 - 06:23pm PT
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surprised and saddened to receive this email today
Dear friends and family: Just received news that my son Paul's widow, Ruth died early Friday morning of the same Melanoma Cancer that took Paul just 16 months ago. I was able to visit with her and her daughter Cameron, in Austin TX and, at her request, to go to Santa Rosa, CA to get all of their climbing gear out of her 5th wheel RV. (Another 4,000 miles on the old RV - still going strong @ 213,000 miles.) Plan to stay home for a while! Will spend Christmas Eve and Morning with my Daughter Anna and her family in Orange CA (a short 100 miles from me) and then get back to Yucca Valley in time to see my two granddaughters and two great-grandkids from Marilyn's side of the family at her/our daughter Sherrie's home here in YV.
Just in case this email gets to anyone who has not already heard, Marilyn died of ALS (Lou Gehrig's disease) on November 9th and we had a wonderful "Celebration of Life" service for her on November 24th. With Paul's illness and death, Marilyn's illness and death and now, Ruth's illness and death, I am DONE with illness and death!!!!
Through it all, I have found that God's LOVE and GRACE has been sufficient but I am more than ready for some time of tranquility. (Like 20 or so years?) As someone has well said, we do not know what the future holds but we DO KNOW WHO HOLDS OUR FUTURE! It is none other than the Babe who was born in a manger on that FIRST Christmas Morning. He is "The Reason for The Season" and once again I can proclaim that HIS GRACE IS SUFFICIENT!
(However, being a mere mortal I have also let Him know that He does not have to keep proving it to me!)
Please do not waste any time or energy feeling sorry for me, I have been blessed WAY BEYOUND what I deserve and I am keeping my focus on all the blessings of family and friends like you! I am still "young" at 74 and I do plan to keep on traveling with hopes of seeing most of you in the coming year. I am sure that both the old RV and myself are still "good to go" for anther 100,000 miles (+ or - a few thousand).
Rejoicing in God's Love and Grace,
Merry Christmas to ALL!
David Humphrey
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rincon
Trad climber
SoCal
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Dec 22, 2012 - 06:37pm PT
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Such sad news. I never got to meet either Ruth or Paul in person, but man, I loved them. I hope they are together now.
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donini
Trad climber
Ouray, Colorado
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Dec 22, 2012 - 06:44pm PT
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This is truly tragic....my wife and I spent time with Paul and Ruth in Indian Creek two and a half years ago and entertained them in our house in Ouray. They were wonderful together. That they should both die of the same type of relatively rare cancer beggars the imagination.
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SteveW
Trad climber
The state of confusion
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Dec 22, 2012 - 06:53pm PT
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So sad.
But they'll be reunited. . .
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Patrick Sawyer
climber
Originally California now Ireland
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Dec 22, 2012 - 06:56pm PT
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Condolences to the Humphrey family and friends. I just lost a cousin (56, 21 days younger than I am) to melanoma last week. He fought it for almost ten years. He loved sailing in the Puget Sound.
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Jaybro
Social climber
Wolf City, Wyoming
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Dec 22, 2012 - 07:41pm PT
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She must have known all along. Two different ways to deal with it. The yin and the yang. May we all find our own way as gracefully as they each did, for whatever it is we each have to deal with.
Thanks Tony and Pastor Dave!
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SCseagoat
Trad climber
Santa Cruz
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Dec 23, 2012 - 01:55am PT
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This has profoundly saddened me having met both of them and Paul and I being on chemo at the same time. She carried Paul's wishes forward as she did all the work on Paul's Balls. That must have been hard. What a lovely and humble woman she was.
What a beautiful couple they were and they fly together again
Susan
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Captain...or Skully
climber
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Dec 23, 2012 - 02:20am PT
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Ruth...We love you, too. Thank you for your aim. It, too, was true.
Peace.
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JOEY.F
Gym climber
It's not rocket surgery
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Dec 23, 2012 - 02:41am PT
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Ruth and Paul. Thank you for passing through my life briefly.
My condolences to Pastor Dave, and all their loved ones.
Thanks for posting that photo, Cosmic.
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Jan
Mountain climber
Okinawa, Japan
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Dec 23, 2012 - 05:06am PT
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I received the same email about Ruth, and was stunned by the irony of both of them dying of the same cancer.
This was all on top of learning a few weeks ago that Paul's stepmother had died of Lou Gehrig's disease, which is an even longer and more terrible affliction. I have been searching for the right thing to write to disaster master's father, Rev. David Humphrey, about the enormous loss he has suffered.
I know its Christmas and supposed to be a joyful season, but I hope others will find some time in the next week or two to send Rev. Humphrey a note.
You can contact him by searching on ST for Pastor Dave.
May we all have the fortitude to face such trials with the same grace.
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neebee
Social climber
calif/texas
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Dec 23, 2012 - 08:11am PT
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hey here say, all...
oh my.. :( i just saw this, :O
i had just sent her a gift recently...
at first, i feared if i had over stepped... did not want
to make her sad...
well, the gift seemed to be far to late... will never know
what happened or why, but it led to this...
and me, and of course, lynne, give that 'lateness credit' to god's
higher power... here is PART of ruth's email,
when it DID get there:
*i left out the personal parts, and such, so this focuss
on RUTH and her joy (not to focus on the gift, etc), and WHAT god's timing DID for her:
What a beautiful heartfelt gift. I just can't take my eyes off the painting....
How can I ever thank you?
Today is Paul's birthday. Even more special it came as a present.
With some days lonely and sad, you have made my day today happy.
I hope to meet someday and give you a huge hug
i was amazed at god, and the birthday timing, which i DID not know of,
when i SENT IT..these things such as this, can NEVER be planned so perfect:
things always go wrong, and get there late, etc...
oddly, this WOULD have gotten there a week-and-more, TOO early,
but landed by 'god's timing' "late" but "not late"--lynne, knows
how that is, ;)
now--sadly i will not meet her, but:
she is a treasure in heaven to meet one day, and we will have that
wonderful hug at what god did for her on that day that she
opened "some old brown box"...
now, she is with the very memories of which she cherished and now:
with paul himelf and the good lord of real life--something that we just can't fully comprehend from 'our view' here...
thanks for sharing this...
and dear ruth, in your new home:
thank you for that lovely email/letter, i will cherish it alway, and
even deeeper now--if the gift was done later than that even,
you would not have had the birthday miracle before you 'went home'...
thank you ruth, for your love, in return...
edit:
my condolences to her family and loved ones, and to paster dave and his family, as well...
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Ezra Ellis
Trad climber
WA, & NC & Idaho
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Dec 23, 2012 - 09:40am PT
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Paul and Ruth were two beautiful souls that are now reunited.
My condolences to their family and friends.
Each day is a gift.
Cyber Hug.
-ezra
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Crimpergirl
Sport climber
Boulder, Colorado!
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Dec 23, 2012 - 09:54am PT
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Profoundly saddened. Susan stated it better than I could. Profoundly sad.
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Dapper Dan
Trad climber
Menlo Park
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Dec 23, 2012 - 04:19pm PT
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Incredible , things like this always put your own struggles and inconveniences in perspective .... How trivial they are .
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Darwin
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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Dec 14, 2013 - 11:24pm PT
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Oh... f*@k. I missed this last year. I'm so sorry.
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neebee
Social climber
calif/texas
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Dec 14, 2013 - 11:33pm PT
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hey there say, yllw2lip ...
nice to see you again... hugs and prayers at this hard time of
remembrance...
god bless...
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nature
climber
Boulder, CO
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Dec 14, 2013 - 11:47pm PT
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Gym says hello
I think I will strap him to my backpack and start to take him boarding with me. The little hen just isn't getting it done and chicken slut is MIA.
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thebravecowboy
Social climber
Colorado Plateau
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Dec 15, 2013 - 01:08am PT
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What fortune that they found each other.
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