Monday, January 23, 2006

Florence Longstrreet 1907-2006

Our dear Aunt Flo, my grandmother's sister, and the last surviving sister of five, died last night, just a couple of weeks shy of her 99th birthday, and just a couple of weeks after our last visit with her. We are all very sad, of course, to be without her, but hers was a good, long life.

Like most of my own generation of our family, I didn't have much contact with Flo when I was growing up; in fact, I only remember meeting her once, at my grandmother's house. Most of the time I spent with her was after I got married, and she was an important part of our family, being sort of an extra great-grandmother for my children, Thomas in particular, although she also had a special soft spot for William.

Flo always had a remarkable amount of energy. She and I used to go out to the DaBelle par-three golf course in Burbank fairly regularly, a short course but one with no carts. She'd walk and play the entire course except on the hottest of days, and would get absolutely disgusted with herself when she missed a putt. We continued this until she was about 94.

Flo introduced us to one of our favorite eating spots in California, the Tam O'Shanter, a Scottish pub and restaurant with spectacular fish and chips, and Toad in a Hole made with filet mignon. Other members of my family had been there, before I was born, and it was my great-grandfather's favorite restaurant.

She was also a regular at our parties, where she charmed and impressed all of our friends. We all agreed that if we had to grow old (and it's either that or die young), we wanted to do it like Flo. I know that if I live into my nineties, I want to do it visiting with friends and family, and swinging a golf club.

Good-bye, Flo!

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