John H Storer

I was thrilled Mrs. Hastings and my mom kept in touch over the years because of their connection I was able to reconnect with Jill when Dom and I moved to the same town as Jill and John. We ended up living about a mile away from each other. My memory of our first meeting with John was when Dom and I invited the two of them over for dinner. I was a little nervous because Jill and I had told me John was a foodie. That day didn't go like planned. I had signed a permission slip for my son to put his name in a drawing for a Guinea pig. I didn't think that I would be the only parent who signed the permission slip out of the 26 children. I picked up my son from school that day with a box containing the Guinea pig. No supplies just the Guinea pig so off we went in search for food, a cage and bedding. You can imagine how hectic I felt knowing I was going to have people over for dinner and I am running all around town. Of course, I was late getting dinner ready. John and Jill were very understanding while I made doing the final preparations. I felt like I had to explain why I was late. I asked "Do you know anything about Guinee pigs? And before I could go on John says I have a good recipe for them. I whipped around laughing. I could see that he was serious. He said, "Really, my friend from Peru gave me a recipe for Guinea pig." I never did get that recipe from John but that was a first of many dinners we had together. We always had good food and laughter. John, Jill, and I loved food and we loved mysteries we shared many books. When we found that we could combine the two that started the ball rolling for our mystery dinners. We had a blast getting in character and one of my favorites dinners was We were on a New Orleans River boat and John was the Riverboat Captain. I still can hear him doing a southern drawl. I can't remember the dinner except I know it was good. John was a good cook. The five years we were in the same town we had many dinners and gatherings together. A lot of talking and sharing of our lives. I could see that John was Jill's anchor. He was her reality check at times, but he let her do her thing. This balance in their relationship made Dom and I chose them as guardians for our children. Our children already loved them. John was a gentle giant to them. After we each moved away from the town that we met we still got together when we could. Dom and I just happened to move a couple of hours away from John's parents so every time they came up to see John's parents we would meet half way. My kids still talk about getting together to go to the movies, go bowling, visiting Annie Oakley's home, the all-important oldest concrete road, going to a county fair, having a meal together and of course eating ice cream. I know our lives where enhanced because we knew John. I am grateful for relationship. I will miss his smile and his laughter. What I will miss most is knowing John will not be there for Jill. Jill I am sorry for your loss but know you are not alone. We all embrace you with our love, thoughts and prayers. The Sailing Ship by Luther F. Beecher (1813-1903) What is dying? I am standing on the seashore. A ship sails to the morning breeze and starts for the ocean. She is an object and I stand watching her Till at last she fades from the horizon, And someone at my side says, "She is gone!" Gone where? Gone from my sight, that is all; She is just as large in the masts, hull and spars as she was when I saw her, And just as able to bear her load of living freight to its destination. The diminished size and total loss of sight is in me, not in her; And just at the moment when someone at my side says, "She is gone", There are others who are watching her coming, And other voices take up a glad shout, "There she comes" - and that is dying.