Richard Riddell Sleight
March 3, 1919 — April 5, 2011

I persist in the belief that my father was born with a major handicap.  His father, also Richard Riddell Sleight, died in October 1918.  The relationship between a father and a son is perhaps the most powerful force in a man's life.  For good and ill, I was shaped by my dad.  I cherish the good things he promoted in my life, like a love of music, poetry, reading, computers and the out-of-doors.  I can learn from his faults as I see similar flaws surface in my own character.  In all, I loved my dad, and on occasion told him so.  One of the last things I said to him was to thank him for our shared name.  I don't know if he heard me.

On Tuesday, March 1st, he suffered a massive stroke which in effect killed the right side of his brain.  His last weeks were spent at Life Care Center of West Seattle.  I visited him the night before he passed away.  He had taken a turn for the worse and the inevitable had become imminent.  I passed on information about Barton Family Funeral Service to the nursing home.

Randy was with him at 8:15 a.m. on Tuesday, April 5th, when he breathed his last.  We were able to report at his wife's memorial service two days earlier, that she was survived by her husband.

An afternoon military funeral service is planned for Friday, June 8th, in Kent at the Tahoma National Cemetery.

The duties of wrapping up the affairs of our parents has been fairly evenly shared between the four children -- with Don taking the lead as Executor. I took on the interface between the family and the funeral home for each of them.  I also was "joint tenant" on Dad's BECU and Charles Schwab accounts.  These accounts, while in the eyes of the State are now mine, are being distributed equally with my siblings.

I always took pictures of Dad and Mom thinking, "this might be the last one I take."  This one was from this past Christmas. 

BECU and Charles Schwab Accounts Come to Me

You learn most about life by living it. In April, I got an education in banking.

As the one listed as "Joint Tenant" on Dad's BECU account and on his Charles Schwab brokerage account, as soon as I presented his death certificate to each financial institution, his accounts were closed and their assets were transferred to my account. In the case of Charles Schwab, this meant opening a new account in my name. Suddenly I was nearly $93,000 richer — and, technically, I was.  $38,286 from BECU and $54,560 in cash and securities with Charles Schwab were mine.  As a joint tenant, these assets were "outside" of the estate and not subject to probate.

However, my father, wise in financial matters, had gotten his four children to agree to divide any such assets equally.  So this month I sent $12,000 to Don, Randy and Laurie.  And in January 2012 I will send another $11,000+ to each of them, once all of Mom's medical bills are accounted for. 

But, still, it's nice to have an inheritance at this specific point in life.  I was just informed as I've been typing this, that wedding costs to the bride's family now extend above $11,000.  I just spent $450 on seven vests and ties.

Nate Doubles in the 1500m and 800m

I hope the coaches know what they are doing.  Nathanael has been running both the 1500m and the 800m races in nearly every meet this month.  He's looked strong in most of his races but has yet to meet the GNAC provisional qualifying standard in either event.

 He did manage a season PR with a 1:58.63 5th place finish at the Saint Martin's Invitational on the last day of April.

The season ends for Nathanael on May 14th at Western Oregon University at the GNAC Championships.  We hope he makes it again this year.

Easter 2011

Rev. Terry Tripp gave the sermon at the 6:00 a.m. service at Bellevue Downtown Park.  The reality that her husband of 29 years, John, had died last May, colored her experience of Easter this year -- not unlike our own loss of parents this spring.

As usual, we also attended the UPC service later that morning.  I've been so exhausted these days that I don't recall much of the service - -but I do remember the fabulous desserts in Geneva Hall! 

A Memorial
for Mom

Mom's memorial service was held on April 3rd at her church, Fauntleroy Church, UCC.  I've detailed the event on this web page.

It was hard saying goodbye to Mom in March, because we knew she was leaving us and "comfort care" alone had replaced every prop to prolonging life.  It is one thing to say, "Goodbye." It's quite another thing to say, "It's time to go."  We had to say both.  "Go with God," has much the same meaning.

Mom's burial service is scheduled for Monday, July 11th, in La Crosse, Washington, the town where she was born and beside the graves of her parents Clyde and Mary Moody.

Laurie took this photo in 2005, back when Dad and Mom were both vertical.

Now that they are gone, the task of emptying 7565 46th Ave SW has proven to be quite a chore.  It will be months, not weeks, before it is emptied and painted and made ready to sell.  Annie and Thomas may move in to house sit after their honeymoon.  The family home has been appraised at $400,000.

As I was going through some "recovered" images that my Recover My Photos software had reclaimed on my Toshiba Netbook, I came across this "lost" photo of Mom.  As she became less able to do for herself, there was one very regular chore that always fell to her.  She loved deviled eggs. And they were great on her diabetic diet.  So I'd hard boil a half dozen and she'd peel them.  Then I'd cut the eggs and she'd take the whisk to the yokes, mayonnaise and mustard — and loved to lick the whisk, spoon, and bowl.

She taught me what little I really know about baking and what she left untaught is easily found now on the Internet. 

It is the penultimate test of faith to send love ones on ahead.  But Jean showed how it could be accomplished with peace and grace.  

(2 Samuel 12:23b)

JB is Amazing (Again!)

This should have been the lead story this month.

Nancy was sad to see Jeannie Beth off to her Spring Break choir tour  mission trip to Mendenhall, Mississippi.

She returned tired and under the weather, but reporting that she'd had a great trip.  Then, just as she was going to bed at 1:30 a.m. Saturday morning, she reminded us that she was scheduled to compete at the State Mathematics Championships later that day in Yakima!

She had to get up at 5:30 a.m. to get to BCS for the trip to Yakima. 

She was the senior on the BCS team that had taken 2nd at Regionals on March 9th in the "Topical Problems" category.  Her team included junior Myong Ho Lee. What she didn't know at the time was that her team was the second highest scoring team among the 29 teams that would compete in Yakima in that category.  And, true to form, not feeling well and on four hours sleep, JB led her team to place 2nd in State in the Topical Problems category.

But wait, there's more!  Unlike State athletic championships, schools may adjust team memberships for the final competition.  In this case, Jean was allowed to join another BCS team which lacked a senior — a team that had earned the lowest qualifying score in the "Team Problem" category.  JB led this team to victory! 

Two years ago, Jean was the sophomore member of a two-person team that won the Topical Problems title.  But back then she admitted that her partner carried the day for the team.  But in 2011, Jean carried her two teams to their top finishes.  Her two favorite colors are green and purple.  Her ribbon in 2009 was green! 

And she did all this while opting to not take more math in her senor year.  She completed Calculus I (and found it easy she said) as a junior.

The "Washington State Mathematics Council  High School Mathematics Contest" championships were Saturday, April 16th.