On May 10, 2025, our dear friend, Sandie Nelson, passed away. Today, May 17, 2025, we will be attending her funeral service in Lansing, Michigan.
As of this writing, I have not yet been able to get my head around the fact that she is no longer with us. I suppose the reality will hit when attending the funeral…
She and I met in 1994 when Jesse, our son, became engaged to be married to her lovely daughter, Kathy, at the Munn Ice Arena at Michigan State University. Back then, Sandie’s parents, Paul & Catherine Titus, were still very much alive and well. She was their only child.
During summer, David and I were always welcomed with open arms to join everyone at their cottage at Crystal Lake, Michigan.
Sandie was the type of person who would make everyone feel at home. She often took me for a walk around Chrystal Lake. During one of those walks, apparently, there was a rain cloud moving into the area. You see, I would not have known that because I grew up in Tokyo where buildings block the view of the big, open sky; you can only see the sky above and in the immediate area. So, it was either sunny, cloudy, or rainy; in other words, I was not accustomed to the concept of the weather “moving into the area,” like a continuum of changing events.
Getting back to the original story about walking around the lake, before it started raining, her dad, whom we all called “PT,” came to pick us up in his car – so that we did not have to get wet or be hit by lightning. At that point, Sandie and I were already grandmothers to our mutual grandchildren – Jessica and Alyssa (Ryan was yet to be born); but, to PT, we were still “kids” that needed to be protected from the elements. Naturally, I adored him. So did David. To this day, David reminisces how much he enjoyed sitting next to PT, rocking in the chair on the deck, facing the beautiful lake, sipping coffee, and talking with him about all sorts of things. Having lost his father, Jack McKendry – when our son, Jesse, was still a toddler – PT became like David’s surrogate father.
I thoroughly enjoyed those walks with Sandie around the lake. It’s amazing how much two people can talk about all sorts of things while enjoying each other’s company.
When my time comes, I look forward to taking our walks, again, in heaven. Until then, rest in peace, Sandie!
