So long Skippy

It's hard to imagine that the party man Skip will never host another night of drinking and playing cards in his "club" (aka back bedroom). Skip's club wasn't just any bedroom, it was a remodeled extension put onto his house to accommodate him when he was first injured.

Once he was able to gut rehab his house and make it more accessible, it was remodelled, too, and became the place to go in the little community he lived in when the American Legion post down the street closed for the night. Everyone went to Skip's and continued to play cards, and of course, down a few beers at the bar, or play a few hands at one of the four card tables, and eat Mama Skip's meatball sandwiches from the kitchen.

Sadly, on the biggest party night of the year, Skip told his visiting nurse he wasn't feeling so hot, so please come over later. She did and Skip was found in his chair, with the phone lying beside him on the floor.  Since Skip was a long-time customer at the Hotel, a group of nurses carpooled over to the little town and to the funeral home. It was a sight to see.

In this part of RehabLand, flags fly every day from nearly every house:  American flags, flags for your branch of service (Marine standard for Skip), POW/MIA flags for the guys Skip couldn't bring back with him, and even flags with flowers and birds saying "Welcome." A dozen American flags and the Marine flag flew outside Little Town's Funeral Parlor. While it looked small, the inside was big and it was packed. It seemed as if everyone in town was there to comfort Skip's family: friends, neighbors, and all the veterans: the Marine League, the Amvets, the VFW guys, and of course, the American Legion post from Skip's neighborhood.

As we approached the casket, a cry went up that startled me. "They're here!" they shouted. "Oh, Skip would have loved it that all you nurses came to see him, " Mama Skip cried. Skip's kids grabbed us and hugged us. Some of our group had known Skip for many years. Skip's brother Bob (who was a double for Skip down to the laugh) took us and introduced us to all the neighbors and friends in the room.

"Here they are, folks. The best nurses in the world. Skip called them his angels."  

And now we call Skip one. Godspeed, friend...o bella, ciao!