PAUL
I sit here writing this on what would have been Paul’s 65th birthday. Of course, he’s forever the handsome, young man in the picture. AIDS robbed his sisters, Denise & Barbara, and nieces, Melissa & Lauren, of this vibrant man.
We remember the child, so charming that he swept through the apartment building, gathering candy at each door. Even the dentist was stunned at the number of cavities he developed. He was the thoughtful, devoted Uncle Paul who showed up with the cherished stuffed animal. Still, to this day, a life-long possession. There is the high school girlfriend (obviously an intimate relationship that couldn’t last) who still loved him so, that she spoke at his memorial service. Everywhere he went, he made lasting friendships. A respected banker, his employer provided generous disability benefits at a time when the banking industry wasn’t even acknowledging AIDS.
To the day he died, he was loved by a devoted partner. Dedicated & generous, he took an extended leave of absence to care for Paul. They had a wonderful relationship filled with travel, good food & award-winning gardening. Sadly, he, too, died young. Not from AIDS, but another scourge, cancer.
We will always cherish those last memories. A wonderful sibling trip to the Ritz-Carleton, Laguna Niguel. Paul always believed 1st class was the only way to go! When the disease stole his eyesight, he relished our descriptions of everything he was missing. When the disease caused permanent brain damage, his crazy talk of peanut butter patches kept us laughing, staving off the tears. To this day, we have never figured out what they were.
Gone now for nearly 28 years, still cherished & missed.
SHARED by Barbara
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