The "motley" Crew

This photo is my family - left to right, my sister Marilyn, my "big" brother Bob, my "little" brother Bill and me. Marilyn and Bob are 11 and 10 years older then me and Bill is 5 1/2 years younger. Quite a spread for a family!
I want to talk about Bob today because he would have turned 75. This was his birthday. There was never a kinder, gentler, sweeter man put on this earth. He was quiet and unassuming. Finished high school, joined the Navy (oh how I missed him) and when he got out of the Navy with a great education thanks to Uncle Sam, he went to work for IBM and was with them 30 years. A steady man. He raised a family of 5 children and I seldom saw him raise his voice. He had a wonderful laugh. I tried to make him laugh because it was music to my ears.
He loved to fish, smoke and gamble in that order.
I went to visit him in Shreveport about 8 years ago and he had saved up a large drinking cup of quarters so he could take me to the casino. It touched my heart. We spent 3 or 4 days together, just us and his wonderful wife, Mary Jo, and it was great to have time to talk. He had been an avid bowler and ice skater and swimmer when he was young and he had all these trophies in a closet and we sat and he showed these things to me. I loved every minute of it.
I drove up again, from San Miguel, 5 years ago for his 70th birthday. A surprise birthday. He was amazed-he couldn't believe anyone would make such a fuss over him. My sister Mar has 5 children and zillions of grandchildren and I have a few and then Bob has a few so it was a HUGE crowd of just family for this suprise party. It was fabulous.
Bob passed on to the "happy hunting ground" 3 years ago but my last memory is of he and Mary Jo dancing to the band at his 70th birthday party. Great guy!