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Note: I was born on 8-25-1937 at St. Elizabeth Hsp., Dayton, Ohio. Baptized at the "old" St. Stephen's Ch. in No. Dayton Hungarian colony. Home was a newly-built house in the country but with the onset of World War II & gasoline rationing, we moved to 421 Waneta Ave. Dayton, OH. I attended Our Lady of the Rosary GS, No Dayton, OH. Boys were taught by by the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur the first 3 years then the Brothers of the Society of Mary taught us for the last 5 years. Fr. Henry J. Taske was pastor. I received 1st Holy Communion in April 1944 & was confirmed later; with John Bura, a friend of the Vida family, being my sponsor. Finished GS in 1951 & would miss eating lunch with my Grandma Mary Vida. She lived behind the grade school.
Attended Chaminade HS in downtown Dayton & was a Chaminade Eagle. I loved Friday night football games, where I developed my love for the sport. I was a member of the National Honor Society & was never tardy or missed a day of high school! I was not very athletic but did poorly play intramural football & basketball. Member of the yearbook staff & a Junior Achievement & was a delegate to their nat'l convention in 1955. In essence, I abhorred exercise, did photography, & was a bookworm. I worked after school at Rike's Dept. Store in the kitchen and bakery for Miss Virginia Eiler, who took me under her wing & gave me lots of working time & spending money. I then worked for Best Auto Store& Howard Pfeiffer, who was a very thoughtful man & made sure I had money to pursue later endeavors. I sold all kind of things a large auto/hardware store sells. Graduated from HS on May 29, 1955 & felt it was a real drag &I didn't like it much. Had acne & few dates & had to work, not play, like I would have liked to do!
I attended the Marianist Univ. of Dayton & life was beginning to unfold for me. While in Pre-Med I worked at St. Elizabeth Hsp in the lab as a blood bank tech. I really liked this job & would spend hours there just absorbing "medicine." I was very lucky that I knew what I wanted to be from age 6. This only made the urge stronger. While at UD I was a member of the Sigma Delta Pi Pre-Med Honor Society & had a nice, active social life with the med techs at St. E's. I was the first student in my class selected to Med School in the summer of my junior year making the senior year so easy! Graduated from UD on June 6, 1959 with a B.S. in biology. I was an over achiever, an overeater and lucky! I was ready to take on "mother medicine."
Enrolled at The Ohio State Univ. College of Medicine & lived at the Nu Sigma Nu fraternity, 1454 Neil Ave., Columbus, Ohio. (No longer there.) My 1st year was hard & I nearly flunked Biochem. I ice-skated at the OSU rink through the 2nd year. I worked as an extern at St. Anthony Hsp my last 2 years & thought I was hot stuff. In 1961 I worked at St. Joseph's Hsp. in Denver, Co. In 1962 I worked at Swedish Hsp in Englewood, CO. I had discovered PARADISE. I remember seeing Santa Fe & Taos NM the 1st time, what a strange place, with all those Indians running around with their J.C. Penny blankets wrapped around them shrouded in fog on an eerie Dec. 1961 evening. I was sure I was going to get scalped. Graduated from Ohio State on June 7, 1963. It was a hot & muggy day & the graduation was at St. Johns Arena. The cost of my medical school was about $4500.00 (what a bargain). No huge school loans for me! Thank GOD.
My internship was at Philadelphia Gen'l Hsp. in south Philly. I was soon to live the admonition of Prof. G. Graves, "that mother medicine is a jealous mistress." I moved into the intern quarters with 100, mostly single, wild men. Tony Pannozzo was my roommate. Internship was VERY HARD. I was on call every other night & worked my butt off. It was a challenge but I did enjoy my 1 year at Philly in the knife & gun club. I was paid: room & board and $105.00/month. I did see the sights & took my parents to NYC when they visited me. I got to bicycle on Martha's Vineyard, visit Boston, Lancaster Pa., Gettysburg & Washington DC, one of my favorite places. I visited Valley Forge. Pa. often for mental health breaks. Bought a new rawhide colored Oldsmobile that was appropriate for the new MD going out West. PGH was later torn down. It was built in 1729 & was the 3rd largest hsp in USA.
I met a beautiful student nurse, Lois Vincunas, & it was love at 1st sight.! Our 1st date was11-11-63 after I asked her to show me some countryside & we visited Washington Crossing Pk on the Delaware River near Trenton, NJ. On Oct 31, 1964 I got to see J.F. Kennedy in person at the Phil. Conv. Ctr. & ironically the next time we both had off we went to the Kennedy funeral on 11-23-63. I proposed March 1964. After a rousing "end of my internship party," which made all the papers, we were married by Fr. Paul Landolfi, S.M. at St. Francis de Sales RC Ch. on June 20, 1964 He had been my freshman homeroom teacher at Chaminade HS. The chaplains of Phil. Gen. Hsp & the Phil. VA Hsp were in the sacristy & with 3 priests this marriage should "take." Our reception was at Greenbrier Country Club where Grace Kelly had her reception. It was a hot, muggy day. We then headed to Denver Gen. Hsp (internal medicine resident) & I was anxious to show my new bride "God's country." After a trip to Pittsburgh, PA and Dayton, OH we were off on our big adventure driving cross-country to Denver, CO. We arrived in a very bad rain storm. Lois was afraid due to downed power lines, the dark foreboding sky, & that " we were so far away from everything." She CRIED! Our first apartment was at 1182 Clermont St. that was 1 block from the VA Hsp where Lois worked at ICU.Our life together was beginning! Lois grew to love Colorado quickly! The Denver flood on 6-16-1995 was a surprise!
After a year at Denver, loving every minute, I decided to finish my training at Ohio State Univ. Hsp. We drove to Columbus & rented Darrell Smith's house at 2586 No. 4th St., Lois was pregnant. I worked very hard at OSU but loved being at the "alma mammy". We had an auto accident on I-70 in 7-1965 and were taken to OSU Hsp. where our infant dtgr, Anne K., was stillborn. We were very sad but we will meet her someday. We were later blessed with 3 dtgrs.Lois resumed her work in the medical clinics at OSU. I finished my residency under James E. Warren, MD & was accepted as an NIH fellow in cardiology under Arnold Weissler, MD. I was at OSU Univ Hsp from 1965 to 1967. Loved my Ohio State years and enjoyed nearly every minute of the 6 years I was there. It is a good city & holds many wonderful memories, like OSU football & the park by our house. After 7 years of training I took on the US Navy at the Naval Hsp in Subic Bay Philippines Islands.
Another OSU accomplishment was that Karen Ann Smith was born on a wonderful crisp, clear, Sunday (August 28, 1966.) This was a little early since only the day before the clinic nurses threw a party for Lois on her last day of work! She was delivered by Dr. James Williams, Asst. Dean of the medical school, at the OSU Univ. Hsp. Karen is a true, eighth generation, BUCKEYE to the core. To the chagrin of her husband who is to come later & "hates the Big 10!"
On July 3, 1967 we began the adventure of our lives. We crossed the entire USA & I reported to Oakland Naval Hsp, near San Francisco, CA. & spent 2 weeks there. It was fun because we had some actual money & free time! We then drove to Travis AFB and caught the big bird to Subic Bay, P.I. & at the time was the world's largest navy base. We were heavily involved in Vietnam. I was chief of medicine with the rank of Lt. Cdr. at the hsp. & had a great time. We met many wonderful people, CDR's Emily Kersten & Jones, Ching & Dr. Burt Barretto to name a few. Our only near casualty was when we crossed the ocean in a banca boat on the way to Corregidor & got caught in a mini-typhoon which nearly capsized the boat in shark infested waters. NO JOKE! we were scared to death!
My FIRST night on call (July 29, 1967) I participated in the treatment of burn causalities from the USS Forestall after (Senator) John McCain crash landed. I was later stationed on the USS Bon Homme Richard (CVA-31) & got to be jettisoned off the ship in a jet & ride a helicopter during maneuvers. I was officially a Viet Nam vet for having served on this aircraft carrier. I became a shell back when we crossed the equator in July, 1968. What an initiation! We pulled into Singapore that was a beautiful, clean place! I visited Malaysia. I was a physician to Adm. John Hyland, a four star admiral, who personally invited Lois & I to his promotion ceremony as Commander of all the Navy in the Pacific fleet. What a blast! Well, 15+ men from my family served in the Civil War, 2 in War of 1812, 1 died in World War I with some in World War II, Korea & Viet Nam.
In Nov.1968 we visited India & saw Jaipur, New Delhi & Agra with the Taj Mahal. Fatephur Sikre, an old city in the foothills of the Himalayan Mountain in Rajastan was very impressive. At Jim Corbett National Park we did a photographic tiger hunt with 3 elephants, beaters, cooks & guides. We staked out a goat for bait...it worked. We will truly never forget this. We saw Bangkok, Thailand (which I didn't like.) We even stopped at da Nang Airfield which was being shelled at the time... scary. Other trips included Taiwan, Japan, Okinawa, & Hong Kong where we shopped till we dropped. On the trip back in a prop aircraft that was overloaded, the men had to stand in front of the airplane to give it weight so that when we landed it wouldn't go head over heels and about a year later It did crash.
We added to our family while in the P.I., Suzanne Marie was born on Oct. 20, 1967. On Sept. 29. 1968 Anne Kathleen was born both courtesy of the USN & Dr. Chas. Scott. All did well. Both kids were born on beautiful tropical days.They were both baptized at the Main Base Church. Suzanne on 12-16-67 & Anne on 10-26-68. The priests were Fr. Riley and an Augustinian, Fr. Visachy respectively. The people at Subic were the Godparents with Cdr. Emily Kerstein, RN & Abe Nomura, MD for Anne. Ching and Bert Baretto, MD; native Filipinos, for Suzanne.
Loved them thar mountains! In May 1970 bought a cabin in So. St. Vrain canyon near Raymond, Co., & spent every spare minute there. Climbed Mt. Meeker & Twin Sisters Mts. Later had a place in Estes Park suburb, 2210 Longview Dr. right on a small pond. Saw lots of elk, deer etc. In July, 1970 I started private practice, with my best friend, Darrell Smith in Scottsdale, Az. The most memorable event of my life, July 1969, a man landed on the moon. I was pounding on some guys chest trying to resuscitate him. AZ was Too HOT so we moved to CO. I joined the Longmont Clinic in 1971. TOO COUNTRY! We moved to Denver, CO in 1971 & was still discontented with my boring life. Re-joined the USN in Jan.''72 & was stationed at Camp Pendleton, Ca. I was theoretically on the Nixon staff & was asst. chief of medicine under Capt. J.J. Gunning. I was a Commander. We liked CA but it was TOO CROWDED. We lived at 3405 Spanish Way in Carlsbad. CA. A very nice coastal town where they grow flower seeds, 20 miles south of San Diego CA. A very pleasant experience for all of us, but we were anxious to get back to them thar Rockies. We have visited it subsequently & what a beautiful city it has become with lots of Spanish houses.
In January 1974 headed back to CO! I joined the Colorado Clinic and Porter/Swedish Hsp. I was satisfied with my internal medicine practice, my patients, & my colleagues like Drs. Jim DeRoos, Scotty Frank, and Winnie Seegers. We went to Houston, TX for an Amer. College of Cardiology mtg. & visited the Black Hills of South Dakota. Impressed with the natural beauty, herds of buffalo, deer & antelope. We stayed at Sylvan Lake Lodge that President Wilson used as a summer White House. No radio, TV, just rest. I got bored.
The girls received their First Holy Communion at Christ the King Ch, Denver CO on March 30, 1975. My parents attended along with Madeline Vincunas. It was our last visit. April 15. 1975 my father died. He had visited us often and loved his grand-
daughters. The Big Thompson flood occurred in 1976.
On Dec. 15. 1978 I was the 2nd MD to move into the 1st Porter Med. Bldg. (950 E. Harvard, suite 460). I have a stupendous view of the continental divide from Mt. Evans to Longs Peak. My office has a western motif. This helps make up for the horrible night call that I always despised & never got used to even after 30 years of practicing medicine. I am licensed in CO (# 15026), AZ ( # 5392) and OH. I belong to the Colo. Med. Soc., Arapaho Med. Soc. and Porter/Swedish Hospital staff. This was an unusual year of 3 popes, Paul VI, John Paul I and John Paul II.
On Jan 20. 1979 my mother married Ernest Denver Hambel at St. Louis Church in Englewood, CO. The celebrant was a Monsignor Cullen. I was the best man. Denver is from Malta, OH & is a retired farmer & state of Ohio employee. He is a very easy-going guy whom the family liked very much. My mother was very happy. We had a reception at Writer Manor (now gone.)
In July, 1979 we went to England & France to see Europe. We really liked it & it changed our lives. In Dec, 1981 we returned to England to experience Xmas.There was a big 2 " snow storm that paralyzed Great Britain. We saw museums since it was cold outside and enjoyed the musical "They're Playing Our Song." Xmas in England is not as nice as the USA; few lights, trees, decorations etc. In 1982 we had the big Xmas blizzard, officially 23.6 inches of snow, that paralyzed the city & everybody had to stay home. It was a nice, simple & beautiful.
In May.1983 went to Vienna which was quite a nice place. We dined regally & danced to 3 different orchestras at the Hofburg palace & had our "Prom picture" taken with Emperor Franz Joseph in the background on a large stairwell with white-wigged pages all around. We also visited Salzburg (beautiful) and Hungary (downtrodden.) We then flew to Cairo, Egypt for the trip of a lifetime. We stayed at the Ramses Hilton. We went to the wedding of the daughter of a government (like CIA head) official. We saw the Pyramids, Sphinx, Valley of the Dead, and Memphis. We went to Luxor and enjoyed the beautiful temple at Karnack (1250 BC) along with other fantastic things. We met new friends, Dr. George and Mary Ritter, & have experienced many nice things through the years.
From 1984 to 1989 we visited Maine, Boston, Yellowstone (before the huge fire), Jackson Hole, WY, San Fran, Philadelphia, San Diego (oh Dad, why did you ever leave this?) Columbus, Portland OR, Seattle,WA, Vancouver, BC, Canada, bicycling in Stanley Park, Canada Place & Victoria Island. The ferry boat ride with the Canadian sunset is spectacular. We gambled in Las Vegas and visited LA (Getty and Huntington Museum, Disneyland, etc.) but it is TOO CROWDED for us. We used to really like it there! On 4-26-1986 CDR Emily Kirstein, our dear USN friend & Anne's g-mother died. On Oct. 20,1986 we moved to GENESEE (means "shining hills,") to 2300 Juniper Ct., Golden, CO 80401. Elev=7365 ft. We were ecstatic with the quiet & majesty of the Rockies. We realized our luck to nearly touch Mt. Evans from our front deck & see elk, deer, bear & wild turkeys!
On July 31,1988 Karen & Greg Hoggatt married at St. Louis Ch. in Englewood, CO. Reception at the Phipps Mansion & remember that band!! Was a beautiful ceremony & Karen married a wonderful young man who will go far. We all love him & can't wait for grandkids.
In March, 1990 went to Italy & the Vatican. We saw John Paul II & the grandeur of Rome. We visited with Anne who came from France to meet us in Florence & she spent some time in Rome. In April '90 we went to Chicago and enjoyed ourselves.In 8-1990 we visited the Amish country, Berlin, OH, family in Pittsburgh & Dayton.In 1991 Karen, Greg, Lois & I went on a car trip to the "east" to show Greg off. In 1991, Mom had coronary bypass surgery x 3 All went well. I introduced the girls to Columbus & the German Village. On Sept. 30 1991 I was given an Honorable Discharge from the US Navy with the rank of Commander, MC, USNR. I got a nice gift from a patient, Robt. Heap, which is a collection of arrowheads, scrapers etc. which his uncle had collected. Other friends are: Karen & Jim Donhowe, the Ray White's & Dick & Julie Hamman.
On March 21, 1992 we visited Munich, Germany. We enjoyed the Hofbrau & the Residenz. Heidelberg was certainly a highlight with that wonderful castle. Garmish was a favorite city of mine with the Zugspitz looming overhead. We loved this trip, the people & this very surprising country. We visited Milan, Italy & saw the Last Supper. This city is different from southern Italy & is very cosmopolitan. We visited Switzerland & like COLORADO just has well. We especially liked Lugano with the PALM trees in Switzerland! We drove around by auto in all these countries like we were Europeans.
On July 18, 1992 Suzanne & Steven Nuttall were married at Our Lady of Lourdes Ch. Reception at Phipps with bridal couple driving our vintage 1927 Mercedes (kit-car) complete with Oo-ga, Oo-ga horn. Unfortunately this was not to last and ended in 2001. No children from this union. Wm.Clinton president! Scandals galore!!
On Jan 1, 1993 we had a party at the Hamond's with the girls and their mates. Anne & Craig Mason was married on Jan 23,1993 at St. Elizabeth of Hungary RC Ch., the reception was at a large " home" (Parkside Suites). Divorce ended this union with no children.
Pope John Paul II came to Denver in August 1993. We attended the Papal Mass at the Cherry Creek State Park with another half million people. It was a world wide event with President Clinton and VP Gore here. In March,1993 we drove in Spain about 1300 miles seeing Avila, the Escorial, the tomb of Franco, Columbus, Ferdinand & Isabella, We saw Grenada, Seville, & Cordoba with a Mass in the large mosque. The large aqueduct in Segovia is very impressive & the beautiful Mediterranean in Malaga (Picasso) and Marbella, Spain is to be not missed. Rhonda & Avila are two real favorites.
Into each life some rain must fall. In July, 1993 I was diagnosed with insulin, dependent, diabetes, a Vida family disease. I thought of a magazine article written by a patient of mine who got diabetes & explained the feelings he got when I told him the diagnosis. (Campus Life, Oct. 1983.) I went to Mayo's to find out that I have untreatable, non-systemic vasculitis with multiple mono-neuropathies. The 23rd known case, per Dr. Dyk who is THE expert in the field. What a cross it is with severe hands and feet pain & numbness but no need complaining (much) because I must endure this.
On Jan. 21, 1994, Katrina Elizabeth Hoggatt, with big brown eyes, came into our lives at Swedish Hsp, Englewood CO. She was baptized at Ave Maria Ch., Parker, CO. Suzanne & Steve Nuttall are the Godparents.
We visited Spain in March, 1994 & loved it even more. This time we spent time at Toledo, a nat'l monument, & went to Palm Sunday Mass with the Cardinal Primate of Spain. What a ceremony! We also saw Rhonda, with the huge bridge, & Marabella. We went to Tangier, Morocco via hydrofoil. It is third world but interesting & mysterious. We bought a camel-bone chest and a red oriental rug. We drove to Lisbon, Portugal and what a rat race that was when you can't read or understand anything. Saw a great Roman aqueduct, other Roman ruins and castles all over the place. The Casa Mateus was a delightful motel where we stayed. We drove to Gibraltar. Very majestic but too commercial. We did go to the very top of the rock & saw the Barbary apes who like to be fed by tourists. One jumped on top of my shoulders & nearly scared me to death. Lois laughed her head off. I nearly died.
We celebrated our 30th wedding anniversary in 1994 & Anne finished her internship at Penrose/St. Francis Hsp on June 10,1994. We went to the Olympic Nat'l Park on 6-15-1994. Crescent lake was especially nice. We took a ferry to Orcas Island, San Juan Islands, but it rained! The second hottest day in the history of Colorado was June 26,1994, hottest=105 F. On Aug.13-21,1994 we were in Maui, Kauai, and Oahu, Hawaii for the 1st SMITH family reunion & to celebrate Mom's 80th b'day and everybody attended. A great time especially for Craig who caught a 195# marlin & Steve got a 135# yellow-fin tuna. We all got to sample the fish that night...good.
On March 23-29,1995 we were in Ft. Lauderdale FL for a little R & R & stayed with the Ritter's at Playa del Mar, on the very exclusive Galt Ocean Mile. We saw Ft. Lauderdale on the New river & the Riverwalk. Ft. "Liquordale" used to be the spring break Mecca but now it is Daytona. It has a bunch of intercoastal waterways for boating. We drove down to Key West, FL which is very tropical & laid back. Lots of gays, authors and retirees are there. There is 340 days of sunshine & the temp is 90 degrees x 6 months. Got to see a near extinct Key deer the size of a dog. We then visited "The Breakers" which is the mother of resorts in Palm Beach, FL. It is an Italian palace on the sea coast with miles of very expensive homes. We left Ft. L at 83 degrees and came home to 14 degrees, 4-5 inches snow & a dead battery! FL is clean & green & has lots of money. There are 3 Rolls Royce dealerships in Ft. Lauderdale. We like the Mir-a-largo house owned by Donald Trump at Palm Beach. Breath-taking sunsets!
Left for Italy & Southern France on 5-17-1995 & had a great time. Went to the island of Elba where Napoleon was exiled & visited his villas. Saw lots of things such as Monaco which was very clean. We arrived for the Grand Prix. We then went to our condo at Via Reggio, IT. We motored to Pisa & I really liked it. We went through the Tuscan Hills which were quaint & pleasant .We visited San Giminano and saw the numerous towers. We visited Avignon in Provencal, France & the Palais de la Pape occupied by about 6 popes & several anti-popes. We then traveled along the French Riviera and saw Cannes & the other fancy places. Ended up the trip at our favorite place-"The Lake District" and drove all around the lakes. Went to Lugano & Milan, Italy where we saw the sights of these delightful cities. We revisited the Basilica & paid a visit to St. Charles Bororemo in his dramatic crystal coffin underneath a large main altar! A truly different experience but rather common in Italy where you see unusual relics.
Bought a condo at the Miramar Royale on 6-23-1995 at Hutchinson Island near Jensen Beach, FL. Oct. 1996 went with 2 dtgrs & 2 g-daughters to FL and it rained the whole time. Trip from hell. Anne was miserable. Karen unhappy. Meredith & Katrina loved Shamu.
I sold my practice to Porter Hsp on 2-29-1996 & embarked on a new mode of practice & am anxious to see what happens, also got a new associate in the deal, Mary A. Hanlon, MD. In March we all flew back to Pittsburgh for grandma V. 80th birthday. It was at Braddock's VFW hall & every relative was there. It was great! The last part of May 1996 went to FL condo with the Donhowe's who are our neighbors in FL & CO. We drove threw every city in FL even going to the panhandle to visit the Whites (fmr patients) in Niceville FL. Went to Miami & South Beach where Lois enjoyed seeing the "hunks" flexing their muscles. Took a postgraduate course at Maui HI in 8-1996 and stayed at the Westin Maui...was delightful & I am all smart again. I accompanied Lois to her Med Assistant convention in Philly. We got to get reacquainted again with this beautiful city which holds fond memories for us. Anne told us about her divorce & we are all sad but anxious for her to be happy. In 1997 she married a nice lad, Kyle Durlam in Las Vegas NV. Her wedding was sanctified in Jefferson IA. in front of the families. Having a good year with the stocks! (Too bad it all ended when a tremendous bubble burst in 1999 & we lost a lot!)
1998 started with the birth of our FIRST grandson, Trevor Douglas, at Swedish Hsp on Jan. 15th. In February went to UCSD for a course at Torrey Pines & had a good time reliving our experiences of 24 years ago!! I retired from my practice on 7-1,1998 with mixed feelings after spending 6 months with the family practitioners. The patients were very kind with their praises & I will sorely miss them ie. Jack Perera, Robert & Gladys Loney, Stan Pacyga, Ferguson. The state of FL is burning down, OH is flooding, & CO is burning down too. It is very HOT. In October, 1998 went to Europe & motored around for 1 month. Got to see Luxembourg & Prague, Czechoslovakia in addition to Venice & Padua which are really wonderful cities. I'll swear that any Italian city you go to is rich in history & you could spend a month at each city! It is without a doubt my favorite country with Austria a close second.
As 2000 started we were at the FL condo with Suz and Steve along with there friends. Had a beach party with 90 minutes of fireworks. On May 15, 2000 our 4th grandchild, Bryn Rose Durlam, was born & was just a beautiful newborn. Anne had a hard time and needed a C-section. In May took our 1st cruise to Greece & Turkey. Istanbul and Ephesus were particularly stunning & Turkey is a must see place. In 8-2002 back to Rome for the beatification & Papal mass of Father Chaminade by John Paul II in the plaza of St. Peter's basilica. The following day was the first Blessed Chaminade mass said by a Marianist bishop from Canada, celebrated in the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls. We were with the students of Chaminade-Julienne HS in Dayton OH. Met the Superior Gen.,Marianist in Rome & got to see more sights. Visited Estonia, St. Petersburg, Russia (very poor but interesting), Sweden (very American), Denmark (quaint & nice) & Finland ( very nice) with the Orient cruise lines. In March, 2001 we visited the South China sea via Holland America. Saw Sydney, Canne & Darwin, Australia along with the PI, Indonesia, Singapore, Hong Kong & Macao. PI is still poor but growing. Singapore is like the Garden of Eden & we loved our travels in Australia. We attended the "Gypsy Princess" on 2-21-2001 at the concert hall. Lois became a shell-back after crossing the equator which is 90 miles from Singapore. Went on the Hudson River Valley tour in the fall, 2000 & had a great time. The best part was the Rockefeller mansion & visiting West Point during a tornado!! Geo. W. Bush elected president with "hanging chads in FL."
My dear mother died on 8-13-2001 from a stroke. After a Mass & Rosary in Denver CO we took her back to her beloved Dayton OH. Had a great visit with George Vida III & his family. On 9-11-2001 the World Trade Ctr. bombing occured which will affect every body greatly in the future. 9-11-04 New York City was hit by airplanes made into rockets & killed 3000 innocent Americans...an abomination!
In 2002 took a trip to Santa Barbara, CA area that is very southwestern with a turquoise sea, harbor & mission. Montecito is a beautiful city where life is beautiful. Visited Carsbad & San Diego...what a change since 1974! Went to Sant Catalina CA via hydrofoil & enjoyed Avalon. Visited the brand new Getty museum in LA & it is beautiful. June, 2002 saw CO burning down with the Hayward fire near Perry Park burning 137,000 acres. The worse fire in CO history. On 8-13-02, Nessie, the family Scottie, was euthanized at 12 years old. She was a wonderful pet. Terrible drought continues thru out the entire state; causing much concern. Dillon lake has dropped 35 feet! & is 41% filled along with every other body of water in the state. Low water at Genesee with Bear Creek Stream a trickle. Never seen anything like this before. Trevor & Bryn are asthmatic & this worries us a lot. The other g'dtgrs are well & enjoying their year-round school & are doing very well. Suzanne & Doug Rougier got married on 10-19-2002 at Julie's hse. We are all excited for them. Have taken up bicycling again with Jim Donhowe. In 2002 OSU won Nat'l Football Crown & Chaminade HS, Ohio State Champs!
On 5-7-2003 our 4th g-dtgr, Madeline born in Lutheran Hsp., Wheatridge CO. Suz & Doug are so proud & we are so happy! My favorite word in the English language is "Grampa." We beat Iraq in a war but North Korea is a problem. We had the Big March Bizzard of 2003 with most snow since 1913 (5'-7')! SARS pandemic is scary. Bob Hope & Jude Werling, my boyhood friend, died in 7-26-03. Maddie was baptized on 10-5-03 at St Jude RC Ch.
2004, Chet Hoggatt,a nice guy, died. Celebrated our 40th wedding anniv with renewal of vows at UD chapel & trip to Montreal, Quebec, Boston, Newport, RI & VA! Bush re-elected!
2005 sold FL condo & bought our Denver condo. Off to Mexican Riviera via cruise. Pope John Paul II died on 4-2-05. Benedict XVI elected. To Philly for Lois' PGH 42nd reunion. G'ma Vincunas died 6-3-2005. On 7-20-2005 it was 105 degrees F, highest temp.on record in Denver.
2006-Went to San Antonio & Austen, TX. Had a great time. In March, 2006 we were lucky to take a cruise to South America from Rio to Santiago, Chile. She had a great time & all the men wanted to dance with her. This is an exciting, beautiful place with beautiful lakes, mountains & people. The large cities are fantastic and a must see. We hated to come home. It seemed like it would be our last cruise! I don't know why.
In June, 2007 went to Moab, Utah with Madeline had a fantastic time. It is beautiful there.
On 2-29-2008 we sold Genesee & prepared for the big move to the city In May, 2008.
On 4-30-2008 Lois died peacefully at the Donhowe residence in Genesee at 69. We were all there. Grave site is: Mt Olivet Cem., Wheatridge, CO, Section 9, Row 1. GPS coordinates: 39.78322 -105.14511. Need I say more after 44 years of a wonderful marriage to a saint?
Lynn Smith, Ph.D. died at age 86. He was a good friend. Visited Mesa Verde & Sante Fe with Madeline in June, 2008. San Diego with the Rougier's & had a blast!
Feb. 20, 2009 went to Machu Pichu, very exciting. Visited Peru, Ecudor, Columbia & Panama. Was fun but without Lois it is hard to do anything. I miss her so. I also spent some time in FL visiting friends.
Years ago I was told that "mother medicine was a jealous mistress" so I gave her lots of time & she rewarded me handsomely. I was very happy despite my bitchin'. She even gave me my wife who was more than a helpmate but the backbone of our family & my best friend. She suffered from my occupation & melancholic Magyar personality. I have 3 wonderful daughters who have all successfully carved out wonderful lives for themselves & made their dad proud. I have sons-in-law that are fine, upstanding, Christian men and hold great promise for the FAMILY. Lastly I have 5 wonderful grand-children & words can't describe my emotions & love that I feel for everyone. I hope that where ever I go there are mountains! GO BRONCOS! & BUCKEYES! THE END!!
Dale J. Smith, MD
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