Presto! A Silver-Blue Muskrat Coat For Milady!

Family, Generosity, And Caring

--By Rita Wysong
When Dad welcomed my Dad into our home in Calif. in l955, I considered it a very generous act.  Mother had been dead 2 years and Larry and Bill were joining the military. Pat had just gotten married and Daddy would be alone.

The early 1980's...

Bob was always well liked by my family and his.  I don't think he has ever had an enemy in the world. He is an all around nice guy. Through the years, Bob gave me many gifts and if I even expressed a liking for something, he went ahead and bought it for me.  For instance, a $25 hat in Balboa after we had taken a weekend trip through the Panama Canal from the Canal Zone to Balboa.  The hat would be about $200 today. Another time, I admired a silver blue muskrat coat in a store window in Washington , D.C. and presto, he bought it for me.  He was generous to a fault.

Bob has given me many beautiful pieces of jewelry - silver in Mexico, tourmaline, aquamarine and alexandrite pieces of of jewelry in Sao Paulo, and anything else along the way that my heart desired. And of course, my l carat diamond ring.

But the most  loving gift of all was a bowl of jello, surrounded by ice cubes that he brought me to the hospital when I had contracted a urinary infection in Panama. In those days, sulfa was used for infections but caused nausea. I said how I would like some jello since I had little appetite.  He rose to the occasion as always and brought me some.

Mary's wedding

He always has had an open wallet at Christmas and holidays and of course birthdays. The kids remember the l4 red roses in Beirut he brought me for our l4th anniversary.

Of course, when our daughters were married, he wanted the best we could afford in the way of receptions.  I remember Mary's wedding in particular when we were walking down the aisle - I, in a green satin long gown, and he in his white tuxedo.  I have never before or since seen him look so handsome.  He was 55 years old.