WebWalker's Blog

Many have been asking if there is any word yet about what actually happened to our beloved Melonie. A few days ago Cheryl and Mary finally received notification from the Medical Examiner's Office about the results of the autopsy. It seems that Melonie had Deep Vein Thrombosis and did not know it, and what killed her was when a blood clot went to her lungs. We don't understand this completely as DVT is usually something that happens over a long period of inactivity such as a transatlantic airplane flight... and Melonie had not been on such a long flight, nor could she have ever been considered inactive or sedentary in any form. But that's what the ME's office says the tests concluded. About the only good news here is that it was something that NO ONE had any control over - no matter if anyone had stayed with her that fateful night, no one could have predicted nor prevented the tragedy from happening. I know that for all their brave fronts, both Mary and Cheryl have been...

Monday was a weird day for two people close to our family - Aunt Edith (Tate) Hern, and Ethel Moore - a very close family friend for decades. These two ladies are the same age, but live in two different states. They've known each other for 50 years or more but have not seen each other in a couple of decades at least. Aunt Edith now lives in Missouri near her son Rick Tate; Ethel Moore lives in Israel but has been in Arizona visiting her daughter Janice Weston for the past couple of months. On Monday, in both Missouri and Arizona, the scene played out like this: Each woman was taken by family members to a doctor for what they thought/hoped would be a fairly routine visit. Each one was told by the doctor that she needed to be admitted immediately to the Hospital. Each was sent to the local Hospital where they were NOT admitted immediately because there were no beds available; rather they each waited about a day and a half in the Emergency Room till a bed was available! The stories h...

Rickey sent this to me and asked me to post it... it is my sad pleasure. Susan To all those family members and friends who have expressed your sympathy to us, thank you. Having the funeral for Lori was the most difficult thing I have ever done in my life. When you spend 35 years with someone, it's hard to say goodbye. Soooooo..... I have thought of some of Lori's favorite expressions and books. Lori loved astronomy and science fiction. For her, "The Hitchhikers Guide to the Universe" was almost real. Lori used to delight in telling people that she did not come from this world, but instead came from the planet Altair, and she was going to go back some day. She was always hoping for a breakthrough in teleportation or transfer booths so people could travel long distances quickly. For those who are familiar with the book, she used to say "So long, and thanks for the fish!", and then she would extend her thumb in the familiar hitchhikers manner saying she was h...

It is with great sadness that we mourn the passing of Lori Gans – wife of Rickey Lynn Gans; adoptive mother of June Tate-Gans Lori passed away on January 1, 2008. May her memory be a blessing. Hamakom Yinechem etchem batoch Yisrael, May G-d grant consolation to those who mourn. Graveside funeral service will be on Friday, January 4 at 9:00 a.m. at Green Acres Mortuary & Cemetery 401 North Hayden Road, Scottsdale AZ 85257 Phone No:(480) 945-2654 Shiva services will be held at the Gans’ residence on Saturday, Sunday, and Monday evening at 7PM. Condolences may be sent to: Rickey Lynn Gans & family 1924 E. Wesleyan Dr. Tempe AZ 85282

Rickey Lynn called me this evening at about 9:30 pm. Today was the first day of the year, and it was the saddest day for the Gans family. Lori passed away this evening a little after 5pm, and the family has lost their mother, wife, sister, friend. Lori finally succumbed to the long battle she has been battling for her life, and her body gave in to the final assault, liver failure. The funeral will probably be on Friday morning, though the details have not yet been set. The family will be sitting 'shiva,' the proscribed days of mourning dictated by Jewish tradition, at the family home in Tempe. Friends and family traditionally visit the mourners at their home during these days. If you would like to honor Lori's memory by participating in this tradition, please call me (Susan) at 602-843-4049 and I'll give you the address and directions. (Or you can send me an email -- my email address is " thewebwalker @ cox. net " without the spaces.) Lori is a beautiful woman...

Sad, sad news. Lori's condition has not improved, and she's slipped into a coma. She is in near total liver failure. Here is the latest from Rickey Lynn: Dear Family and Friends, We met with the doctors this morning, and were told that there is no hope of saving Lori. She is deep in a coma with no digestive system left. The entire family was at our house for the day to help clean the house and get it ready for shiva (mourning). Debbie and Vikki are staying with Lori while she is disconnected from all the machines so that she will not be alone when her time comes. I must admit, I could not do what they are doing, but they promised Lori that she would not be alone when it came her time to die, and they are keeping their promise. I know in my heart (what's left of it) that what we are doing is the right thing, yet it is so very hard to let go of almost 35 years. My eyes hurt so much from crying, yet what else is there to do? I've tried remembering all the good things, and ...