RIP abra

[LLapp]

Nitefly a.k.a. Gail's son - Thank you for coming here and connecting with us. Honestly, I can hear your mom's spirit in you. She has told us in comments, in various ways, how grateful she was to be able to stay at home to raise you, how bright and decent a kid you were and how fine a man you are, and how much she enjoyed her grandsons. I suspect that at some point, in the hours before she passed, she knew your dad would be okay because you're there.

[oddcouple]

This is Gail's son. The outpour of love for my mother from people she never met in person has been overwhelming. On Facebook, but this community in particular meant a lot to her.

I wrote a really long message - but if you want to know more about what happened, find me on Facebook or ask around here how to find me and I can tell you.

I want to thank everybody for the show of love. It means a lot to my dad too. Dad is doing OK, but this was very, very, sudden, and they shared a bed for almost 55 years. There's just never a good time for this to happen.

I want to thank Eureka for telling the community here. She's explained to me how to read all of the comments, but I may save that for sometime I want to read something she wrote.

I want to thank Fudi for recognizng the serious issue with creepy crawlies. The part of her will be committed to Earth is $8 worth of mostly carbon. It could be up to $12 now. Either way, I hope she's having a good laugh about that.

I'd like to thank LLapp for confirming what I have suspected since Monday morning, that Mom would think that there were only 12 people who cared she was gone. This was Mom. But it wasn't true. I'm even shocked. Also saying the fact they got along so well but not about politics, but that gave her hope for the future. It does me too. For people. Politicians, I don't know.

If my mom knew anything personal about you, your problems, your hopes, if your kids got over their cold, or how the job interview went - she prayed for you that morning.

If I didn't mention you by name, seriously, still thank you. My mom loved this place. She loved games, but she also was trying to make sure her mind stayed sharp as she aged.

--Not signing my name because there's probably enough here to steal my identity, and i'll delete it eventually for that reason

I know that there will be a lot said about your mother in the next few days, including a memorial service. Please tell her husband, siblings, grandchildren and others how well respected and loved your mother was among her fellow cryptographers. I for one wish I had had the opportunity to meet and talk in the flesh. I'm sure many others feel the same way. She truly was a special person. David in North Dakota.

[LLapp]

I second what Oddcouple said. Yes, please do pass along our love and respect for you mom. She had a rare balance of guileless kindness, dry wit and seasoned wisdom. And please also let your family know that her friends here are from all backgrounds, from all over the USA and from other countries and continents as well.

Lisa in Pennsylvania

[Synonymous]

Nitefly thank you for your comments. I have very fond memories of your mother. She was always self-conscious about using commas, and I laughed many times at how she would debate with herself on whether a comma was needed or not. I'm smiling right now. Your mother came through as a genuine loving and caring person and she is already missed on the Cryptogram site. May she Rest in Peace and may your sorrow, pain and grief be lightened, just a bit, knowing that there are people out here who never met her but loved her dearly and appreciated all that she gave to this community.
Synonymous aka Van

[Synonymous]

Van in California

[Eureka]

A message from abra's son: For those of you who want to see Mom's service, it can be viewed here https://www.howellfuneral.com/obituary/Gail-Henry Thank you from my father, myself, and our whole family for the outpouring of love for my mother.

[Deanna48]

What a beautiful service. I was stunned when the pastor mentioned our crypto-community! And the poem about the ship was lovely. Thank you for sharing this!

[Synonymous]

Thank you Eureka for sharing this.

[hrossa]

Thank you Eureka and abra's son, I was blessed to see the beautiful service and think about abra. I had never heard the poem about the ship, and I loved it too.

[montyb]

I shall miss Abra's whimsy and common sense. At one time I believe she left a comment that she had spent part of her life in Indiana, and I commented that we could have been neighbors and that she should have stopped by for a spell.
One of my fantasies was winning the lottery and inviting all the cryptogrammers with whom I have interacted to a get together weekend somewhere. (My treat of course; after all I just won the lottery.) Abra's name was always near the top of my list.
Goodbye, Abra. You may not have realized it, but the world did become a better place for your presence.

[Eureka]

With the start of Lent yesterday, I was reminded that abra used to give up cryptograms for Lent every year. She didn't make a big announcement about it, but would just disappear during Lent. If someone asked where she'd been, she'd tell them. Then last year I noticed that her name kept popping up during Lent and I figured that she had decided to give up something else instead. Then, after Lent was over, she said that she had given up playing cryptograms as usual, but would pop in from time to time to read the Chat Box so she wouldn't miss anything that was shared there. I was really touched by that, and it illustrates so well how much she cared about us. She really did have a special gift for making people feel good about themselves. Thank you for that, abra!

[Eureka]

333110117_913166273198970_5722042094725007966_n.jpg

[LLapp]

"GO CUBS GO"

I love that.
Eureka, thank you for posting that photo.

[hrossa]

Cubs! Near to Abra's heart, but not as near as her family. Thanks Eureka.

[Synonymous]

Nice. Thanks Eureka.