In Memory of Pootie

I think detailing Pootie's statistics would be appropriate. The numbers she achieved are much like the person she was... in a word, awesome. Most of the numbers are easily found elsewhere on this website - such as... 151,330 puzzles solved out of 153,817 attempted for a 98.3% completion rate. Points amassed: 43,449,704. These are numbers that will never change; her last puzzle solved on December 22, 2012 at 3:54 PM (website time). Had she not been stricken with her illness, these numbers would undoubtedly be much higher. One number that will change as time passes will be her ranking on the all-time list, and that is the reason I felt it was important to make note of her statistics. When Pootie passed away she was (and still is) ranked 7th on the all-time list. As the years go by she will eventually drop out of the top 10, and then the top 25, and so on. It's inevitable. What's important to realize, though, is this; even in Pootie's hobbies she strived for excellence. And if she could achieve the kind of excellence here that she did, I would imagine that she was a wonderful family member, friend, co-worker, etc. I have no doubt she was the very best.

[MSunshine]

Pootie

I have missed a while, you know, tech difficulties.
So sorry to hear Pootie is gone on her journey with out us. She is in good company, you know.
Thank you Barnabas, for your "Gone from my eyes" poem a wonderful perspective for those of us left behind.
You are all so special, thanks.
Father in Heaven, smile on us today, help us to smile again. Amen
<3 Mary Sunshine

[gerrissister]

Farewell,dear Pootie

I didn't know Donna as well as the rest of you,but I just had the feeling she would always be there.I take it for granted that you all are watching and reading my posts,as I do all of yours,and I can count on you all being here whenever I log on.You make me laugh when I feel so down,I don't think I can go on,and I love you all for that.Pootie was just such a person,welcoming me to the fold and encouraging me on,even though she hardly knew me.I feel towards each and every one of you as my family,and I will truly miss Donna.My sincere sympathy to her family.

[wvwoman]

amazing, isn't it?

never underestimate the impact you can have on others!

[Lily H]

Donna's sister has been reading your comments. She wanted me to thank all of you for sharing your stories about your experiences with Donna. She was overwhelmed by the love and respect that all of us had for Donna. She is grieving now, but she may come and thank you personally some time in the future.

I am one of the many welcomed by Pootie. Besides guiding me in solving cryptograms, she asked caring questions, answered mine, and made me laugh. She was unfailingly kind to me.

Tu m'as tendu la main. Merci, Donna. Je ne te dis pas adieu mais au revoir.

[locodad]

Iam very sad of the passing of one our members. She is no longer with us but she is in a much better place and she won't be struggling with this world her pain is gone.God bless her family in this time of pain. God needed a beautiful angel to join our friends and relatives that have left us.

Impersonally personal

As a fairly new member to the site it is heartwarming to hear personal comments made about an online friend. I have noticed pootie while playing and I am sad I did not get the chance to know the person behind the user name. This site is truly a community of real people even though they cannot be seen or touched.

[montyb]

Pootie, ad infinitum

My story with Donna is much like everyone's; first to greet newcomers, birthday greetings, and such. One weekend When my wife was out of town and I was trying not too successfully to stave off lonliness, I serendipitously ran across a most apropos comment she left on a puzzle. I sent her private message about it which I will share in its entirety.


I just solved a quote from Charles Dickens about having someone to sit with when I read the following comment from you.

"I agree. Someone to sit on a bench in the garden with after a long day, and just watch the sun set and talk about your day, your dreams, your hopes. then he takes your hand and says lets go inside its late and you stand up and hold each other and think yes this is how it should be. my friend, my lover, my confessor, my hope and my future. an equal. whom you look at and without a doubt in your mind think, i love this man and he loves me...what else do we really need? that complete feeling of belonging."

As I sit here writing this, my wife is out of town visiting a friend and I miss her company. I feel exactly the same way as you so eloquently expressed. I have lived more than half my life with her and nothing has been more enjoyable (outside of raising two wonderful kids) than the simple pleasure of her companionship.

Thank you for writing this.

John


This is the Pootie I will always remember. In keeping with Barnabas' wonderful nautical tribute:

Donna, wherever you are, may the sun always be on your face and the wind at your back.
Farewell, Friend.

John

[abra]

I never noticed this yesterday, I'm so sorry.

I am so very sorry to read that Donna is gone, but I'm happy that she isn't suffering anymore. To Lily and all of those of you who were close friends I'm very sorry for your loss.
She was a very special person. A long time ago, I told her she was my hero, and she truly was. She had was so brave, and handled her illness so well.

[wvwoman]

what a lovely poem, barnabas--i hadn't heard it before, but will certainly save it.
isn't it awesome to see how many of us she touched so positively, in just this one area of her life?
lily h, can you share these with her sister? family members often have no idea about things like this, and would probably enjoy knowing about another group who thought so much of donna.

“I am standing upon the seashore.
A ship at my side spreads her white
sails to the morning breeze and starts
for the blue ocean.

She is an object of beauty and strength.
I stand and watch her until at length
she hangs like a speck of white cloud
just where the sea and sky come
to mingle with each other.

Then, someone at my side says;
"There, she is gone!"

"Gone where?"
Gone from my sight. That is all.
She is just as large in mast and hull
and spar as she was when she left my side
and she is just as able to bear her
load of living freight to her destined port.
Her diminished size is in me, not in her.

And just at the moment when someone
at my side says, "There, she is gone!"
There are other eyes watching her coming,
and other voices ready to take up the glad
shout;
"Here she comes!"
- Henry Van Dyke

I didn't know Pootie all that well, but certainly recognize her as a highly respected friend to this site. My sympathies to her family and all of her dear friends. - Chad

my tribute to Pootie

I, too, am saddened to have to say good-bye to our friend, Pootie aka Donna. She was the first one ever to respond to my plea for help when I was new to the website. In July of 2012, I was improving my skills and was able to stay right behind Pootie in the "success rate" monthly challenge. She hit the 2000th solve (100% accuracy) on July 24, and I was in the high 1900's, staying in the shadow of my role model. In the chat room, there had been some mention of her not feeling well, and then suddenly she stopped adding to her points. She stopped at 2000. Since there was still a week left in the month, I would have surpassed her score had I simply kept playing, but I stopped at 1999. There was something much more important than competition here, and it was the spirit of cooperation that Pootie herself had always shown. I felt honored simply to come in next to her, and I treasure her response to the message I sent her.

forever in sadness

Frankie,
my heart is saddened by the news of your passing, we both knew that this day was coming, but i was hoping for a little more time. you were the first to welcome me to this site, we traded pm's and e-mails for a couple of years and today i am happy i kept the voice e-mails you sent me, they are now priceless to me and if it is okay with you i would like to forward them to your big sister Lily H. i am sure she would like to hear them just as much as i do, your laugh is so contagious that i never get tired of listening to them, i am only sorry i never sent you one. till we meet again and compete face to face, i am forever in sadness, forever in darkness, forever your johnny, - jose


Dios te salve María, llena eres de gracia.
Nuestro Señor es contigo.
Bendita tú eres entre las mujeres,
y bendito es el fruto de tu vientre,
Jesús.
Santa María, Madre de Dios,
ruega por nosotros pecadores,
ahora y en la hora de nuestra muerte.
Amén.

[momof7]

Pootie will be missed

Pootie was indeed the first to welcome me on this site.
She was a lot of fun to chat with and her pm's were always worth reading.
She had a way of interacting with everybody and I always looked forward to seeing her posts.