A letter to my father: I still can’t believe you’re gone Dad. And yet, here we are.
Thinking back over my life as you helped raise me up, you were instrumental in shaping my character to this day. Here’s what I learned from you:
Always commit to doing your very best. Follow thru and finish the task. Be truthful and honest in all your words and interactions with others. Follow your heart and dreams. Always be generous with your gifts of time and money.
Beauty is in the simple things of life. Live simply!
I will forever miss your smile, your crazy dance, your competitive card games, your wisdom and your commitment to being there for your family.
I Love You Dad,
Your daughter.

We are sorry for your loss. It is also a great loss for us. Bob was a good friend and neighbor for the past 23 years. We will miss his laughter, funny jokes, and good advice.

Your mom and dad were so supportive of our family when my husband, Van, died. We were having a memorial gathering at our house, and I wanted to let them know about the extra traffic. Your dad immediately offered his driveway and his garage for any delivery trucks and cars; such a beautiful gift to us. Over these next 5 years, it was my pleasure to become friends, where I would bring cranberry relish or other desert to them and your dad would send back the 3-ingredient peanut butter cookies that my son and I totally enjoyed. I miss both of them sitting in the outside swing, waving to whoever was going up or down the street. Bob was a true gentleman, kind and caring. We are the richer for having known him. We will carry your family in our hearts.

Linda I just received your note today. I’m so sorry to hear of Bob’s passing. We had some interesting talks about our family over the years. I will miss those very much.

Dear friends and family:

This is Eric Roden, a cousin of Eileen’s writing from Madison, WI. I am so very sorry to have learned of Bob’s passing. Thank you, Linda and Rob, for your card and letter sharing with us this unhappy news. I turn 62 next week, so although we’re officially related as first cousins, “Bob and Eileen” as I have known them all my life always felt very much like my Aunt and Uncle. I have great memories of them visiting my family in Harrisburg, PA most summers as I was growing up. Later on, when I left the area to go to grad school, I would still see them on trips back home in the summer. Later on still, my wife and our two small children visited them in Deland, on the way to and from a trip to Disney World (we were living in Tuscaloosa, AL at the time). They were very gracious hosts, and we have lovely memories of that trip, which seems now like all too far in the past (our kids are 26 and almost 24). We exchanged Christmas cards with Bob and Eileen each year, and the occasional letter. It is sad to know that I won’t be able see Bob again. He had a great sense of humor and as I recall was never shy about expressing his opinion on various topics. One thing I recall is how one summer (after I was an adult) he brought some wine to have with dinner at my parent’s home, and although they accepted it, I’m not sure they approved since drinking wine with dinner was never (ever) something they did. But that didn’t stop us from enjoying a glass. I also have good memories of him playing guitar, for a number of years running, when they drove up to PA in the really cool re-outfitted van that they took so many road trips in. I actually aspire to having something like that in retirement, and can pretty identify between Bob (and Eileen) as the inspiration for that. But the best memories of all that I have of Bob are of our conversations. We had a kind of rapport, and I realize now that it was really good for me to talk with him in my early years of adulthood, as someone kind of like my parents, but not quite, as he and Eileen were around 10 years younger than them. But I recall that at the time Bob treated me as an adult, and that meant a lot to me a young person on the verge of coming into real “grown up” life. It breaks my heart to have to say goodbye to Bob after having known him literally my entire life. But at the same time it warms my heart to know how deeply Bob was loved by me and so very many other family and friends.

With deepest sympathies and best wishes to all, Eric

Dear Eileen, Rob, Linda & Your Families,

Sadly, a truly decent man has now left the Earth and gone on to a better place. We are so very sorry for the loss of your Bob – your Dad – your Grandpa.

Bob was so kind and caring, warm hearted and full of fun. Quick witted, he would often offer a comment that would generally just crack you up! It was always interesting to listen to whatever stories, anecdotes, tidbits of knowledge he cared to share.

We have such fond memories of times spent with Bob and Eileen over the years – both here in Pennsylvania when they’d come to visit Eileen’s “Uncle” – Gene – and his wife, Alene Roden, and also from when Lisa and Alene went to Florida back in 1998 and stayed with them for nearly a week. The ultimate hosts – so gracious and accommodating, entertaining us at their lovely home with Eileen’s good cooking and Bob’s guitar playing, as well as taking us to a wide variety of enlightening events!

We will miss Bob, as we know you all most certainly will. We hope in time warm and loving memories will help to bring you comfort and peace.

With much love always,
Lisa (Roden) and Joe Ketrick
Hummelstown, PA