So Long Uncle Jess

(This post shold have posted yesterday but taxes...well you know.)

My favorite uncle died yesterday. He has to be my favorite uncle because I really did not know any of my other uncles. I had other uncles, actually lots of them, I just did not know them. Where as my Uncle Jess, I did know and as pleased of have him be a part of my life. I had gotten to know my uncle actually only in these last two decades. Before that I was aware of my uncle only as a vague prenatal figure who I associated with my cousins.

Uncle Jess was a mystery to me up to the 1970’s. Until then I only saw him every couple of years when Uncle or Aunt Elaine would pass through Boise and stay at our house a couple of days. My uncle spent a lot of time out of the country: Germany, Israel, and Australia. When ever I asked mom what uncle Jess did I just got the line” he works for the government”. I was in university before I realized the works for the government was a euphemism for being employed by one of this countries clandestine operations. I thought and still think that this was so cool. My uncle the spook! I am sure he as an analyst or something booky but still to know someone who worked for the “Company”. We of course were forbidden to ever ask Uncle directly when were young and to shy as inquire later in life.

Growing up Uncle jess was the only college graduate I knew and he was different from other grown ups I knew-Uncle was quiet but funny and always thinking. He always asked me questions no one else would Uncle Jess made me think. I believed he really cared for me. In another life my uncles was a high school teacher—before government work.

The last house Aunt Elaine and Uncle Jess built was in Santaquin Utah. A huge ark of a home which ended being my mother last real home when mom moved there following the death of my dad. Uncle always had a garden. Dianne and I always seemed welcome at their home. A couple of years ago Uncle Jess gave me a Michail Aleksandrovich Sholokhov’s Silent Flows the Don. What a great book and what a great gift!! I later purchased QUIET FLOW THE DON THE DON FLOWS HOME TO THE SEA. Great pieces of Russian soviet era fiction which I never would have found without my Uncle Jess.

Uncle Jess’ last days were painful and challenging due to cancer. I am glad his time under the hammer is done and he can rest and explore all the answers to the questions he may have had. I do hope I get to see him again in another place and another time, where Uncle Jess will be stepping spryly in his garden, smiling and thinking deeply of the fiction he will write .