Last Call Margaret!

 

It's Tuesday and my faithful readers know that more often than not I travel in Salt Lake to meet with a small volunteer group for Assist, Inc. where we adjudicate individuals who apply for benefits or services from Assists emergency home repair program. Essentially, we go over all the requests for services and sign off on those we approve basically we approve everything. Were part of the grant process to show that Assist, Inc. is working closely with the identified groups of need in the community and of course, I am the token disability/wheelchair guy. Anyway, Andreas who is the coordinator of this program/group informed us today that one of the iconic members Margaret passed away sometime last couple weeks. It's one of those deals where it's not really a surprise but it's a surprise.

I wish I had an image of Margaret and maybe I will get one in retro place it into this blog when I can. I wish I knew more about Margaret's history. She was part of the volunteer board when I 1^st joined the group I think back in the late 80s. There are about 4 of us than we met weekly. Even then Margaret was a raspy voiced, cigarette smoking two-fisted drinker. Margaret's hangout was a private nonprofit veterans group that doubled as the local bar for VA folks. Actually, I think Margaret was from England and somehow migrated to the USA following World War II. And like I said when I first encountered the grand dame she was well in stanched with 2 other members of the board at the same facility. I think they moved from our Tuesday morning meetings over to the “Hall” for their “lunch”. As with most veterans she began fading out a number of years ago. A kind of lost contact when I went through my series of operations on my neck when I went through the whole stenosis thing. When I got back to life Margaret was not around as much as she used to be. We actually reached out and brought her in on phone calls when we do some of our meetings. It was great to hear her voice she always had great words for me. I was kind of surprised actually when the whole shakeup at Assist, Inc. happened and she was still part of the board/group. I think we only were able to get her out once until she faded away for good. Margaret was a good person I liked her, she was genuine she definitely was an individual from the previous century and I'm glad I was able spend a little bit of time with her before she went.

There's been some talk about putting together some kind of group to attend whatever kind of life celebration there might be for good old Margaret. A couple of the members of the group now Connor declined when Andrea's brought that information forward. They used the old standby of one remember Margaret the way she was which I suppose was the drink in one hand palm already in the other semi hammered with the rest of the crew just getting by from one day to the next a bit surprised each morning she woke up and saw daylight