Uncle Renso

 August 27, 1927- May 27, 2022

The following was written by my cousin Nancy (Renso's daughter):

First he was my father, a steady guide and serious advocate. He was my softball coach and shouted from the sidelines, “eye on the ball! “ He was the first who taught me the mechanics of drawing a face, He was my mentor.. He was a fierce tennis opponent and told me exactly where he would hit the ball, right down the alley and would always make the shot. He was a subtle negotiator when I had conflicts with my mother and gave me the space to make my own choices. He taught me the love and peace that a garden could bring.

IN the past nine years he became my friend. I was the cook and he was the guinea pig, often asking, “what’s this green stuff” . He liked then grew to love my pizzas and quiche and though he rarely cooked, he often came up with new flavors and partial recipes that I would try to replicate. We talked politics and weather and discussed what to plant in the open spaces of the garden and sometimes we would agree to disagree on any one subject. And we laughed, hearty belly aching laughs.

He left this world exactly three months shy of his 95th birthday and five days short of the date when I first arrived to help him take care of my mom. I was so fortunate and am grateful for the time I was able to spend with him but I can’t deny that I still wanted more time.