The news came in this morning while I was swamped at my desk. A meeting at 11:30 and I’m woefully underprepared. I saw who was calling and immediately knew. Those calls don’t happen at work unless it is something like this. Last time he called me at work it was for similar reason. Just a different sad loss.

How? When? He tells me and I am so glad they got that time with him. It was a gift.

How are you? I ask. They have been friends for nearly fifty years. So many projects completed together. So many beers shared in the backyard. Brothers by marriage and friends by choice. I’m okay he says. It’s a lie. You can hear his voice quiver and crack. He was my friend. I loved him, you know? I know. I remember.

Rollerskating around them both in the basement when it was just an empty slab of concrete was a favorite pastime of mine. Why don’t you work on this, Karyn. Over there. Out of the way. That’s what he said as he handed me my very own tiny saw and a scrap of drywall. While on roller skates. I survived.

How many Saturdays was he called frantically to repair the computer? Then he would just stay for some lazy beers until she wandered over. Pizza was ordered and laughs were had. The four of them. Framily. It’s been so long since that happened.

He was our personal IT guy for many years until I married one. He once retrieved the files off my dead computer the Christmas my mom dictated all the family recipes to me. It died before I could print them for the family. He managed to save it all. A superhero with a knack for the nerd stuff.

He was balanced in that way. Nerdy yet handy. Not many guys can do both. But he did it well.

We will miss you. Always. Love you, Uncle.