Joan Magdalene Lundbech, Oct. 26, 1924 - Jan. 3, 2012

My dear Auntie Joan passed away today in Cardiff, Wales.
She was younger than my father by two years. They adored each other.
They lost their father when they were young and their mother was injured and became incapable of caring for them, so their love and admiration for each other was probably strengthened by that.
She was funny, smart and a good storyteller. She loved to tell the "true"story of my father's tales.
She had that wonderful Welsh rolled "R' and I will always hear her saying, "Now my brrrrrrother will tell you..," And then you'd hear the real version.
She was the only person who called me "Debs"
"Now come along, Debs!" she'd say purposefully, in her warm and very lively way, and in her, I liked it.
It's hard for my Dad to believe she's gone. It's always hard, but as immigrants the reality is truly difficult to grasp. Distance makes it dreamlike.
We're sad.
But all of us are so grateful to the family over there who were with her until her quiet, peaceful end.