[Rhodes22-list] Gone West

Mon Jul 28 18:12:30 EDT 2008

You should frame that picture and hang it in some very peaceful part of your
home.  I lost my stepfather while I was away in Brazil.  We were so in the
toolies that nobody could reach me for 2 weeks after it happened and by then
he was buried so I understand your and Fan's anguish.  You have my
sympathy.  My thoughts are with you, buddy.
Slim

On Mon, Jul 28, 2008 at 2:21 PM, Brad Haslett <flybrad at gmail.com> wrote:

> Slim,
>
> Just got back from 'tinkering' at the hangar.  We had a long discussion
> about that last night and again this morning.  Traveling to Beijing is a
> major PITA right now and Fan decided against it - I have no choice but to
> fly the next two days (about to go non-current) and Cora doesn't need
> another clock adjustment two weeks before starting school.
>
> We've been through this vicariously with friends twice in the last six
> months.  A couple we're close to and live geographically near have had to
> deal with almost the exact situation twice in the last six months.  The
> husband took a months leave of absence this spring to be with his younger
> brother dying of cancer (40ish) and the wife just got back three days ago
> from spending time with her sister (same age range, cancer, and died while
> she was coming home from China).
>
> My best friend from the time I lived in Nashville made one of the best
> observation of Mr. Shen years ago anyone could hope for, "he's got the
> kindest eyes of any man I've ever met".
>
> I see them in Cora.
>
> Brad
>
>
>
> On Mon, Jul 28, 2008 at 1:58 PM, Steven Alm <stevenalm at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> > Condolences to you, Fan and family, Brad.  Sounds like he had one heck of
> a
> > life.  Will you be traveling to Bejing?
> >
> > Slim
> >
> > On Mon, Jul 28, 2008 at 12:08 PM, KUHN, LELAND <LKUHN at cnmc.org> wrote:
> >
> > > Brad,
> > >
> > > My condolences.  It's not the years a man has lived but they way in
> > > which he has lived them.  Sounds like Mr. Shen lived them well.
> > >
> > > Lee
> > >
> > >
> > > -----Original Message-----
> > > From: Brad Haslett [mailto:flybrad at gmail.com]
> > > Sent: Monday, July 28, 2008 7:02 AM
> > > To: The Rhodes 22 Email List
> > > Subject: [Rhodes22-list] Gone West
> > >
> > > The phone rang around midnight last night (noon Beijing time) and my
> > > first
> > > thought was, "this can't be good".  My older boys are finally well
> > > established in their responsible young adulthood period so my next
> > > thought
> > > was "parents".  Fan's father got up from the breakfast table, said he
> > > didn't
> > > feel well and was going to lie down for a nap.  He never woke up.
> > >
> > > Mr. Shen was an interesting man.  He was born into a prosperous family
> > > that
> > > had their wealth confiscated after the civil war ended in 49'.  He and
> > > his
> > > wife were both mechanical engineers and he was well respected as an
> > > engineer
> > > and manager of several different factories. During the Cultural
> > > Revolution,
> > > he was stripped of his job and title and the associated privileges, but
> > > later partially re-instated because even idealistic revolutionaries
> need
> > > people who "know how to make things work". Throat cancer at the age of
> > > four
> > > and the resulting surgery robbed him of the ability to speak louder
> than
> > > a
> > > whisper.  When he spoke, people somehow knew it was worth the extra
> > > effort
> > > to listen carefully.
> > >
> > > While living with us, he quickly became Gracie's best friend.  She
> > > couldn't
> > > wait for the first walk of the day and would quietly wait for him to
> > > practice his Tai Chee excercises. I was still a Rhodes 22 owner then
> and
> > > he
> > > and I built a cradle for the boat in the back yard.  His English was on
> > > par
> > > with my Mandarin, non-existent, but with patience and pictures and
> lot's
> > > of
> > > hand gestures, we usually got our points across to each other.  On a
> > > later
> > > visit I taught him how to drive (in a parking lot) and how to sail,
> > > flying
> > > was next on the agenda.  He loved to share with his peers back home all
> > > the
> > > new skills he'd learned.
> > >
> > > Attached is a photo of Mr. Shen on his grand daughter's sailboat. He
> was
> > > 78
> > > this year.
> > >
> > > Brad
> > > -------------- next part --------------
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> > >
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> > > 65c5e/attachment.JPG<
> >
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> > >
> > >
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