Ann Bakker. She was both crystalline and mercurial. Her beauty, her shimmer, simply dropped out, leaving us all with only cold clarity. We met Ann a year and half ago. She is the wife of Jerome, my supervisor, who has become a friend. We grew close over this recent twenty months. We laughed, we cried, we visited, we dined. We cajoled with each other, whined and complained, and in turn, rejoiced at all we were thankful for. We grew to be true friends, those that you would do the unthinkable at the drop of a hat. Yesterday, life was stolen from Ann’s body. Her family suffered a week of misery by this unannounced fate. She was a youthful fifty-two. We are cheated, all of us. For the personnae that she embraced, was not enough. The last time we encountered Ann we were leaving the park for our trip west. She was walking her beloved Samson. Jerome rode along with her. As our eyes met theirs, we laughed. A practical joke was fielded, and without words, glances were enough. We all burst into laughter. That’s how it was with Ann. There is a reason far beyond my thought process for this “void” life has surrendered unto us. In time, we will learn this. And Ann’s purpose in our lives, the fate of our meeting, shall be rejoiced in ways too numerous to calculate . We love you, sweet Ann.
My photo pays homage to Ann’s spirit. It was taken at the 2010 Halloween party in the cafe. I chose it for this was she; witty, quiet but fun. You can see the enjoyment on her face at the height of her “Jerome” season.
We are sorry for your loss.
It seems like a lesson we must learn over and over again, of how fragile and precious life is and the need to make the most of every day.
Please extend our sympathies to Jerome … he must be devastated.