Count me in.

Andrew
Bainbridge Island WA

-----Original Message-----
From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On Behalf Of
Joy Hecht
Sent: Friday, October 24, 2008 7:23 AM
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
Subject: Boston Bob's family - please help

Hi all,

I just saw the emails about Bob having passed away - I've been in transit
and didn't get them yesterday.  Bob was a good friend, a warm and
caring person, who provided the heart keeping Matilda going, but more
importantly was always willing to help me and to invite me into his home and
his friendship.  I spent time with him whenever I was in Boston.  And now
I have just arrived back in Boston from Mali to find this very sad news.

But that's not why I'm sending this email.  As some of you know. Bob's
teen-aged daughter Julie is severely retarded.  Bob and his wife were under
extreme pressure all the time because of the challenges of taking care of
her, both emotional and financial.  Bob had an insurance policy with which
he hoped Julie would be supported after his death, but I cannot imagine he
though it would come so soon.  Nor, from what he told me, do I think it will
be enough.  His wife - I think her name is Karen - was working nights to
help support them, so that one of them could always be around to mind Julie
when she wasn't in school, as she cannot be left alone.  They had little
cash to spare even with two incomes.

I would love to see the vanagon community make a significant donation
through the pay it forward fund to help Bob's family at this time.  Larry,
if you think that is appropriate, I will be happy to put in at least a few
hundred dollars.  I hope anyone else who has benefited from Bob's engines,
his advice, or considered themselves a friend of his, will also be able to
contribute to whatever extent is feasible for you, to help his wife and
their other two children (both in college, I think) deal with the challenges
now facing them.

Bob was a really good man, I'm very sorry to get this news.

Joy Hecht