Tuesday, October 11, 2022
I’ve been flipping through my high school diary from 1974 (a real artifact!) and there’s hardly a page where Layne isn’t mentioned. We had our ups and downs, but always had each other’s backs. From CYO dances with Sunrize to fake IDs at the Frontier Room to satisfying late night munchies at the Patio or Matthews Diner, we were joined at the hip back in the day. Years passed and we drifted, but in later years after marriage and kids we happily reconnected.
Layne was a warrior. She took everything that was thrown at her — and there was plenty — and with sheer grit, soldiered on. Her battle with cancer seemed victorious until cruel fate intervened just shy of five years. If that was not bad enough, she suddenly lost her husband Jonathan in the middle of Covid in July 2020. Layne was yet another example — and we all know many I’m sure — of bad things happening to good people. And no one can ever tell us why.
I saw Layne in July when I was up in NJ for a bit. I was heartened by how good she looked; we had a lovely visit on a balmy summer day, chatting on her patio while her adorable and devoted dog Bob trotted around the yard. She was getting ready for the latest radiation treatment that was to start the following week. Tragically, the treatment took an enormous and eventually lethal toll.
Dave, Sue, Layne, Jeff, Buddy and I (along with various other DHS alumni) had regular Zoom calls during the pandemic. They took on new urgency when Jonathan died and we rallied to keep Layne from spiraling downward. I hope we sustained her as much as possible through a period of intense pain and loss.
Layne and I shared a hotel room at the Clinton Inn during the 45th DHS reunion. We had a such a blast trading stories and catching up. I cherish those memories almost as much as the ones from high school. Of course by 2019 we had so much more material…
So Layne, I know your spirit is still among us and always will be. I hope you are with Jonathan now, free of pain and at peace.
Love you, old friend.
