RIP Lowell Hall - Cancer Sucks!

Sadly, another family member has been taken away by the awfulness of cancer.  My mom's wonderful husband Lowell has passed away from pancreatic cancer.  He fought a great fight, and his heart was strong.  But he was comforted and and secure in his faith, and has gone to Heaven to be with God.  He was surrounded by his loving children and my mom, all holding his hands and praying.

Lowell was a character, with a glint in his eye and silly joke on his lips.  Teasing (in a good way) with a lot of sass and energy.  And he loved our mother, with all his heart.

Lowell and Mom had traveled to Ohio a number of months ago to get better treatment than what he had been getting at the VA in Florida.  They had rented an apartment in Ohio to stay close to his three grown children. We had been there a few weeks ago to say goodbye, and assure him that we would help mom afterwards to get where she needed to go. Maybe she will spend some time with us, or maybe get her down to their home in Florida.  We made him comfortable and at ease, knowing she would be taken care of.  His biggest worry was about her, and how she would manage after he is gone.  

He brought a lot of love, laughter and happiness to my mother. We were so glad when he joined our family and gave our mother the respect, love and attention she deserved.  Mom needed him as much as he needed her.  They make such a great pair. 

I love these two pics below.  We were out riding around Florida, doing some sightseeing on a visit with them.  I was trying to take a "nice" picture of them together.  Suddenly he said something, only Mom knows what he said... but look at her expression in the pic on the right!!!!  Yes, that is LOVE!

Mom's life was filled with his crazy ideas--- new vehicles all of the time and changing homes a number of times. Always on the go, this guy would find great deals on this or that... and soon mom was either packing, unpacking or getting used to driving a different vehicle.  From motorhomes or campers, to trucks or cars, to lawnmowers or tractors, to summer homes or winter homes and anything in between.  He was always finding something to do, buy, trade, fix or sell. 

Every time we got a motorhome, they went and got another motorhome.  We teased him that his was always a year newer, a foot longer, or 4 inches taller etc than ours.  They loved travelling, and Lowell had many years of being a truck driver under his belt.  He used to always want to know where we were travelling, not by town, or county, or park, but the ROAD we took or the highway number! LOL 

Steve and he were like two peas in a pod... always working on something together.  Our vacations to Florida mainly consisted of those two dabbling in projects, while Mom and I did our own silly little crafts, or canning, or cooking or shopping thrifts and rummage sales.  But Lowell and Steve loved the rummages too, and rushed to join us to go rummaging.

Best memory of rummaging was with Lowell, tracking down a rummage sale in the country, following signs, and saying "this will be a biggie, no kids stuff, just guys stuff, no J-U-N-K"  (he always spelled it out)   Finally we get to the place, and guess what?  It was a quilting museum shop that was having a rummage sale!!!  hahahahahah He got hornswaggled into going to a quilting museum and shop!  LOL ...we gals got such a kick out his expression!  But he did come in and oogle the old machines and interesting displays along with Steve.   By the next rummage sale, we found him a set of very expensive torches for cutting and welding for only a few dollars, so he was in a better mood by then.  LOL

At family gatherings, Lowell was an accepted part of the family, even with our father whom they got along just fine.  We never liked using the word "step" in our family.  Both my dad Steve and Lowell were "My Parents" and that is how we liked it.  He fit in well, don'tcha think? 

From the very beginning, upon meeting Lowell.... Mom warned me that he doesn't like dogs, especially BIG dogs.  Never did.  Hmmmmmm  Well, I tell you, he latched onto our dogs, and constantly was sneaking them treats.  All of the time!   He would make up nicknames for our dogs, and called them his made up nickname and not their given name.  Duke was "Rochester"  and Ducky was "Elizabeth" and Finney was "Beauregard" ...  and the dogs listened to him and came when called by their new nicknames, because they KNEW they were getting treats! 

He would feed them whatever he was eating, breakfast, lunch, dinner or snacks.  Finnegan loved his cheese puffs sooo much that we were figuring he would start emitting out bits of orange poofs from his butt! As soon as my back was turned, he was opening up another treat and sharing with the dogs!  "Don't like dogs" yah.. .right.

Well, dear Lowell...  

please feed my doggies up there in Heaven,

until we can come and join you. 

--- and I will bring you an apple pie---