Ice Cold
Thursday February 3, 2022 was a stay-at-home day in
Saint Louis. It was seven degrees outside our Creve Coeur apartment. I was
expected to teach special education classes remotely. Lynn cleared with her
employers at Garbanzo Mediterranean Fresh and Colleen’s Cookies. The weather,
staffing issues and Covid-19 would mean no work on this icy Thursday. Ice was
everywhere and blanketed by snow. Plows only made parking lots and streets marginally
passible. It didn’t surprise me that Lynn didn’t get out of bed. Even as I
peaked into our room she seemed to be getting much needed rest. I checked more
carefully by mid-afternoon. I touched her leg. She was ice cold. The shadow
over her face was a purple hue. The 9-1-1 voice instructed me to get her to lie
flat and do chest compressions until the response team from Police and EMT could
arrive.
I went through the first three stages of grief in
about sixty seconds. “This cannot be happening” (Denial). “Come on Lynn, you
gotta get up” (Anger). “Please God, give us a miracle recovery…” (Bargaining).
“I’m sorry for your loss.” What? “She’s gone.” The
horrible news is delivered. I am stunned. Now they want to know if there is
anyone they can call for me. They want to know if I needed a priest or a rabbi
or clergy. Shaare Emeth is just down the street on Ballas. The Canter Seth
Warner was in the neighborhood and arrived quickly. I was pacing and in a fog.
Canter Warner says, “I’m here to support you and I am not leaving until you SIT
DOWN.” It was some minutes before I could sit down. Lynn’s cell phone rings and
it is my wonderful mother-in-law. (Lynn had been preparing biscotti and treats
for her mom’s 91st birthday in 11 days - Saint Valentine’s Day Feb
14). I picked up the phone and knew I had to break this news to her. She was
the first person in our family network to know. Toby was moved to tears but her
strong character prevailed. She immediately offered a final resting place at
Temple Beth Miriam Cemetery next to Lynn's beloved father Dr. Samuel Stevens.
Bopp Funeral Chapel was called to handle the body in Saint Louis and arrange to fly my wife to New Jersey. Toby was on the case for funeral service arrangements at Bloomfield-Cooper Chapel. Meanwhile Canter Seth Warner invited me to a youth service at Shaare Emeth on Friday Night in Saint Louis. Lynn Morgan was honored with mentions at the beginning and end of the service. Our kids (Lindsey and Ben) were able to use Zoom to view the service. I was there live. Shabat Shalom.
Fire + Ice
Some
say the world will end in fire
Some
say in ice
From
what I’ve tasted of desire
I
hold with those who favor fire
But
if it had to perish twice
I
think I know enough of hate
To
say that for destruction ice is also great
and would suffice.
Upon hearing of Lynn’s passing my brother and his wife drove from Cleveland to St. Louis (about 650 miles) to be with me on Saturday night. Dan and Annette arrived after 7:00 pm at which time we settled by the comfort of the fireplace at the Cheshire Inn lobby. It was here in the cozy old English tutor surroundings that we appreciated the warmth of the fireplace. Dan and Netti and I agreed stay on that setting and ordered food from the hotel restaurant. We had our picture taken with a cell phone in front of three Andy Warhol silk screen portraits of Queen Elizabeth. She has been Queen since 1952 – 70 years. I noted later that it was 1952 when the Queen of our family Toby (a.k.a.TR and Toto) married Dr. Samuel Stevens.
Dan and Netti invited me to join them on Sunday at the
Cathedral Basilica for mass at 10:00 a.m. This was a mass celebrating the consecrated
life with the Archbishop of Saint Louis Mitchell T Rozanski.
After mass, I tricked Dan and Netti into following my
car to breakfast at Art Hill and the Saint Louis Art Museum. Here the
snow and ice was perfect for sledding Saint Louisans.
Fire and Ice by Robert Frost.
Lynn with her mother (the matriarch, Toby Stevens) and her sisters Debra and Randy in November 2021
Lambert Airport to Newark
Liberty International
The Intrepid, The Met and
The Great Lawn in Central Park with Ben
I got the VIP treatment. Flight arrangements on United
Express with and a Group A boarding pass. I had a window seat number 3 on the plane this Wednesday
morning, February 9, 2022. My son Ben confirmed that I would be at Gate A
Baggage Claim. Ben suggests that a quick trip to New York City and a museum might
be do-able. I loved that idea. We settle on The Met as our destination. Traveling
in his BMW comfortably, in spite of traffic, it is a thrill to see Skyscraper
National Park again and pass midtown to the upper west side and the
Intrepid Sea Air and Space Museum on the pier and make our way past his old
neighborhood on Amsterdam Avenue. He artfully pulls into a parking garage on 83rd
Street and we walk enthusiastically a couple of short blocks to the Met, climb
the steps to the doors that clearly spell out that the museum is closed on
Wednesday. No worries, we admire a sculpture, Unidentified Object 1979, by Isamu Noguchi (1904–1988) one of the
twentieth century’s most important and critically acclaimed sculptors. We walked to the Great Lawn in Central Park where I was able to confirm Ben and
Allison (and James) address to Sayed’s wife. Sayed, the owner of the Garbanzo
Mediterranean Fresh and one of Lynn’s employers wanted to send flowers. “She
was one of the restaurant’s best employees” his wife offered. That little
side trip was such a joy.
The VIP treatment
continued at 28 Dorset, Ocean, NJ compound and Ben and Allison opened their
house to cousins, kids, and soon a contingent of Morgans (My brother Greg and
his boys, Wes and Matt and my youngest brother Rob). James came home from
school to a variety of play and eventually dinner that included Ben’s special
Mac and Cheese. My daughter Lindsey, her husband Chris and their remarkable 5 ½
year old Lawton would be my ride to dinner at the Deal Lake Bar + Co. The
Morgan posse joined us so that we could monopolize the table. Uncle Greg was
quick to pick up the check that included three orders of Deep Fried Oreos. A
rented SUV with Five Morgans driven by Uber Greg was my shuttle back to
28 Dorset before they headed back to their hotel.
The moveable-feast
continued on Thursday as more family descended on the compound at 28 Dorset in
anticipation of services at Bloomfield-Cooper Chapel and Internment beginning
at 11 a.m. the next day, Friday February 11, 2022.
