Boyd and I met when the Smiths moved into a house up the street from ours. We must have been four or five years old at the time and were inseparable friends throughout childhood, staying in daily contact after Boyd's family moved to South Pasadena, and well into our 30's. Then, our lives got busy and we talked only occasionally. And for that, I am now very sorry.
That evening, I stopped by Todd's house in Naples to drop off a sympathy card. He and Cathy were home and we had a nice chat. They filled me in on some of the few details they had about what happened. Boyd hadn't been sick and there no signs of foul play. That made me glad. Hopefully, he went without pain.
Two days later, I was so touched when Todd and Cathy asked me to write the obituary.
It was hard, but didn't take long. I sent the draft to them and received this back soon after: "Wow, beautifully written and so Boyd! I did learn from Boyd to reach out to others with the greater talent to do the dirty work. Boyd would be proud of me! And I am sure there is no person he would have rather written his obit than his lifelong friend Susan."
