Gene's youngest daughter Lynn is my first best friend. Our mothers met at the pool when we were about one or two years old. Jackie and Connie became friends, and so did Lynn and Nannette. I loved play dates at the Melander home in College Heights. Their cute Schnauzer "Duffer" would greet me at the door. Lynn and I would scamper around the house with free reign playing hide-and-seek. The smell of cookies that Jackie baked filled the air along with the sounds of beautiful music coming from Gene's record player. A great lure of the Melander household was the puppet theatre in the basement. We were free to create whole narratives between the puppets. As teenagers, I remember a special dinner at their home with almost-rare roast beef, which was delicious (but perhaps why Lynn became a vegetarian). That evening was pivotal for me because of the free-ranging exchange of ideas. Gene deftly steered the conversation in a philosophical direction, which I found to be stimulating, fascinating, and validating. My obligatory "thank you for having me" at the door that night was different because my heart filled with gratitude toward Gene. He had made me feel that my opinions were worth hearing. It was a tremendous gift. Together with Jackie, Gene always seemed to me like the quiet, strong, thoughtful center of the Melander household. I'm sorry I didn't know him better, but the Farrells send their love & comfort to all of you.