There is great sadness in today's pootie diary as triciawyse shared the news of the unexpected death of one of our own, HylasBrook. Hylas was one of the anchors in the pet diaries, there every day with stories about her beloved pooties, or the wildlife around her home, or giving advice or laughter or hugs to whoever needed such things that day.
On August 16, almost exactly three years after joining the Daily Kos community, Hylas shared some troubling news:
I didn't post much last week because I was in the hospital for 4 days.
I've been diagnosed with endrometrial cancer. It's been caught early & has a 95% 1-year survival rate and 93% 5-year rate. So that's pretty good.
I decided immediately that I am going to be a cancer survivor, not a victim.
There has to be a KOS group for people with cancer, but I haven't been able to find it.
As you can imagine, I'd like to get some good information about E. C. as I go through treatment.
I'll be getting a hysterectomy. No emotional or hormonal problem since I'm well past menopause. (A friend's mother has a nice way of putting it. "You have two rooms. The crib room and the playroom. Now the crib room is gone, and you still have the playroom.)
But practical advice on managing post surgery would be helpful.
Thanks so much! The pootie diaries have been a source of great pleasure & support, and I know they will comfort me as I convalesce.
The next day, aside from recommending a few diaries over that weekend, HylasBrook disappeared.
And now we learn she's dead. A lovely, funny woman with no family at all, save her pootie people family.
This diary isn't about that, so much; much grieving is still going on in the pootie diary, and attempts are being made to find homes for her animals.
This diary is about at least one community here where we not only don't know each others' races, we don't care. I wonder how many HylasBrooks are in our membership? People to whom issues of race would seem to be important, and yet who quietly live their online lives taking care of things that really matter to them.
Like friends and pooties and books and the environment.
User number 173296 has logged off. Godspeed, my dear friend. ♥
HYLASBROOK'S PROFILE
Black spinster 62. Lives in upstate NY, near the Berkshires, in the country in beautiful Mission house with 7 darling cats & bears, foxes, turkeys, coyotes, raccoons, and skunks all around.
UPDATE: HylasBrook's obituary (h/t BlueJessamine)
Anne E. Reuter
10/13/1948 - 9/9/2011
Anne E. Reuter obituary
“I often said when looking at a gravestone that it is the dash between the birth and death date that encompasses a person’s life-the joys, the sorrows, the passions, grace and beauty—all represented by a simple line” Anne Reuter
Anne E. Reuter, a resident of Caanan, NY, died peacefully on Sept. 9th, 2011 after a brief but courageous battle with cancer.
Anne was born on October 13th, 1948, in NY, NY to the late Hazel A. Lambert and Alvin F. Reuter. She obtained her undergraduate degree from Scripps College, Masters of Library Science from Simmons College and a Masters of Information Systems from Syracuse University. She held a long standing career as a Network Analyst and Engineer within the Banking industry.
She is survived by her loving family of friends, Victoria Nevins and children Maeve Nevins, Raven Henin and Liam Nevins; Lionel Sharp, John Sharp and sons Daniel, Ryan and Steven Sharp; Patrick and Kathryn Piper and daughter Elizabeth Sharp; Jon Oleksak, Ron Carbone, Ellen Namer, Roberta White and many others.
Her greatest joys were her feline friends -- Daisy, Rigel, Grace, Luci, Celeste & Smokey. She was well known in the local animal rescue community for helping to provide loving homes for cats who needed a second chance. Her love of science fiction inspired her to write a novel. Her fascination with architecture, astronomy and politics guided many of her world travel adventures. Anne never stopped pursuing knowledge, and constantly upgraded her IT skills. This dedicated diarist was a life-long scholar of all things historical. She took special interest in the studies of English monarchies, Shaker history and ancient gravestones to name a few.
Anne was a self-reliant, candid, and hardworking woman whose love and dedication to her family of friends and animals was unconditional.
A graveside memorial service is set for Saturday October 1st at 1pm, at the Woodlands Cemetery in Cambridge, New York followed by a gathering to celebrate Anne’s life.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the
Columbia-Greene Humane Society in memory of Anne Reuter.