Cousin David

And on the same theme of loss . . . another death occurred yesterday. My beloved Cousin David passed away in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, with his wife, brother and son at his side. Thank goodness they made it there in time, in part thanks to me and the "mas o menos" Spanish I've been studying since I retired 16 years ago. Last week his wife called me twice with updates on his condition for me to pass along to his brother. She chose to call me because between her English and my Spanish, we are able to communicate quite well. David's brother speaks no Spanish. She that he wasn't eating, that he couldn't talk, that he was skin and bones, that he was dying, all of which I shared with his brother. I also got the address of the apartment they had moved to in order to be closer to medical care and the name of a nearby hotel. Armed with this information his brother and wife made their way to Vallarta and were able to spend the weekend with him before he died. David was a kindred spirit, as my son Mike described him. He was a writer, an entrepreneur, a real estate developer and probably many other things I'm forgetting. He had lived in Mexico for decades and spoke fluent Spanish. He was charming, irreverent, creative, generous and very funny. He had three wives and two children. He welcomed us to Mexico many times over the years and arranged for housing at the time-share hotel in which he was a partner. He entertained us with boat trips and seafood barbecues on the beach. One year he came to Bethesda to celebrate my Dad's (his uncle's) 90th birthday. I always called him "mi primo favorito" (my favorite cousin) and it was true. Rest in peace, David. I'm going to miss you.