Remembering Gerard Driscoll who passed away on August 17, 2025

Hearing about Gerard Driscoll’s death made me so, so sad.  This video below shows the way I remember him.  He passed away on my son Joel’s birthday, August 17, 2025.  He was the kindest man and so loving.

Gerard married us over 46 years ago.  Seeing this video below also reminds me of that sweet time in my life when there was nothing but joy to share and pass around.  The love that poured out of Gerard was huge.  

I can’t stop crying when I think about him now.  I remember anytime Dan and I stopped by Gerard’s house, we were always welcome.  I can still see Gerard’s welcoming smile!

Modified V’aHavtah

 

You shall love the world with all your thoughts, 

with all your feelings, and with all your actions. 

Feel this teaching deep in your heart so that what you say and what you do become examples of love. 

When you lie down and when you rise up remember how special you are: 

no one can take your place in this world. 

When you go out and when you come home 

remember how special everyone else is: 

no one can take the place of anyone in this world. 

Look deeply into things so you see the good 

as well as the bad, 

and the bad as well as the good. 

Put a mezuzah on your door and on your gate to remind you to be kind and good and to remind you of all you have learned.

Passover 2024 - April 22 and April 23, 2024

I flew to Long Beach on Sunday, April 21, so I could be with my daughter Rebekah and husband Dan for Passover, but also to be with our friend Josh’s family and be with my cousins Harold and Carolyn.  It was also wonderful to spend Passover with our friend Odette and have my daughter Annabelle and her fiance Ben and son Joel video-call in and my friend Jessica voice-call in on the second night.

(Rebekah and her boyfriend Garrett will be leaving Disney On Ice after the weekend of 4/27 and 4/28/24.  Rebekah has been on the road touring for six years and now wants to be in one place for awhile.)

Below are photos of our two amazing Passover evenings.

First night:

Rebekah made a kosher for Passover birthday cake so we could celebrate her birthday 

Josh and his family: Jordan, Michael, Rocky, and Katie

Jo Ann, Rebekah, Garrett, and Dan

Second night:

Odette, Dan, Carolyn, Harold

Odette and Jo Ann

Odette, Carolyn, Harold, Jo Ann, Dan, Rebekah, and Garrett

Notice Annabelle and Joel on the iPad behind Jo Ann

We lit Yahrzeit candles in memory of Josh’s wife Gina and also for my dad, Dan’s mom, Jessica’s parents, Harold’s parents, and Odette’s mother’s dog.

This is the Haggadah we used: