For Bruce

I'm sure after my last post people have had their fill of death. Too bad, I'm throwing another one at you and then hopefully I can put all of this behind me.

There were these family friends we had in Calgary. The Leitl's. A most incredible family. Never in my entire life have a seen a family so bonded, so incredibly happy to be in each other's company. And with the ability to spread joy to others. There were the parents, Karl and Sally, and their children Bruce, Steven, Jeffrey, and Susan. They played music together, they sang together, they did everything together. They were the family Von Trapp. They made the Walton's look like a biker gang.

Karl was Austrian and had the most amazing accent and twinkle in his eyes. He was one of those people that just made you feel better by just being in the same room as you. He was an executive at Dome Petroleum, Jack Gallagher's dynamo of an oil company in the '70's and '80's. I never understood how Karl worked, because he was simply too much of a nice person. I couldn't even imagine doing business that way. Who the hell would listen to you? But he demanded that attention. He was very much Captain Von Trapp. You know, the good one, after he falls in love with Julie Andrews. Just an amazing demeanor.

We used to spend a lot of holidays and vacations with them, even Christmas one year. It was always so bizarre to me that he we were, a world record setting family of dysfunction, and our friends were these wonderful flawlees people. I was like a loaded spring around them. I was under so must pressure to burst into dysfunction I could have made diamonds in my armpits. The only thing stopping me was my father's shaking fist looming over the front seat of the car as we pulled into the driveway. If only they had an Oscar for Best Performance by a Threatened Youth.

I can't go on enough how wonderful these people are. And I wish I got to see them more over the years since I leave Calgary. I know you are thinking that it was Karl that passed away, but it wasn't. Their son Bruce was out here on a business trip about 2 weeks ago. Bruce was strong as an ox and fit as a fiddle, but not his heart. He went to his business meeting here where he collapsed of a massive heart attack and died. My heart just bleeds for Karl and Sally and the rest of the family. He also left behind his wife and young daughter. It's not often in life that something happens like this and you say to yourself "it should have been me instead." But this is one of those moments.

Being a tight knit musical family, they used to sing after dinner. Karl being Austrian, I would often ask them to sing Edelweiss. Not only is it the most beautiful National Anthem ever written. It is one of the most beautiful song's ever written period. I would expect no less from the family Von Trapp.