For Bob Van Epps:
I found out today that one of my dear friends and avid
readers of our blog has passed away from complications from cancer. Cindy and I met Bob Van Epps and his wife
Sharyn while living in Germany in the 80’s.
They were both with the Department of Defense Dependents’ Schools (DoDDS)
and we would run across each other several times every year when we would enjoy
long and lovely dinners. Bob - whom I
always called Roberto do to his affection for Italy - was a man of many
interests. Extremely well read, a master
of several languages, a brilliant student of written and spoken English, and a
consummate gourmand.
During our time in Bahrain, it was Roberto who would
patiently respond to my blogs with explanations and sometimes corrections and
often witticisms. He was the one who in
infinite detail explained how sugar undergoes a molecular meltdown when added
to microwaved coffee, which is why it all erupted out of the mug. While in
Moscow he would fill in some of my blog observations with historical context,
while at the same time letting me know which brands of vodka were drinkable. It
was Roberto who would take one of my phrases and write back with three optional
alternatives, all of which were much more descriptive. He used words the way an expert mason uses
mortar and he built strong and beautiful walls of prose.
We last met in the fall when, in typical Roberto fashion, he
sent us directions to an Italian grocery store in the middle of some non-descript
warehouse area out on New York Avenue in Washington. We managed to find it –
Bob and Sharyn were already there - and for the next hour we wandered around
this cramped store that was filled from ceiling to floor with all things
comestible from Italy. We examined the
wines, selected the olive oils, loaded up on pastas and picked the best of the
freshly made sausages and cheeses, all the while listening to the Roberto’s
narratives explaining the details of all the products, their place of birth and
their brief histories. We left with as
much new knowledge as we did Italian products!
I shall miss his pithy comments on my writing as well as his
companionship at dinners. He was a
remarkable individual who died too young.
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