I have been coming into your home since 1986, and I have always felt like I’m a part of your family. You know me as well as anyone does. You knew me when I had my kids and when my kids got married, and when they had kids, grandkids!
A dear friend of mine says your kids are your investment and your grandkids are your dividend. Truer words were never spoken.
And many of you knew my wife, Dr. Donna Rockwell (her maiden name). She went by that to avoid the intrusion that my name could bring. But 12 days ago, my dear wife of 38 years passed away suddenly, and just like that, our plans for now and the future were gone.
But Donna taught us all something about life and living it.
If you sign up for life, you also sign up for death. We are all crushed and heartbroken that she is gone. 66 years old, beautiful and beyond intelligent with a heart of gold and compassion for all she came into contact with.
The truth is I wrestled mightily with returning to work. After all, Local 4 is also my family. But I went by the standard established by Donna. We live by the code...W.W.D.D. What would Donna do? She understood just how fragile life is, and she knew you had to live every day like it was your last. And that gaping hole in my heart would heal, slowly, but it would.
Goodbye, my sweet Donna, the love of my life, the person who left a legacy in our two amazing sons. Have no fear, we’ll get through this because you prepared us, as you did with everything else in life.
She would often say, “Just breathe, and things will get better.” So far, it’s not working, but as Donna also said, “Give it time.” What would Donna do? Breathe.
---> Watch: Local 4 team welcomes Bernie Smilovitz back after sudden passing of his wife