Saturday, August 27, 2016
Aidan and I grew up together from the first grade. We played all sports together all the way through school. In high school we played football and track together. We both did the high jump in track and Aiden was always a little bit better than me.
My Dad raised racing pigeons and Aiden really enjoyed pigeons and he really loved begin around my Dad. Aidan wanted to have pigeons, so I helped him build a nice pigeon cage in his backyard.
One of our faviorite memories was our trip to Mt. Whitney with my Dad to go camping and me stayed at Lone Pine and Aiden and I climbed Mt. Whitney. My Dad was sick with altitude sickness and waited at the bottom for us. We raced all the way because we were trying to hurry to get back to my Dad at the bottom.
I started working for Ralph's Grocery Company in 1964 right out of the Army. Aiden got a job there also. I decided after 15 years to move to Seattle with my wife and children, but we would always keep in touch throughout the year with Aidan and see what he was up to. Our conversatons were always fun and lots of laughing. It was like we were just around the corner again.
Aidan has been my best friend for 64 years and I am not able to grasp that he is gone. I am sick that I did not know that he was so severly ill. I would have flown out to be with him. But....no one knew.
Aidan would give you the shirt off his back and do anything for you. When we would travel down to see my mother, in La Crescenta, i would always repair things around the house for her. We always called Aidan so we could visit and also grab him to help us and bring tools that we might need. We always had fun and usually ate together a meal after the work was completed. Everyone enjoyed Aidan's visits. This visit would undoubedly include a recitation of one of his favorite poems and we would roll our eyes and laugh.
Aidan was bigger than life in so many ways.....he loved life and everyone he met...almost. :-)
I am broken hearted to lose this wonderful friend. Farewell my friend. Frankie
