Some Random Recollections

Mommy’s twisted arthritic fingers play a dramatic arpeggio on her precious piano as Gayle draws a breath:
“There is…. A house… in New Orleans… THEY CAAAALL THE RIIIIISING SUN!…”
Daddy smiles gleefully, his familiar twinkle in his eye,
Our jaws drop as Gayle’s exquisite, powerful, commanding voice, in full operatic form, fills every molecule of our parents’ apartment with Light and Sound.  Who knew???  Wellll….   Some of us did, but I sure didn’t, and hearing that resonant voice emerge from Gayle, accompanied by my Mother’s melodious “Whoo Hoo!!”, is a moment I shall remember forever.

Then, there were the hours upon hours, days upon days, that Laura and Gayle SO generously came over to help us pack up our parents’ voluminous belongings from our beloved family home on Ashurst, in preparation for the not-so-down-sizing move to a beautiful apartment on Van Aken Blvd.   The process took our small army months, and we literally could not have done it without those two Angels, relegated to the basement workspace, sweatshirt sleeves rolled up to the elbows, the screeching tear of packing tape accompanying the repeated crunch of newspaper wrapping.  One delicate porcelain teacup at a time.

I have known Laura since I was but a pipsqueak.  And never had I seen her glow with such a sense of being at home in her own skin and full of love and joy, as when she and Gayle’s lives came together.  Their compatibility to collaborate creatively seemed boundless, and they were always championing one another’s skills and interests.   Their many animated cards and holiday gestures are particularly memorable for me as their shenanigans abound.

Gayle was unfailingly warm, generous, compassionate, respectful, and unabashedly honestly herself every time I ever saw her.

As mentioned in Laura’s tribute, her facial expressions communicated a vast array of emotions and attitudes, from stormy to concerned, empathetic to reproachful, determined to goofy, pained to playful, considerate to loving.

She was unflaggingly loving and devoted to my sister and brother-in-law, Debbie and Howard, and to our beloved parents, Mama Shoil and Papa Hank.    In fact… lucky us:   we sport two little dioramas that Gayle crafted for them that capture them with uncanny accuracy. How did she DO that???

Remembered, Missed, and Loved you are, Gayle!
Forever in the Hearts of the Segal Family.

With Love;
Terry Lilian Segal