It's been a bad week in Sandpoint for the locals. Names keep popping up in the obituary sections of the paper, and we know too many of them. This morning's local paper had to have two pages devoted to life stories or announcements of those whose lives have ended.
Yesterday, on Facebook Lisa Sundquist Gates wrote a short tribute to her dad "Doc" who had passed away sometime during the day. Bill and I saw Lisa and her husband Brandon on Father's Day at the Blue Heron cafe. We enjoyed a nice visit. Lisa told me that day that the family had expected her dad to pass away before her mom Irene.
Well, "Doc" wasn't too far behind. And, his passing will touch a segment of the population connected with law enforcement because he worked with the local sheriff's office for years. It will also touch local Catholics. Gordon "Doc" Sundquist was a member of the St. Joseph's Knights of Columbus.
Early this morning I received a note from Bob Lange of St. Joseph's, which, in part, said, "Gordon 'Doc' Sundquist passed away late this morning. As you all know, Doc had been struggling with medical issues for many years.
He and Irene are together again in a much better place.
Doc was an Honorary Life Member of the Knights, having become a Knight in 1974, and was also a 4th Degree Member."
Sunday I learned about Vern Eskridge's death. I was shocked but later learned that he had been diagnosed with lung cancer a few months ago. His passing will leave a void in the hearts of his many museum friends who sat at the research table over the years while Vern worked tirelessly and enthusiastically on a myriad of projects.
Along with that work came a lot of chuckles and anecdotes to suit every situation being discussed.
Along with that work came a lot of chuckles and anecdotes to suit every situation being discussed.
I first met Vern while working for the Forest Service back in the late 1960s. He was part of the crew of engineers who dedicated each day to planning, development and improvement of the vast network of back woods roads in what was then known as the Kaniksu National Forest.
I can see in my mind's eye many faces from those times who are feeling a huge void with the loss of their good friend and co-worker. To say Vern was loved by all would be an understatement.
I cannot get the thoughts of this weekend's boating accident, where a young married couple in their 30s died, out of my mind. Every time I think about this tragedy, Amber Coffman's beautiful smiling face pops up among the images.
Amber was one of my English students back in the early 1990s. She and her husband Darby died after the fireworks show when their boat slammed into one of the Long Bridge cement pilings.
I also taught Amber's two sisters Daisy and Clarity. I don't have specific anecdotes to share except that Amber was always pleasant, cooperative and positive, and she had a beautiful smile. I knew her dad Steve as a teaching colleague. Such a nice man. And, I knew her step-mom Cheryl, also a devoted local elementary teacher.
Since I first learned about the accident on the Sunday evening television news, I've heard various observations from other stunned residents. One saw a boat being towed on Sunday and wondered what had happened. This same person told me a second-hand story of how Amber and her husband had turned around to help out some other boaters.
Another resident told of crossing the Long Bridge and seeing the sheriff's boat out in the lake below and wondering why it was just sitting there. Last night Bill told me about a friend of the Campbell family first hearing of the accident via his cell phone while watching the Clark Fork 4th of July parade on Sunday.
The news traveled through the community, and the shock is still very tangible to all who knew this young couple and to perfect strangers, horrified by the magnitude of the accident.
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