We had the privilege and honor of meeting Carol and Dick Smith at the Acapulco Princess Hotel many years ago. It was a chance meeting in one of the seven pools at the resort. We liked them and their friends right away. Luckily, they thought we were not that bad either.

People often talk of a Circle of Friends and what a circle we have. Carol and Dick from San Diego, Dee and Caryl from Chicago, Rose and Frank from Connecticut, with us the token young from the Big Apple. We would all meet at the Princess every year for more times than I can remember. Always at the end of February. Now and then another couple would join the group, this was always great because it provided an opportunity to abuse someone new.

A good life is made of memories, which at the time, didn't seem so special. In retrospect, most of our best memories were shared with our "Aca Friends." We'd work hard all year knowing that, the week and a half at the Princess with our friends, would bring balance to our lives. But there was more to this willingness to travel from all over the country, in one place in a foreign country. I'm convinced we all made the pilgrimage just to see how much food Dee could eat at one sitting. It's really something to witness.

Carol is by far the brightest of the group. Such a "Intellectually Charged Jewel." A truly special person. We talk of her in the present because we've come to learn that "Death ends a life, not a relationship."

A woman that will forever be remembered for her Grace, Class, Elegance and Intellect.
The epitome of balance.

FOR THE RECORD DEE:
Even Carol agreed that there is no such thing as Italian Pasta Gravy ... it's sauce.