Barb was the youngest mom in the neighborhood, and I thought she was the prettiest. (After my mom of course.) I recall being in her house one day as she was preparing to go out for the evening with her husband, Dick. I thought she smelled great. I asked her what perfume she was wearing and she replied, “Tabu”. It’s one of the few fragrances I can identify.
My friendship with Suzy, the oldest Coatta child, began in junior high and grew throughout high school. She, and her younger sister, Sandy, introduced me to some friends who lived across town, Karen and Debbie. The first time we were together was a warm summer evening, just prior to our eighth grade year. Bill Graham, Suzy and I were out front of the Coattas discussing junior high topics when Karen and Debbie arrived. Suzy introduced us, and we remain friends who seldom see each other.
Karen and Debbie had a backyard pool. Suzy, Sandy, Bill and I rode our bikes to the pool a million times over several years. There were times when others joined us, but the four of us were pool regulars. Bathing caps for the girls was a requirement. They had a little backyard changing station for us to put on our suits and dry off after our pool time.
Suzy and I became very good friends. Bill and I spent a lot of time at the Coattas just hanging out. We played cards, went to the movies together, had our parents drive us to Edgewater Amusement Park, went to the school dances, but most of the time, we just talked. As we got older our discussions turned to dating advice. Sue and I never dated each other, but went on double dates and counseled one another.
Those years were the best. I learned a lot from my time with Bill, Sue, Sandy, Karen and Debbie. I learned how to dance, hold hands in the movies, kiss, what being in love and jealousy felt like, offer support, and hold my breath for more than a minute. Going to college changed all that for me. We saw each other less frequently. Eventually, we all got married and had families of our own.
The three oldest Coatta girls married guys who lived less than a block from them. Sue married Lee who lived on one end of Minerva, and Sandy married my friend, Mitch, who lived near the other end. The third, Deanna, married Glen who lived a few houses down and across the street from her. The last time I was in the Coattas house was 1976 when Deanna married Glen.
That night, after the festivities were over, several of us gathered in the Coattas family room to play cards. Ruth and I, along with our one year-old, David, spent the night at my parent’s house. Ruth went to bed while I continued to celebrate with my childhood friends. We took a break during the game to go outside with Dick. He had a miniature cannon that he set off on special occasions.. His children’s weddings ranked high on the list.. After the loud KABOOM, we returned to the game.
The last time we were all in the same place was Sandy’s funeral nineteen years ago. She passed after a fight with cancer. That’s the last time I spoke with Dick. “We’re not supposed to bury our children.”, were his last words to me. I had conversations with Barb, Sue, Deanna, Bill, Mitch, Karen and Debbie. We were there to commemorate Sandy’s passing. No one considered that she brought us together again. That’s one of the purposes of weddings and funerals. They bring people together.
I ran into Barb a few years ago at the Detroit Tigers fantasy camp. We were on hand to watch my sister’s friend, Ted, play in a fantasy game. We talked a bit about her family, her Florida home in Lakeland, and reminisced about the years we spent on Edgeworth. That’s the last time I spoke with her.
I went to Barb’s funeral last Tuesday. Suzy and the Coatta clan were joined by Karen, Debbie, Mitch, my sisters, and me. I spent a few minutes with each of them and enjoyed catching up. I’ve seen Mitch a time or two in recent years, but the only time I see the others is at someone’s funeral. I expect that trend to continue. We’ve run out of parents to honor, so the next line to fall is us.
If that’s the case, I hope I don’t see anyone for at least another nineteen years.
So many fond memories of all our friends & years together growing up. I certainly learned to hold my breath under water with you & Bill?. We were so blessed with our parents & neighborhood, making a secure foundation for the rest of our lives. Hope we passed that along to our kids. Thank you, Bob, for coming to Mom’s funeral. Agree, no more for a long time.