Another loss

I found out today that another friend has died. Camille Austin, Timmy's godmother, passed away on Thursday, leaving her 19-year-old daughter, Lauren. She is also survived by her fiance, Paul.

I don't know the details of what happened, although she had been fighting breast cancer for some time. I will be assisting with the music at Camille's funeral on Wednesday.

My heart is so heavy for Camille, for Lauren, and for Timmy. Camille was a good woman, strong in her faith, and had suffered so much from the death of her husband, Alan, several years ago. She and Lauren were as close as a mother and a daughter can be. Her entire world revolved around Lauren, and she once told me she had postponed any real commitment to a man until after Lauren left for college. She put Lauren through Catholic elementary and high school, and one year of Fairfield for college. Lauren transferred to UMass-Amherst last year.

Camille was one of the first people I told when I found out I was pregnant with Timmy. She knew all that we were facing at the time, when we were just beginning to understand that Abby might have special needs, and Brian was 6 months old. Always interested in fashion, she told me that she liked my outfit at the Christmas Eve 4:00 mass, whereupon I blurted out that I was pregnant. Right there in the sacristy, she said, "Oh my God," and understood right away that it was not the time for congratulations.

She brought Lauren for voice lessons for a few years, and spent many a half-hour in the family room with Abby and her babysitter, Kayla, while I vocalized Lauren upstairs. The checks she wrote to cover the lessons had Snoopy on them.

She always remembered the kids at their birthdays and Christmas, but also at Halloween and Valentine's Day, too. She was a thoughtful, caring, fun, practical, fancy, gracious woman and friend. I miss her.

Camille and Timmy, January 2006