Happy Birthday Brother

Today Jan. 29 is my younger brother Jack’s birthday. He is not only my younger brother he is my best friend. Usually we talk every Saturday morning on the phone since he lives in Virginia while I live in Washington State.

Since he left for college many moons ago he has not lived in Gig Harbor, Washington. We see other about once a year. He not only comes to see me he does for mother too. His middle son Ian lives in Seattle, Washington now and works for Microsoft after graduating from Harvard last year along with his fiancée Helen.

Jack met his wife Anne while he was a student at Harvard. They got married while they both were attending Harvard. They have three children besides Ian.

They did some traveling after graduating from Harvard and then both getting their master degrees. They spent two years teaching school in Taiwan before he became a business consultant. He has worked for several different companies over his career while Anne has taught high school English literature first in St. Louis, Missouri and now in Virginia. After a short period in Washington D.C. they moved to Minneapolis, Minnesota where he worked for Honeywell and they spent a couple years living in Germany for Honeywell while their two oldest children my niece Leslie and nephew Robby were small. Both Ian and their youngest son Danny were born in Minnesota before they moved to St. Louis.  They lived in St. Louis for about seventeen years before moving to Virginia a little more than two years ago just after Danny graduated from high school. Anne took a new teaching position after teaching in St. Louis for quite a few years. She took the position in Virginia because most of her siblings and both parents live in the same area. The decided the best idea was for them to live near family. Jack actually still works for the same company he has in St. Louis for last several years. He works out of his home and does some traveling as a consultant.

It would really be nice if Jack was living closer to here however it good that he is at least living near family. Mother does not travel anymore because she is ninety-five years old so he tries to come out here as much as he can. I hope in the near future to be able to visit him back in Virginia depending about Mother’s health. Currently Leslie and her husband Daniel live nearby along with Robby who now is in D.C. too. They are blessed to have family so close together.

Growing up in Gig Harbor we were pretty close along with our older brother Dick who no longer is with us. What made Jack special was that he could relate to both Dick and me who were not that much alike. He really brought us together.

Our parents thought Jack was an angel and could do no wrong. I am sure a lot of older brothers could relate about their younger brother. Other words in some respects he was a stinker back in those early days. I have to say I was to as well. Jack and I did some things together that today we would say we are not proud of; however we did have a great time though. I will have to write in the future about some of those things we did.  Dad’s birthday is only a day’s away next week and he always considered Jack his birthday present. I will write about dad when his birthday comes. 

Again I have to say happy birthday today to my little brother Jack. May you be blessed!