family – Lorin Duckman Today

Cora Duckman and Little Lorry

So, I finished mourning my Mother’s death, 30 years ago, almost to the day. She died right after I was charged and way before I was convicted (that was still 30 tortuous months off). Still not sure how it happened though she told me she heard Governor Pataki railing at me. The next I knew, she had a heart attack and died, leaving me motherless and family less.

I will always blame Pataki and his Court of selfish fools, along with all of you who ruined my life and my career. I read the words you wrote and saw your faces as you testified against me, made fun of me, humiliated me, denigrated me, banished me and convicted me. I never recovered.

We should never hate even those we don’t get along with or understand. And we should not jail or kill those who love freedom and justice, especially the ones without the power or money to defend themselves.

I light a candle for her.

Liz Duckman and Sheryl Bender

So, Sharon’s genealogy research brought us a cousin we didn’t know, Liz Duckman (on the right). She lives nearby in West Palm. One month older than me. Her father is buried around the corner. It’s the only family I see.

Her friend of 40 something years, Sheryl, visited. We went to lunch at Morikami, but got rained out.

Alan Mark Ulick, Died Yesterday

My cousin, Alan Ulick, the son of my Father’s sister Gert died in his home yesterday. His marital partner of 25 or so years, Harry Small, was at his bedside. I think he was 83. Very Sad.

On the wall in my gallery hangs a picture of his Mother and my Father when they were kids. I had a second image and decided to look him up and give it to him, along with a picture of our Grandmother, Hannah Duckman, after whom my Brother, Henry Hannah, and his Daughter, Hannah are named. This image was made in 1921.

Other than a brief meeting, a few minutes or less, in 1954, when he was a teenager and I was a kid, we had never seen or spoken to one another. This past winter, Google found him living nearby in Hollywood FL.

I called. We spoke. Alan and Harry came to our home for lunch. I learned about him. He learned about me from the internet (no time to explain), plus I told him the little family history there is of the remaining Duckman family.

I gave him the pictures, an outdated family genealogical history done by cousins Jerry Winter and Herb Sumliner (in which he is named) and shot this image, along with a few others. We hugged and they left.

We agreed we would get together again, but his illness and treatments prevented it. I would have liked knowing him better.

Cora Duckman, Mother’s Day

Always sad to celebrate a Yarzheit and Mother’s Day so close together. But she died not loving me or so my brother said. He is dead, too. No way to ever find out how or why or what happened.

Potato Juice

Oceans Seven Plus Sharon

I love smart women.

Only Sharon Knows

Good For Me

So, my Father, Lenny, died at 54. I am 70, almost 71. We both had tough lives. He died of leukemia and so will I. Had a nephew who died of it, also. No one knows if lymphoma is hereditary. It doesn’t go away and it cannot be cured. Sharon is never going to give up on me. I won’t die unloved or alone.