Remembering Lindsey

Last weekend, an important anniversary came and went, and I was remiss in not mentioning it in this space. Three years ago, my pal Lindsey Patterson passed away totally unexpectedly. In the military, where way too many young, healthy folks are called to their maker before their time, this was a total stomach punch in that she succumbed to a fast-acting freak illness. I only had the opportunity to know Lindsey for a short time while we were junior officers stationed together at Kirtland, but I still feel her impact in my life on a daily basis.

Besides being a lovely, kind and incredibly fit person, Lindsey never hesitated to tell me that she appreciated my sense of humor (which, I’ll admit, sometimes ventures into the odd if not absurd). After she went to a Def Leppard concert in Albuquerque, I always used to ask her, “What has nine arms and sucks?” At Lindsey’s memorial service, we closed with Pour Some Sugar on Me. I still kind of wince when I remember that, but I like to think that she was looking down and laughing when the song rocked the base chapel.


Lindsey Patterson, 11-08-78 to 03-08-06

At a time in my life when things were tough at work, Lindsey’s appreciation resonated then and continues to resonate. When I get people to laugh nowadays, I can’t help but think of her and hope that my joking around somehow, in some small way, pays tribute to her life. I miss my friend.