UPDATE 2018: Deborah Cotton Lipsett

I have a brand new granddaughter to announce! Clara Hope Lipsett was born yesterday, August 7th. The daughter of my son Andrew and his wife Emily. Clara joins her brother Henry, age 5. Their sweet sister Ida was stillborn in 12/15 so Clara's safe arrival feels like a miracle to us. I also have a granddaughter Abigail Martinez who is 18 months and SO adorable, the daughter of my youngest, Katherine, and her husband Rafael. Middle child Susan Lipsett remains single but very happy. ALL three children live in the Boston area near Roger and me. I cannot believe our good fortune in that regard. 

All my kids heard many stories of Hawaii while  growing up from me and from my mother Mary Cotton (1922-2011). My Dad died at 55 in 1977, alas, and never met his 6 grandchildren who started arriving in 1978.  He loved the Islands. After he died my mother never ventured back until our whole family, including my brother and his 3 kids, went back in 2006 for my 40th at Maryknoll. We ended up blindly renting houses that belong to Yuki! Susan Chong Wong, Patsy Wong Young, Yuki and others organized a party for us at the houses. Such a great memory. I miss Patsy so much. She was my closest friend and neighbor in those years and our mothers were also very close. I recently found a beautiful letter she wrote me after the birth of her daughter. If anyone knows how to reach her daughter, let me know so I can send it to her?

I have been back to Hawaii only once more since the reunion, in 2013, to Maui for a work trip. I flew right back as Henry was only a couple of days old  and I was eager to see him. 

Roger has retired and I plan to essentially retire at the end of the year. Hawaii is high on the travel list especially for winter trips! I stay in touch most closely with Marilyn Coffman through Facebook. It turned out Marilyn lived within two miles of my brother in Pasadena for decades but I did not know. He has now retired outside SF. How much fun we could have had during my visits to see him! For all that is wrong with Facebook I think it is going to be boon for keeping people together who are far-flung and as we age and cannot travel.

I hope you are all well. Remembering our youth with such fondness!

Deborah Cotton Lipsett

Clara, Henry, and Ida

Clara Hope Lipsett