Bilgewater

Tooie's sister Brooks wanted to share some thoughts with us, including stories about Bilgewater. Tooie loved Brooks very much and was so proud of all of her accomplishments; he bragged about her all the time. Without further ado:

I remember Bilgewater well, a Siamese cat who always sailed with Tooie. Tooie once took me and a few of my classmates on a day sail along the Potomac. 'Bilge' was there too, soaking up all the attention.

When Tooie lived in Washington, I spent a night on his couch. The next morning, I woke up to the feathery tickle of whiskers on my cheek. When I opened my eyes, there was Bilge, nose to nose with me, a feline wake-up call.

I have a vague memory of how Bilgewater got his name: When Tooie pumped out the bilgewater from the boat, Bilge would rush over to the the side of the boat to watch, somehow fascinated.

The Johanna I remember was a small black cat that had belonged to our Aunt Olive.

About your day at the beach last weekend, when I spoke to Tooie on Tuesday, he told me about the family get-together with such delight, in spite of the weather, in spite of the late start. He loved his family so much, was so proud and happy to be with them. I think his role as pater familias is the one he loved best, and I'm so glad that he had a chance to see all of you together again. I wish I could have been there too.

Brooks