As most of you know, we lost our matriarch, Cay Francis, in January 2013. Though she was not around for the start of Camp Snoops, her passion and support for our mission showed far before we lost her. Cay and her husband, John, would travel to PA for many of the Memorial Day services at Saint Mary’s School in Schwenksville, PA.
In October, at our BBQ, we featured this story about our wonderful Mother/Grandmother/Great-Grandmother. Please feel free to share this blog and wish a great woman a Happy Birthday!
The Camp Snoops Project is now in it’s 5th year! We know! We can’t believe it, either!
Our Mom, Cay Francis, passed in January 2013, a year and a half before we launched the Camp Snoops Project, so you many of you never got to know her. “Ma Cay” would have been just as gung ho as the rest of the family in working to promote this nonprofit in our Matt’s memory. She and our Dad, who was here for our our first three BBQs, were the foundation of our family, and they are truly missed.
They supported everything the grandchildren did and attended all their activities, graduations, ceremonies….so why wouldn’t they road trip to Matt’s duty station?
Matt had broken his leg…and like anything we do, he did it all the way…severe, in two places….a total mess and casted from the toes to the hip. As a result, he missed his deployment and had to remain at Camp LeJuene and, pardon the pun, he was not a happy camper (we put this in for our Mom-she loved puns!)
Anyway, Matt was walking down the steps from one of the buildings on base and our Dad was walking up the same steps to get information on where to find Matt. He and Mom had just driven onto the base to surprise visit him and Mom was waiting in the car. Of course neither expected to see the other, and caught off guard, Dad said “Hi, Matt” and Matt said “Hey, Daddad” and they kept going on their way for a second or two! Then they realized they’d seen each other, doubled back and had a good laugh!
And that was Mom and Dad….always there for their family. Whether you knew it or not, whether you expected it or not. We know they still are. And we sure do miss them.