RIP Marie Cogan, who passed away at midnight at age 93. My oldest brother married Marie's wonderful daughter Jill when I was about 15 or 16. Marie was a great woman who lost her only son Jack to AIDS, her husband John to Alzheimers, and her only daughter Jill to cancer. They were such a great and close family who fully supported Jack and his partner regardless of their traditional Catholic beliefs. John and Marie moved to California from New Jersey after losing Jack so that they could be near Jill and my brother and their four kids. Marie never became bitter or defeated even with all the loss she suffered and was a great grandmother who happily got to see her first great grandson born to my oldest nephew and his wife last year. She loved her chardonnay so I am going to open a bottle this evening to toast the long life of a tough old gal.