Uncle Don and Aunt Rosamond

Let's talk a little bit more about family, but this time more recent and not frightening, Uncle Don and Aunt Rosamond.

Uncle Don was Donald R. Stevenson. He was my mother's older brother. He was a good athlete in high school, and won a scholarship to Lawrence Academy where he prepped a year before attending Columbia University on a football scholarship. That's right, the Ivy League awarded athletic scholarships then. He played for the legendary Columbia coach Lou Little. He also won the intramural championship in wrestling (something I also did at Susquehanna my freshman year). When Allison was accepted at Syracuse we started seeing Uncle Don and Aunt Rosamond on a regular basis, as we would stay with them when we visited Allison. One of my greatest joys was when you chose to go to Syracuse and we would renew the relationship we had with Uncle Don and Aunt Rosamond for another 4 years! Sadly, Uncle Don died just after you were accepted. This allowed you to develop a very special relationship with Aunt Rosamond over those four years. You both share a sense of fashion and style. Recently you visited her and she gave you a special gift of jewelry that Uncle Don had given her for her wedding. You plan to wear some of it at your wedding. Rosamond married Uncle Don after she lost her husband. She has two children, from the earlier marriage, Laurie and Nina, who went on to have stage directing and acting careers. Both were launched by Godspell which was written as a masters thesis at Carnegie Mellon where Nina attended. This play also launched the career of Stephen Schwartz who wrote the music and lyrics and went on to do the same for Pippin and Wicked. Aunt Rosamond also graduated from Syracuse University. She played the piano professionally after graduation and even though she suffers from arthritis she still plays! This fall Aunt Rosemond, who is currently 96 years old, will move from a lifetime in Syracuse to California to be close to Nina and Laurie and their respective families. I know she is a very special person to you as was Uncle Don to me!