December, 2021
Holiday Letter
I love getting holiday letters. It’s like social media but on paper and without the data mining. Neither I nor St. Laurel have ever written one, so what the heck. No time like the present to give it a try.
January started with the loss of my caregiver due to an emergency in his family. There followed months of s an endless stream of different caregivers of varying ability. Mind you, this was before vax, which just only added to the anxiety. We finally were presented with a suitable candidate, and after a long multi month difficult training by St. Laurel, things finally settled in.
Meanwhile, St. Laurel was facing the usual and not so usual challenges in her gig running a town in the South Bay. More on that later.
Anybody with a brain rejoiced at the release of the vaxxes. Thanks to St. Laurel, I was able to get my first Pfizer dose, which went down real easy. The second, however, did not, as loyal readers of my blog well know.
Sadly, this is as far as Bob got on this blog. He peacefully passed with the love of family and friends after his heroic embrace of the ALS suck.
While he did not mention specifically what he intended to write, I (Laurel) do know that he would have wanted to share his enthusiasm for other highlights of 2021:
⦁ Jazz musicians that he discovered during the streaming San Jose Summer Fest, particularly James Francies.
⦁ “Inside Job” and its hilarious take on the Deep State. Of course, his favorite character was a magical mushroom named Myc.
⦁ Neice Sophie’s beautiful dancing as she completed her senior year at San Jose State. He was so proud of her creative choreography and her incredible integration of modern, ballet, jazz, hip hop, and other styles in her performances.
⦁ Daughter Katie (renamed Fire on the Mountain by Bob) who tackled her new hobby of trail running with typical Hawn fanatic passion, zeal, and single-minded focus. After a couple of trail marathons, she won an ultra and now has her sights on a 50 miler! Bob grinned from ear to ear with admiration while telling us from his Tobii that this pursuit was “crazy.”
⦁ Visits by friends and family brightened his days tremendously once vaccines and other precautions were taken. Always the extrovert looking for the most fun at parties, Bob especially enjoyed hosting. Our 2021 Thanksgiving gathering brought him great joy and he was happy to try the Ridge Grenache Syrah Mataro in his feeding tube. He said it was “well balanced.”
⦁ The backyard was his nature oasis. In addition to the trees, vegetable garden, and flowers, it was fully outfitted with speakers so the music that was in almost every room in the house could also be blasted outside to Bob’s particular auditory desire. The water feature he called “Booter Creek” provided another listening pleasure for him as we watched many sunsets from the veranda.
⦁ The blog and your loyal support meant the world to him. He was thrilled with your positive response, thoughtful comments, and interest. Bob eagerly checked his website statistics, marveling that he had readers on almost every continent. The blog was a key connection point for him with all of you. You made his days special and we thank you for sharing his journey.
Best wishes for a healthy, loving, and happy 2022
Embrace The Suck 
Love you, St. Laurel!
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Big hugs, Laurel!! Miss you! Love, Sage
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I am finally able to release the stream of tears caught in my heart this last week, and share again in the joy of knowing Bob, having you both as friends, and being part of your life-giving positive and joyful attitude Laurel. Much love Laurel, and thank you for posting. Jeanne
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Perhaps you could continue to write the blog for a while keeping us in touch woth tour journey.
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Thank you Bob and Laurel for sharing your journey with us. You have raised awareness about ALS and provided insights and inspiration that will continue to benefit others. I have always known you are strong, Laurel, but your incredible support and devotion through these past 3 years blows me away. I know you too well to call you “Saint Laurel” even though you have earned that status. You are too humble to accept that label. Please know we love you and remain here for you. I hope all of us on Team Waldo can give what we can afford to support ALS research and build on Bob’s legacy. Go team, go! In friendship and in hope!
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Thank you, Laurel. This is wonderful. How beautiful of you to finish Bob’s blog for him. I can’t tell you how much I admire and respect you both for the way you handled the last years of his life. You are an inspiration to us all in how to live life to the fullest, no matter what hand we are dealt.
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Dear St. Laurel, I’ll miss Bob’s blog, full of his incredible wit, wisdom, sarcasm (a true master!) and insane ability to express positivity through his illness! I remember connecting with Bob years ago regarding back-packing, which I only managed to do a few times with son Sean in boy scouts, compared to your many such adventures! You, Katie and family are in our prayers.
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Dear St. Laurel, thanks for this positive closing to the incredible life you and Bob created, shared, and lived to the fullest. With love and admiration for you and Bob.
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Thank you, Laurel, for sharing Bob’s last writing and your own graceful summary of his year. The two of you have my utmost admiration for the thoughtful and heroic way you managed this journey. Peace to you.
Suzanne
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Dear Laurel, thank you so much for posting Bob’s last blog with your thoughts as well. I’ve loved getting to know you and Bob again through his writings. You, Katie, Margaret, and all of Bob’s family are in my thoughts and prayers. You are a beautiful family, and Bob has shown me how to really live! ❤️
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St Laurel,
Talk about an appropriate nick name. Wow. What a wonderful couple you two made. Truly beautiful. Katie too.
What a family. Adding to the final words Bob was writing is so eloquent. Embrace the Suck has meant so much to me as a way to see into your lives and stay connected.
Thank you so much for your love. I will miss Bob Hawn deeply.
Frank
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We will so miss Bob’s writing and wit. Our love to you Katie. Lois & Gordon
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Thank you Laurel for sharing and completing Bob’s final message to us. What a treasure in so many ways. Stay well. I am sending warm and gentle hugs your way. ❤️
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Bob was a wonderful colleague and friend. He interviewed me for a job when I was in law school, and although we lost for contact for quite a while, when we got back in touch about a decade ago, it was as if no time had passed. I’ve been lucky to read Bob’s gracious thoughts on this blog for the past couple of years or so, and it’s been immensely helpful to me in dealing with health problems in my own life. Prayers and wishes to all of his family and friends on Bob’s passing.
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Bob was an amazing human. I’m very grateful we crossed paths, I wish I got to know him more… I was inspired by Bob and Laurel for a few reasons but one that I will be taking action on soon is to bring my 6yo daughter on her first mountain backpacking trip this coming summer! After hearing about the trip(s) they took with their daughter when she was young and the fond memories that were created, i decided now is the time. Definitely going to bring plenty of candy to keep her motivated as suggested!
-James
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Thank you, James. Goldfish is the key for young adventurers. Enjoy those precious moments!
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Laurel, thank you for sharing Bob’s Holiday Letter and for taking the time to add the remaining highlights. I am grateful that he invited so many of us in to learn about his personal journey with such honesty and humor. Wishing you and your family peace, strength, love, and comfort as you reflect on and celebrate his remarkable life. 💙
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Bob was one of a kind. I can’t imagine that he ever did anything halfway. He had deep intelligence, astounding zest and enthusiasm, great athleticism, and incredible humor. I’ve never met anyone quite like him. He will be sorely missed. You Laurel, are another form of extraordinary. Your strength and support and love through this disease were unbelievable. You really do deserve the moniker St. Laurel. I would have loved to read what Bob was going to say about you and your work and how beautifully he would have described his admiration of you.
It’s a terrible thing ALS, you both show the world how to tackle it with grace. Much love to you and your glorious daughter Katie.
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So sorry to hear that Bob is gone. Our condolences to you and your family. At least his suffering is over. He was one of my favorite students at Homestead HS. Great guy, always positive and funny, and pretty good on the bass clarinet. I was glad when he started playing jazz piano.
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Very sad to learn of Bob’s passing. He and I were acquaintances; he became my friend through his blog. His blog taught good lessons about how to live well and what is important in life. My Friday afternoons won’t be the same. Rest easy friend.
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Oh Laurel, I’m in tears. So many wonderful memories of working with Waldo and having so much fun with the both of you. I’ll never forget how much he talked about you before you were even married. Always with your picture on his desk. We grew to love him even more through his blog. Condolences and lots of love to you and the family
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Laurel, thank you for this post. You and Bob are the most courageous and inspiring people I have ever met. I will miss Bob but his voice and spirit will be with me always, and the example set by the two of you will also be with me forever. The journey has reached a new plane for Bob, but his memory is etched in all of us who were lucky enough to know him. Thank you Bob, and thank you Saint Laurel.
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My heart lifted when I saw the Friday Suck pop up in my mail, then the terrible reality dawned that Bob is gone. His writing was amazing, as was he.
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Thank you Laurel for sharing this last blog. I find it amazing that we all connected back in our days at Cal and those bonds are as strong today. I will always cherish my memories of skiing with Bob.
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Laurel,
I was heartbroken yesterday when I saw Katie’s post and beautiful testimonial to her dad. Thank you for sharing Bob’s final thoughts with all of us. They continue to show what an amazing and wonderful person Bob was. In spite of this awful disease, his wit and his humor, his extreme love and devotion for you and Katie, and his zest for life were never diminished. He was an inspiration to us all. Please know that Bob, Nicole and I are here for you and Katie in any way you need us.
Rhonda
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Dearest Laurel – My memories of Bob as a law student and young lawyer still fill me with joy. He was then, and remained, a ray of sunshine with his wit and quick smile. And each and every week since his illness I have read this blog and marveled at his bravery and yours. You are an inspiration to us however much we wish you hadn’t had to be. I do hope that Bob knew how much he was loved and admired. Forever in my heart. Sending love to you and Katie.
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XO
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I’m sorry for your loss and have a lot of gratitude to Bob and you for sharing your journey. It was a gift to learn about the challenges and triumphs of living with ALS while maintaining Bob’s relatability.
His pride in you Laurel, Katie and the rest of his family is clear. I hope these blogs are preserved so that future Hawns can get to know Bob.
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Dear Laurel,
Thanks so much, Laurel, for completing Bobâs final âEmbraceâ. Beautiful, beautiful. Michael
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Your blogs were an amazing outpouring of thoughts and stories that I know will live long after you. What a courageous and brave man you were to put out your stories while you were dying a little every day. And yet no bitterness and angry; instead humorous and poignant insights into life. Bless you Bob and I hope the Pinot Noirs are up to your standard in Heaven. I hope that I can face death and dying with such grace. Brother Hawg
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St. Laurel, I never know what to say at a time like this. I enjoyed Bob’s dry wit in his blog; it was a side of him that was not as prominent when we were working together. I just finished reading The Three Body Problem, which he mentioned in his blog. I hope he got to see some of Season 6 of The Expanse. Bob set a great example for us all. Thank you for finishing Bob’s last blog.
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I am always excited to see Bob’s blog pop up in my email. Bob was a great storyteller and it always amazed me how he could find things to be grateful for even as he fought ALS. His sense of humor and quick wit was quite entertaining, and also informative to anyone living with or caring for someone with ALS. Thank you Laurel for finishing his post and letting us know that Bob had passed peacefully. I knew Bob from Jr High and High School – which was more than a couple years ago😉 – yet I could hear him telling the story as I read his blog posts and see that twinkle in his eye and that smirking smile of his.
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Dear Laurel — I was so glad for the window into your lives that Bob’s amazing blog provided. That he could remain engaged in life and maintain a sense of humor was simply heroic. Your strength, courage and grace throughout Bob’s grim illness was breathtaking, as was his. A testament to your love for each other. I look forward to seeing you more often now, and you are more than welcome to come stay with us any time you like. Love, Nancy
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