Remembering an Old Friend

My sister Karralee sent me a text message last night asking if I remember Carlene Okimoto. I replied that I did, knowing that I was in for some bad news.This message came way too late to be of the "guess who I saw today" variety.

Details are short, but apparently Carlene died of complications from childbirth on Sunday.

I knew Carlene from high school, where she was a year ahead of me. We were both in the band, and I remember dancing with her at a church dance or two. I never met her husband, Vaughn Mossman, but I ran into her a couple of times at Wal-Mart while we still lived in Utah. She looked good and seemed happy.

The passing of a friend is always a time of reflection and remembering. In trying to find a little more information about her death I came across the Kahuku Class of '85 website. It was fun looking through the pictures, and seeing more old friends.

Good-bye, Carlene. I am glad to have known you.

UPDATE: Here is a link to the official obituary.

UPDATE 2: This is a link to a story run by KSL. It's quite touching.

Comments

Nicole said…
Oh how sad! I too remember Carlene. It's so unusual to hear of someone dying in childbirth these days, it really makes you stop and think about all the things we take for granted in our world of modern medicine.
3/30/07, 9:02 AM
Hesses Madhouse said…
Thank you for sharing about Carlene. She was my first mission companion. I was shocked to find her listed in the memoriam section of the mission website. So sad!
9/5/08, 3:31 PM
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