I just learned that my uncle David has died. My poor mother was desperately trying to get to Seattle to be with him. She missed him by a few hours.

David was one of the legendary family members. He was dyslexic and a rough customer but also one of the funniest men I've ever known. He worked very hard at everything he did. He was a motorcycle racer, a fisherman out of Nantucket and Newburyport, a construction worker on Boston's Big Dig, and many other things besides.

Though he was dyslexic he read a lot, painfully working his way through books and magazines. He wrote poetry that showed the soul inside that rough exterior.

And for most of his life he was a very rough looking man. He was taller than me and had long hair and a big bushy beard. The only time I ever saw him dressed up was for his wedding in Nantucket.

The world is a sadder place without him.