Yesterday, Tuesday, was the memorial for my Tony’s brother Kurt. He was a chef at the Tulalip Resort Casino for the last 17 years, and we had the gathering there. I was so touched by the tribe’s eagerness to host the get together, their sense of family, and their love for Kurt. The Canoe family sang some truly amazing spiritual songs and helped Kurt find his way to the light. Along with a beautiful ceremony, the other chefs all made a giant buffet from Kurt’s recipes, and we feasted on salmon, short ribs, clam chowder – all kinds of great food. I can’t thank the Tulalip nation enough for their help and support; now we can all start to heal.

As some of you may know, I lost a dear friend this week, my brother in law Kurt Hitchman. I won’t go on about what an incredible person he was; I just want to share with you some things about his passing. Kurt was my partner Tony’s older brother, and lived an amazingly rich and full life. I think I can say that everyone who knew Kurt – and there were a lot of them – truly loved him. He was a chef at the Tulalip Resort Casino, and to have his friends and co-workers around him when he passed  really showed me how much he was loved. Our kitchen will be emptier this year and from now on, and I don’t want to be trite, but I see him in the sunset every day….

Friends; I wanted to let you know that my darling Tony’s brother Kurt passed today, Monday, at 3:15. He was in the ICUat Harborview with a multitude of physical problems, and being able to let go was a blessing. We’re very sad as he was an amazing wonderful warm loving man. Kurt worked as a chef at the Tulalip Casino Resort, and as my Tony says, he’s in heaven now serving up something delicious and wearing fabulous shoes. Love life, and love your family – they are precious.