Out of the blue

[mustang84]

My uncle was killed in a head-on collision a few hours ago with another vehicle. The other driver crossed the center line and stuck him on a two-lane highway north of Omaha. We have no details other than both died instantly.

The last time I saw / spoke to him was at our annual family Christmas gathering, and I am now regretting not spending more time with him on that day.

I'm basically in shock right now...the reality of it all hasn't hit yet.

[Oracle of Delphi]

How awful ... Our thoughts and prayers are with you and your family ...

[balthazar]

Sudden tragedy- shocking & awful. Hope he at least lived what could be considered a long & fufilled life.

Hope everyone in the family stays strong thru it all. My condolences to you & yours.

[daves87rs]

I don't even know what to say to that...just wow. My prayers are with you and your family.......

[regfootball]

its so hard to even fathom why that sort of thing happens. a couple thursdays ago my mother in law had a heart attack out of the blue and died instantly. And having watch this following process play out and remind me how tough it is to deal with loss, how unfair it all seems at times, and how the finality of it all is tough to resolve. I just wish you and your family lots of strength and prayers in this upcoming time. By all means drop me a line if you want or need to talk.

Someone asked me the other day how you deal with it yourself or counsel others close to you to deal with it, and I honestly have to say each time this happens the situation is such that it is a bit uncharted territory and its best to not try to advise, rather, just try to be there for your loved ones and become strong as a group. Its not a process or destination that can be arrived at alone. You really find out just how great many people in your extended family are and how they come together for things like this. Cherish all those moments and I for one am greatly thankful for all those people who continue to show all the love and support in my extended family. I wish that in spades for your family right now.

Edited March 31, 2009 by regfootball

[ocnblu]

mustang, I'm sorry man. And you too, reg. Edited March 31, 2009 by ocnblu

[capriceman]

wow. Yeah news like that sucks. Stay Strong. Hopefully he lived a happy life.

[FUTURE_OF_GM]

Wow...

I'm so sorry to hear of your and regs loss.

It's amazing how things can change in an instant.

Don't beat yourself up about it, you guys were family and I'm sure he wouldn't want you to feel bad about anything.

[toesuf94]

I read about this on-line today at KWWL...only 55 years old. This is a tragedy.

Keep your eyes on the roads folks - the person that hit him crossed the centerline and hit him head on - hope it was not a cell phone or ipod that caused this senseless loss. She was only 51 - both were WAY too young to go. Let's all do OUR part to concentrate on the road when we are driving and lead by example.

Really sorry for your loss Mustang.

[SAmadei]

It's amazing how things can change in an instant.

It is. 6 years ago my father died suddenly at a relatively young age. Life has not returned to normal, and I suspect never will. I look back to the fading memory of life before that, and how things were so much simpler.

[deftonesfan867]

Sorry for your loses Mustang and reg. I lost my uncle suddenly a few years back and I was never sure how to take it, but you do have your memories that will last you a lifetime.

[loki]

sorry to hear about your losses guys.

[FAPTurbo]

I'm sorry about your loss, mustang84.

My uncle died of a heart attack at the wheel years ago. He was one of those guys who was always laughing, and brightening up your day; now, even still today, it's almost like there's something missing at every family gathering.

[Camino LS6]

Words fail.

My best to both of you, and to your families.

[mustang84]

The only update I have are that the motorists behind the vehicle that hit him say the other driver was swerving erratically minutes earlier. It will be a closed casket funeral, and I have been chosen to be one of the pallbearers.

My uncle was a good, hard-working person and will be leaving behind a wife and 16 year old daughter. I feel bad enough as it is, but I can't even imagine the pain they must be going through at this moment.

Thanks for the thoughts and wishes and allowing me to let some of this out...I've had it bottled up in me all day today and don't have any close friends or family in the area.

[vonVeezelsnider]

So sorry to hear of your loss 'mustang. My prayers are with you.

[Croc]

I'm so sorry dude.

[Intrepidation]

I'm sorry mustang, thoughts are with you.

[regfootball]

The only update I have are that the motorists behind the vehicle that hit him say the other driver was swerving erratically minutes earlier. It will be a closed casket funeral, and I have been chosen to be one of the pallbearers.

My uncle was a good, hard-working person and will be leaving behind a wife and 16 year old daughter. I feel bad enough as it is, but I can't even imagine the pain they must be going through at this moment.

Thanks for the thoughts and wishes and allowing me to let some of this out...I've had it bottled up in me all day today and don't have any close friends or family in the area.

will you or your family be going there to stay for awhile or a couple of days even?

[mustang84]

will you or your family be going there to stay for awhile or a couple of days even?

The funeral is Saturday, so I'll be heading over there Friday night after work.

[ocnblu]

Take care travelling.

[K.C.]

Wow, this is aweful. Reg, my family and I send you our best right now. There's nothing that can be said to counsel. I hope you have good people around you who will listen to you during as you grieve.

God speed.

[regfootball]

Wow, this is aweful. Reg, my family and I send you our best right now. There's nothing that can be said to counsel. I hope you have good people around you who will listen to you during as you grieve.

God speed.

thanks. They were 2 months shy of their 60th wedding anniversary and were planning a party for June. Her dad has been staying here now, but its kind of nice. I am at home during the day and not working right now, so we sit around, watch the weather channel, go pick up my kid at school, etc. He calls some rellies on the phone and we just putter about the house. I think its taking his mind off stuff and my wife likes that he is here. In this way, its kind of helping me, not that i am the one to be concerned about, but just knowing that his mind is off the house, and my wife sees first hand how he is doing, and they can talk, that helps me a lot to know they are doing ok.

So I am pretty glad for that right now.

The funeral is Saturday, so I'll be heading over there Friday night after work.

blux2. have a safe trip.

[mustang84]

Here's the report from the local news.

http://www.ketv.com/news/19059001/detail.html

Also, the Lumina I drive right now was formerly his car. He was a GM guy through-and-through...one Chevy and two or three Pontiacs while I was growing up, the most recent being a newer Bonneville.

[regfootball]

Michelle remembered meeting her husband 19 years ago when she was a nurse. Cowan was donating blood for the Red Cross.

great story, can you imagine what transpired there? Did you ever hear the details of that? hehe. He must have moved pretty quickly because giving blood isn't an all day event.

[trinacriabob]

I will keep your uncle, his family, you and your family in my prayers. I will do the same for reg's mother-in-law and the families.

It sounds like he was a very good man. I am very sorry to hear this.

[mustang84]

The wife of my uncle works for Union Pacific, and they have a team of accident investigators that were willing to help her out in finding the cause of the accident. They were able to track down eyewitnesses that said the woman had been at a local bar for most of the day before the accident (she was unemployed).

We are still waiting for the toxicology report, but it sounds like she was drinking and driving.

My uncle usually wouldn't have been anywhere near the road he was killed on, but he had recently bought a Buick Rainier from a private seller in Fremont, NE and was driving him home after the man had dropped it off at my uncle's house in Council Bluffs. It was on his way home after dropping off the seller that the accident occurred.

Safe to say, there is some anger in my family right now.

[knightfan26917]

Aye ... Mustang ... very sorry for your loss. Thoughts/prayers coming your way ... and to you, too, reg.

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