My Mother passed away Monday at 10:30 AM PST, in Seattle, Washington, suddenly after a lenghty illness.
I will be gone for a few days and will look forward to flying with all of you when I return from the Funeral in Seattle.
Please indulge me while I write a short eulogy:
Florence Richardson was born on October, 2, 1936 in Portland, Oregon, She is survived by her 4 children Doug (MAJissue) Hazen, Greg Hazen, Lisa Westmoreland, and John Mosher.
My mother was always there for me. She gave me many gifts including a love of birds at a young age and a facination with flight. She always stimulated my mind and gave me the understanding that life's journey is a learning experience. She also gave me a love of the history and cultures of the world. When I came back from Desert Storm there was a huge yellow ribbon on the tree in her front yard, that made me feel that my efforts were appreciated. She was a "force of nature"... When I was on the DMZ in Korea I mentioned in a letter that it would be "cool" to plant a Giant Redwood tree there as a gesture of friendship and hope... 2 weeks later I received a live Redwood sapling that I promptly planted near Camp Liberty Bell. She had gotten approval from the USDA and the Korean consulate to export a live tree and import it into South Korea. Dealing with a federal agency and a foreign government couldn't have been easy, yet she obtained the necessary documents and approval with singleminded purpose... she simply would NOT take "no" for an answer. One of my Korean friends promised to keep it watered until it was established, and as far as I know it is still alive and someday will be the tallest tree in Asia. When I fell in love with a Korean woman who's family had forbidden her to marry me, my mother wrote a letter (and had it translated into Hangul [Korean]) to her mother and suddenly approval to marry was granted!
If I could have given her anything before she passed on, it would have been a journey to Cornwall, England, a place she never visited, but knew like a native. She must have read 50 books about that region, and could recall incredible details about the area.
I will miss you Mom.
