We all knew and loved Blake and have our memories to keep him alive in our hearts, but it is important for us to share those memories. This I hope will be the place to start that. Post all you want and let's dig out the pictures and video.
If you know someone who needs access to post something, please email me at tbergmanslp@comcast.net. I will add them as soon as possible. As well, if you don't like the format or sytle, please tell me. I did what I thought was appropriate.
Todd
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6 comments:
Nicely put, Todd, and the format is perfect! If you ever notice the top graphic missing or damaged, don't be too surprised if it was Blake who took a bite out of it!!!
I don't have many distinct memories of Blake to share, mostly because I knew him as my little brother's best friend. Only later, when they had both grown older did I begin to have a more direct friendship, though it still always involved Todd (and often Sean).
I remember thinking that Blake seemed more mature than his "cohorts in crime," and I think that this was in large part due to his "cranial" perspective on life. Blake often seemed to be in deep thought, as if he were contemplating the world. I suspect he was...
Suffice it to say that I knew what a special person Blake was, if for no other reason than he was my brother Todd's best friend and Todd is an excellent judge of character (at least as long as we're not talking past girlfriends :-D )!
I'll miss you, Blake, and I'm sorry I never acted on the opportunity to visit you and Lisa in Oshkosh, as I had planned to someday do. If any particularly "blog-worthy" memories come to mind I'll post more.
Regards,
Steve Bergman (With so many "Steves" in his family one has to be careful to identify themselves clearly!
You were such an amazing friend to my brother Todd and you couldn't have captured it any better here. I never knew seeing a pepporoni pizza could bring tears to my eyes, but what a perfect backdrop. In fact, I had some pizza with the kids today and had pepperoni in honor of Blake. Not the same without him.
Laurie and I truly appreciate the thoughtfulness and care you took in setting up this special site. I really hope that all of those who knew Blake will participate in keeping his spirit alive with this special tribute.
Let us always remember, because he tought us how to love life and live life each and every day.
Thanks again Todd. We look forward to continuing a relationship with you and your family as I feel we have developed a unique bond in recent months.
I miss him soo much already, but take comfort that he is now truly at peace.
His little bro,
Steve
From Eliza's Journal
My Uncle Blake was a great uncle and he was a great actor. I will never ever forget Uncle Blake. He was very funny & nice. He loved pizza, that was his favorite food. When he ate pizza, you'd turn around & turn back around and the pizza would be half gone. He wouldn't ever let anybody take a piece, but if they did, they would get in big trouble. Uncle Blake was the best uncle ever.
My Uncle Blake was very sick. I miss Uncle Blake very much. My Uncle Blake's favorite kind of pizza is thin crust with cheese and pepperoni. My Uncle Blake loved my whole family. He will watch us all from up above. All of my family loves Uncle Blake. He was in the hospital for a long time. His favorite show was Star Trek. Uncle Blake will be in our hearts forever. His favorite game was Dungeons & Dragons.
The End,
Love Eliza
Blake was someone I knew more as a concept than a man. I believe the last time I saw him was at Todd's & Alexis' wedding.
But taking in Blake's situation all at once as I have left me struggling to recall my memories, and when I did I realized that, while BJ was always defined in my life as my little brother's best friend, he was my friend too.
All of a sudden I found myself remembering things I hadn't thought of in 20 or 30 years.
Riding my bike around the corner when the Cadkins lived on Cavell and seeing Blake and Todd playing in the driveway. I walked by on my way home from the bus stop so many times past that house yet it, and the sight the two of them playing, had disappeared from my mind for so long I can't be sure if it's real or an amalgam of memories. No matter. In my mind Blake and Todd will always be riding around the driveway on big wheels or bikes, perhaps dribbling a basketball and smiling. What an amazing, cheerful person Blake was. I know that's real. He was always smiling around me.
Another memory that popped into my head while I thought about Blake last week was of a party at the Hirsch home near HPHS. Some freshman and I formed a band for the sole purpose of playing Focus On The Arts, the quadrennial festival of the arts at school. We hadn't any opportunities to play any other shows when Blake invited me to play the party. We weren't able to bring the entire band, but we had a fantastic time picking out every song his friends requested. I only just remembered playing Purple Rain to an enthusiastic response.
I think, being 500 miles away, the best tribute I can come up with will be to go home and play it for you tonight, BJ...
I am so grateful to my son Doug's wife, Amy, for reminding me about CaringBridge. In the face of lethal disease and Blake's struggle for life, there was nothing I could do but write about him and hope that it would serve a useful purpose. Now Blake is gone and I am weary, and it's time to turn the keyboard over to our dear Todd and all of you who have marvelous memories to share. Thank you, Todd -- this site is perfect!
Jackie
A few years ago, Blake & Lisa came to visit us in Florida. They both love to fish and Alan arranged fishing trips for us. The second day, Blake and I went fishing for tarpon. We did snag a tarpon which got away, but then we each caught a black-tipped shark within about 10 minutes of one another. Each shark measured around 3 feet long, and Blake was so excited!
On the way back to shore, I told him how sorry I was that he didn't catch a tarpon (a great fighting fish), and he said, "Which do you think will be more impressive to my friends? That I caught a tarpon or that I caught a shark???" And we both laughed.
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