Gladys Delarm

An era ended this morning. Gladys Delarm passed at the age of 102 in South Carolina. She was my wife Brenda's maternal grandmother and had lived a long and fruitful life. I got the chance to meet her at last around eight years ago and wasn't disappointed. She was an amazing woman, full of surprises and had an impish air about her. When I met her, of course, she was merely in her mid-nineties, apparently showing some signs of deafness and dementia. Or so I thought, until I made a mistake playing a card game called Skip-Bo. Gladys was all over me like a rash. She was as sharp as a tack. From a French Canadian background, she hailed from Camden, New York and was something of a local celebrity having reached the age of 102 earlier this year. She had spent the last few years with her son Mick and daughter-in-law Kriss, latterly in Taylor, South Carolina, where the climate seemed to suit her.

Brenda doted on her Gram, as did most of the family. Her daughter Carol, Brenda's mother, would always try to spend time with Gram when passing through going to or from Florida, where she spends her winters. I'm personally glad that Brenda spoke to her Gram on the phone only last week at Thanksgiving. I hope that in time Brenda will tell some of the may stories of her Gram, because they're worth listening to. Meanwhile, this is truly a life worth celebrating. Goodbye Gladys and thanks for the memories.