Bill Saleebey

Waiting For the Yellow Rose to Bloom

It was January 24, 1980 and I was staying with Lou and Di in their apartment the day before my final oral exam for my doctorate at UCLA. I had fallen asleep, and in the middle of the night, they came running out of their bedroom, headed to the hospital. Devon Danielle Markert was born the next day, and I remember her birth as if it were yesterday. I was always Uncle Bill to Dev and Cory. Lou is my best friend, and I have seen Devon grow from that little kid with the bright blue eyes and crooked grin to the wonderful accomplished woman that she became. She was always the sweetest, kindest and most positive person you could find.

The Markerts stayed with me in Berkeley in the early 80s, and I stayed with them in Pleasanton and visited them often in Fresno and Clovis. I remember Devon playing soccer and we watched the movie Wildcats together with Cory and my son Billy. We were family. The ultimate honor was when Devon and Noureddin asked me to perform their wedding ceremony, which I did at my home. They took many pictures in front of the yellow rose plant in my front yard. I am hoping that another yellow rose blooms so I can take it to the memorial service on Monday.

I was reading the other entries on the blog, and it reminded me that we all knew Devon in a different way, a different context. Noureddin as her husband and love of her life, her parents, step-parents, and brother Cory, as well as aunts, uncles, cousins, friends,co-workers, and of course Poppy. I always loved that Devon called me Uncle Bill. To her I was no less an uncle than her biological uncles. To me she was simply a niece. A niece I was quite proud of at that! I loved hearing Lou telling about her accomplishments at work.

The death of a young person is especially hard to understand and to take. It is deeply sad, and it hurts. But from this, as Devon would say, come lessons, strenghth and inspiration. What would Devon want? I think she would want us to stay connected to one another, especially her friends and cousins. She would want us to go on with our lives, and to remember her. We will always remember Devon Markert. She was one of a kind: wife, daughter, sister, cousin, friend, co-worker, mentor, teacher. She knew what people needed, as her friend said. She was a great hostess, if not the neatest. I remember visiting her and Noureddin in Long Beach shortly after her diagnosis. She had a big spread of cheese and crackers on the table when we arrived, even though she didn't feel well. She never complained.

We are all better for having had Devon in our lives. Her life was brief, but she made the best of it. We all have our unique memories of her, which no one can alter or take away. We also should be inspired by Devon's example to be kind, upbeat, generous, loving and to enjoy what life has to offer. I urge everyone to hang in there as she would have done and would have wanted.

I am waiting for that next yellow rose to bloom, and I will keep it forever in her memory.

I'll miss her...

Uncle Bill Saleebey