In Loving Memory of Joan Susan Lyle

My mom died of Alzheimer's at the age of 74 on November 23, 2003 in Buffalo, Wyoming where I live now.  She was born May 28, 1929 in San Francisco and was the daughter of Clarence and Marion Grace Kretchmer.  She was raised in Belvedere, California, attended the University of the Pacific in Stockton, California, and graduated from the University of California-Berkeley in 1952 with a bachelor of arts degree in English Literature.  In 1951 she was married to Elmer Austin McCallum Jr. for a short time.  By 1956 she married Gale Harding Lyle and moved to Tyler Texas for a short time and then resided in Park Ridge, Il where they had 3 children, John, Bev, and myself, Norb.  By 1991, she was diagnosed with the onset of Alzheimer's disease.  In the year 2000, Joan moved to Buffalo, Wyoming.

My mom was such a wonderful loving person.  She supported me in everything I ever did, good or bad.  She loved her children so much too, it was sometimes too much!  I personally wish I would've relished and soaked up more of that love she was giving to me on a daily basis!  Only if we all would've known what was really happening!

She was a very accomplished musician, singer, artist, writer, and swimmer!  She also studied and played the pipe organ throughout her college years.  Everything she loved doing, she had a passion for. I think this gift she gave me, and I'm very grateful for it.  I love you mom!

Joan struggled with this awful disease for a very long time.  We now believe her struggle started in her 50's.  In the 1980's there wasn't a lot of information of Alzheimer's, so we just didn't know.  At first, we all thought that it was "just mom", but as time went on it was clear that something else was going on that my sister, brother and myself couldn't quite grasp.  It was developing so slowly!  When we finally found out the outcome, we were kind of in shock and didn't know what to do.  Alzheimer's is such an "unfair" disease.  Joan was basically robbed out of being a grandmother to her 6 grandchildren.

I truly wish that we find out a cure for this disease because it's just so devastating to everyone involved.

Thank you for reading.  May God bless you all.