Category Archives: Friends & Family

Wow, what a day! As I write this, I’m in seat 15E on Northwest flight 208. It’s an exit row, so I can sit in reasonable comfort. The iPhone is rocking some Rock Band songs, and I’m working on UC Metro stuff (well, except for right now!)

Last night, Arlene and I left some Russell Stover mini-boxes on the kitchen table for the boys. This is a fun tradition, except for the part where they want to eat all the candy immediately upon sighting it. This morning, David made the bus without incident, and Tom woke up about 45min earlier than usual. He had decided, more or less at the last minute, to make a special Valentine for his friend Amber. This was a good move, because Amber is going to be gorgeous when she grows up and it’s important for Tom to score brownie points now, before adolescent stupidity sets in.

Anyway, once the boys were off to school, I worked for a while, then Arlene and I made a quick run to PF Chang for some delicious take-out lunch. This was followed by more work (big surprise there!), then a trip to see David’s orthodontist.

That’s right; I said "orthodontist." My little boy, the one who was deathly afraid of Santa Claus for his first couple of Christmases, is now entering the teenage netherworld of steel wires, rubber bands, and meticulous toothbrushing. He’s taken it really, really well (helped, no doubt, by the fact that the ortho folks said his smile already looks great, not to mention the ice cream the patients get when they leave), so today he got his separators in. These are little rubber rings that encircle his molars, gently pushing them apart. Next week, he gets his molars wrapped in metal so that the arcwire can be anchored to something solid, then they bond the brackets to his teeth with duct tape (kidding; it’s some kind of exotic dental glue). There are lots more details that I’m skipping because frankly they’re not that interesting unless a) you have a tooth fetish or b) it’s your child. The important details: brush and floss regularly, don’t sip sodas all day, and (the best part) pay up front to get a 5% discount.

I’ve been remiss in not writing this post before, but I was reminded by a recent news article. (The antichrists of Westboro Baptist Church were apparently planning a demonstration at the funeral of Marine Lance Cpl. Maria Lauterbach. The CO of Camp Lejeune [told her Marines](http://www.marinecorpstimes.com/news/2008/01/marine_westboro_protest_080116/) to stay away, but of course the [Patriot Guard](http://www.patriotguard.org) had plans to be there.)
Dad occasionally rode with the Patriot Guard chapter here in Ohio. He believed strongly in [their mission](http://www.patriotguard.org/AboutUs/OurMission/tabid/60/Default.aspx), and he very much enjoyed the opportunities he had to ride with them. I contacted the Ohio ride captain to ask if they could render honors at Dad’s services, and they exceeded my expectations. At the visitation, they maintained an 8-person honor guard for more than four hours, providing a line of flagbearers flanking the entrance to the funeral home. At the funeral itself, they provided both an honor guard at the service and a motorcade escort to the reception. All of us very much appreciated their presence. They showed the utmost respect, and it was an honor to have them there rendering honors to Dad.

nola.com has a great slideshow of pictures from the LSU vs Ohio State game. (Just a reminder: LSU won the national championship, 38-24).

If you’re having an office, church, or family party, you may be struggling with what to give people– especially if you have a white elephant gift exchange. Allow me to offer this excellent list of suggestions. Lots of potential here!

(n.b. Julie has written a wonderful tribute to our grandfather– see here.)



Tim Bloch was born in Alexandria on January 30, 1919, the son of Raphael Bloch and Alix Kilpatrick,

and died on December 3, 2007. He was graduated from Jonesboro-Hodge High School and subsequently attended Louisiana State University until he enlisted in the Army Air Corps. He was stationed at Hickam Field in Hawaii when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor. He also served in the South Pacific as a B-17 pilot and in the Italian theater as a squadron commander. He was highly decorated for his service. In May of 1943 he married Phyllis Gibson Barton of Napoleonville.

His business interests were many and varied. He served as state president of the Louisiana Realtors Association, and was proud that Tim Bloch Real Estate served the community for 50 years.

Tim was known as an affable, capable, responsible civic leader. His wit and humor were a delight to his family and friends.

He is survived by his wife, Phyllis Bloch; his brother, Samuel Wheadon Bloch of Kansas City, Missouri; his first cousin, Virginia Wheadon de Gravelles of Lafayette, Louisiana; two daughters, Ann Bloch Robichaux of Perrysburg, Ohio, and Betty Barton Bloch of Metairie, Louisiana; two sons, Ray Beasley Bloch and Daniel Timothy Bloch of Alexandria, Louisiana; and grandchildren Paul Robichaux, Julie Robichaux, Tim Robichaux, Christopher Bloch, Clayton Bloch, Ashley Bloch, and Melissa Bloch.

The funeral was held at St. James Episcopal Church on Wednesday, December 5. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be sent to the Rapides Parish Library, 411 Washington St., Alexandria, Louisiana, 71301, or to the charity of your choice.

I’d signed up for a Krav Maga-based gun defense class at our martial arts school. It sounded like a fun way to spend an afternoon, and indeed it was– all the more so because, at the last minute, Arlene decided to join me! Instead of a typical date, we spent four hours pointing training guns at each other, then taking them away with a variety of strikes, blocks, and pins. She was definitely better at most of the techniques than I was, as we found out during the stress-based testing. It was definitely a different way to spend time together (and sorry about accidentally hitting you in the nose, honey!)

Arlene just returned from Best Buy with a brand-new box of win: Rock Band Deluxe Edition. It’s a Christmas present for the boys, but I wonder if they believe in early Christmas? It seems a shame to leave it boxed up given the upcoming four-day Thanksgiving weekend. Maybe I can sneakily rock out after they go to bed tonight…

Super cool: Devin is this month’s MVP of the Month! Congratulations!

Technorati Tags: 3sharp

I know what Julie’s getting for Christmas.

Below is the text of the original eulogy I wrote for Dad’s funeral. I ad-libbed a great deal of additional material; rather than edit the text to reflect what I think I might’ve said, I decided to go with the original. Writing this, and speaking at Dad’s funeral, was an extremely difficult experience. It was an honor I might rather not have had. However, I remember once turning down the opportunity to speak at a dear friend’s wedding and declining because I didn’t think I had anything to say. I still regret that, years later, and was determined not to make the same mistake again.

Continue reading →

Arlene and my mom have both done an excellent job of sending out thank-you notes to the many, many people who have expressed their condolences on Dad’s death. The whole thing is still overwhelming, but it was made much less so by the love and concern of our friends, loved ones, and community members. However, I haven’t really done my part, except for writing letters to the hotel and the hospital. This post is by way of thanking the many people and organizations who have done so much to help us, including the Wood County Sheriff’s Office, the folks at the McVeigh and Witzler-Shank funeral homes, the members of TRAC and WCARES, and Dad’s co-workers from Dillin and Hoffman— to say nothing of the dozens of people who sent flowers, food, sympathy notes, and prayers our way. Thank you all so much.

Mail from Mom, program director for the Toledo chapter of the Arthritis Foundation:

The Arthritis Foundation, Greater Illinois Chapter is participating in the “Make My Non-Profit Run Better” contest for a chance to win an office technology makeover from RK Dixon. The winning organization will receive new office and network equipment valued at $30,000. The runner up will receive a makeover valued at $15,000.
This is a great opportunity for us, as you know firsthand the time it takes to raise this amount of money. This makeover would allow us to be more efficient in providing services for those who need it most. And, typically, money raised tends to support our mission, rather than offset business technology costs.
How can you help? For once, not by donating money, but by voting! The organization with the most votes will be selected as a top five finalist. The more votes, the better chance we have to win.

Go to www.rkdixon.com (click the “Make My Non-Profit Run Better” logo) and vote for the Arthritis Foundation, Greater Illinois Chapter until Sept. 5th. But, stay tuned … if we are chosen as a finalist we will need your votes again! We need this makeover to help us run better.
Please forward this email to any friends or colleagues who you feel would be willing to vote for us.
Happy voting and thank you for your support!

Our local chapter, along with several others, “belongs” to the Greater Illinois Chapter; if they win, the money will go to improve their technology infrastructure across the Illinois / Ohio / Indiana region.

No, she didn’t just turn 16 (that’s illegal in Ohio, y’know). However, today Arlene and I are celebrating our 16th wedding anniversary. It’s bittersweet, because on our 11th anniversary we moved here to be closer to my parents, and Dad’s death is still terribly fresh in our minds. However, I’m so thankful to have Arlene as my wife! (It doesn’t hurt that she got me an iTunes card and a new karate kicking bag, either.)

ARTHUR DAVID ROBICHAUX

Arthur David Robichaux, age 62, passed away Monday, August 13 in Albany, New York as the result of injuries sustained in a motorcycle accident. Dave was born on August 5, 1945 to Adele P. and Eugene J. Robichaux in Houma, Louisiana. He graduated from St Francis de Sales Catholic School in 1963, where he was a member of the 1961 Louisiana state champion baseball team. He received his MBA from Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland.

He was employed as a senior vice president of sales and marketing by Dillin Development Corporation of Perrysburg. Dave was active in many community and service organizations. As K5EYP, he was an amateur radio operator for more than 45 years and was named TRAC Ham of the Year, served as president of the Lake Erie Amateur Radio Association, and founded the Wood County chapter of the Amateur Radio Emergency Service. He was a deputy in the Wood County Sheriff’s Office Auxiliary and was also highly active in the Perrysburg Rotary Club, the Fraternal Order of Police, the Glass City Chapter of the Harley Owners’ Group, and the Ohio chapter of the Patriot Guard Riders.

Dave is survived by his wife, Ann Bloch Robichaux; his children, Paul E. (Arlene) Robichaux, Timothy D. Robichaux, Julie A. (Paul Wallich) Robichaux; grandchildren, David P. Robichaux, Thomas R. Robichaux, Matthew C. Robichaux, and Charles B. Wallich; sisters Debby (James, deceased) Verret and Norma (Edgar) Babin, and brothers Errol (Terri) Robichaux, and Mike (Debbie) Robichaux, along with extended family and loving friends. He was preceded in death by his parents and two brothers, Robert P. and Eugene J. Robichaux.

Friends will be received on Friday, August 17, 2007 from 4-8 P.M. at Witzler-Shank Funeral Home, 222 E. South Boundary Street, Perrysburg, Ohio (419-874-3133). Memorial services will be held at 10 A.M. on Saturday, August 18, 2007 at St Rose Catholic Church, 215 E. Front Street, Perrysburg, Ohio, immediately followed by a reception at The Church of Jesus Christ Of Latter-Day Saints Chapel, 11050 Avenue Road, Perrysburg, Ohio. Dave was a strong supporter of the many charitable works done by the Perrysburg Rotary Club. In lieu of flowers, charitable donations in Dave’s name may be made to the Perrysburg Rotary Service Foundation or any charity of the giver’s choice. Condolences may be made to the family online at www.witzlershank.com.