A message from my Uncle

My Uncle Don (my Mom's brother) has always been an incredible 
writer, and still isn't missing a beat at age 94!

So yesterday he wrote this message to his children, some friends, and me:

"Read in the current New Yorker that the screenplay for "The Irishman" was written my my godson, Steven Zaillian, who I haven't seen since he was in high school. His father, Jim, was my friend at Sanger High and Fresno State. He died in 1978 at 51, a heavy smoker and workaholic. Went to the office seven days a week as news director of all-news-all-the-time KNX radio in L.A., a pressurized job if there ever was one. 

He married a Volga German girl, Alvina Schmidt, whose large family (there were at least 10 children) lived in a sheet-metal housing at a raisin plant across the road from us. She had an identical twin, Alvera. The girls and their betrothed were married in 1948 in a double ceremony at which I was best man for Jim. A month later I was in a tux for my brother. Best manning never happened again.

Steve Zaillian's great success was an Oscar in 1994 for writing "Schindler's List." I had read or heard little of him since, but a Googling today told me otherwise. He's been busy, and appears to have come back big-time amongst people named Scorsese, DeNiro,  Pacino, and Pesci. The movie opens soon.

Dad/Don"

Uncle Don and my Dad together about 18 months ago.

Uncle Don can't hear very well, and my Dad couldn't talk much, 
but I remember that day feeling they were still communicating.
I don't think words were even attempted.