There have been a lot of changes in our family over the past few months. We moved Eve's parents down from Washington state down to California and then we bought a house together in Scotts Valley. We were settling into a life together but life has a way of changing plans.
I'm sad to report that Eve's father, Lee Paul McKay, passed away at about 1:50 am Saturday Sept 13, 2008. He died in his sleep and went peacefully. He accomplished quite a lot over the past few months and he must have felt that it would be a good time to go. He managed to secure his wife's future and we found a good buyer for his classic 1971 Porsche.
He had been battling intestinal cancer for about 4 years. The latest incursion in March and the subsequent surgeries changed his life in a way that required him to take nutrition intravenously. He needed much more care so the decision was made to move him and his wife to California so that his daughters can take care of them. We have been busy since then: moving them to California, finding and buying a new house, moving in, trying to sell our other properties, preparing our old house for rental and just trying to settle in. Life was busy but we were starting to see the end of this transition process and we were looking forward to settling down and living our lives together.
His condition had worsened over the past week. It was difficult for him to sleep at night. This was probably due to complications from a kidney failure. His feet, face and lungs were swelling with fluid and his doctor had recommended sleeping with an oxygen supply. The machine which supplied the oxygen was really loud so he and I put it in the garage and we ran a line into his bedroom. He wasn't happy about needing an oxygen line and I could tell from his voice that he was getting tired of all the medical issues. While we were working in the garage he was showing me his tools (he willed them to me). It seemed like this was a subtle way of saying goodbye. He died later that evening. Perhaps he just felt that his job was done and he let go of life.
We are very sad that he is no longer with us but we are happy that he died peacefully at home and with dignity. He leaves behind Akiko his wife of 45 years, his daughters Dawn and Eve and grand daughter Jade Leigh.
Lee was a modest and quiet man. He was a veteran of the US Navy for about 20 years and left the service to become an electrical engineer in San Jose. He retired early and moved up to Washington state just outside of Port Townsend - his hometown. He spent about 15 years building a Japanese style craftsman house. He loved to cook. He grew organic vegetables and made excellent sourdough bread and bagels.
During his battle with cancer he was very strong and never complained about his situation. He never asked for pity and never felt sorry for himself. He was a man who loved to work on his cars, bread and house with a level of studiousness and detail that befits an artisan. He is a craftsman from an era in which quality engineering and quality work were an art into itself. He was also my friend and he will be missed. Rest in peace, friend.
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