CAROLEE ODOM

I first met Bernie in junior high school.  We went together to Rincon and then to Palo Verde as juniors.  We were very close from the time we met until her passing.  We shared many adventures together, along with our partners in "crime"--Cookie Lundstrom, Penny Stoops and Judy Vancil.  We toilet papered houses--very wild in the sixties--and drove around on sidewalks in my VW leaving skidmarks.  We thought it was great fun but it was really very innocent.  When I went off to college she sent me a pet rat--through the mail!  Just like her.  I think the rat got flushed down a fraternity toilet at Berkeley.  My junior year she "ran away from home" and showed up at my dorm at Mills.  She spent a week with me before she returned to Tucson.  It was shortly thereafter that she moved to Florida.  I saw her off and on through the years.  I spent a week with her shortly before her death.  Up to the end she remained positive, upbeat and ready for fun.  I really miss her. 

Cookie and I first met at Rincon High our freshman year and then were sent to Palo Verde when it opened.  She was one of our group of 5--Cookie, Bernie Taylor, Judy Vancil, Penny Stoops and me, Carolee.  Much of our time was spent together for 4 years of high school.  We continued to see each other for years thereafter.  Our last group reunion was in the mid 90's in Tucson.  Bernie arranged it and came from Florida, Penny lived in Tucson, Cookie came from Phoenix and me from Seattle.  Judy didn't make it.  We had a lot of laughs recounting the crazy high school stunts--probably not so crazy by today's standards--but it was all the glue that binds.  We spent important years together, sharing our teenaged angst.  Cookie was taken far too early and in a far too violent manner.  Maybe with the current societal focus on domestic violence we can all take a moment to remember Cookie and that DV strikes all of us in some way.  I miss you, Cookie.