Friend by her side at a time of great need

Carolyn Bickle (left), with her best friend, Kathy Villemez.

“My husband really didn’t have many symptoms, besides things that kind of disagreed with him when he ate. He had just lost his best friend to an aneurysm and changed his job, so I thought that with the stress and worrying it could be an ulcer or something. He went to see the doctor for that purpose.

“Later, when we get this phone call that says they want both of us to come in to talk, it was kind of scary. They found that he had stomach cancer and it was very aggressive. He died eight weeks later. It was very quick.

“I guess the silver lining is that he didn’t have to suffer for years, like some people. On the other hand, with my son only 6 and in first grade at the time, it was tough. If it hadn’t been for her helping with my son and being there for me, I don’t know what I would have done.

“We became friends in high school, and we’ve pretty much been thick as thieves ever since. I don’t have a sister, but she’s just like my sister. More than that, she’s been like an angel in my pocket.”

— Carolyn Bickle