WSJ/NYT

Today was an almost total loss on local foods, as I kind of expected. I unexpectedly ended up not staying at my own house Friday night (NO, it was nothing like that!!) and so didn't have a chance to eat breakfast at home or even to grab a cheese sandwich to take along with me. I was then out at a park for a fundraiser for work at lunchtime, and came home just in time to grab a nap, some cake and some bacon before heading out to a memorial service for my friend K's father, who died on St. Patrick's day this year.

The family held a huge, catered event, wedding-style, and close to 100 friends and family came out to celebrate dear, sweet Al. Thank goodness they put huge boxes of kleenex on each table. I was sitting at the kids table, and well, we almost emptied ours by the end of the DVD slideshow Al's boys had put together. Not a dry eye in the house, and yet laughter pervaded the room as well. Al lived and died by his newspapers, which came up again and again as friends and family came up to speak at the microphone. I loved hearing more about the man who meant and continues to mean so much to a woman who has been there for me more than half my life. (Sniff! Seriously, tomorrow my eyes will be swollen shut from crying today!)

I sat with my K during the open mike, held her new(ish) baby, and met another friend's new fiancee. The last time I saw many of the people at the wake (cause really that's what this was) was at K's wedding. I was hoping (isn't this kind of just WRONG of me? But I'll admit it, I was hoping) that the extended family would have prepared the kick-ass kibbe that K had at her wedding. After all, it was one of Al's fave dishes. (Clearly mine, too. OMG, yum)

I've linked to Alfred's obit before, but I wanted to actually get the info up somewhere more accessible than a paid classifieds service, so here's a cut-and-paste. I'm going to absolutely lose it when any of my parents go. God. I. Can't. Bear. It.

Alfred Salim Nemy, of Raleigh, died Wednesday March 17, 2007 in Rex Hospital, Raleigh. He was 76 years old. Born in New Kensington, PA on December 27, 1930, he was educated at Carnegie Institute of Technology (Carnegie Mellon) where he received his B.S., M.S. and Ph.D. in Metallurgy and Material Sciences. During his years at "Tech," he fell in love with and married Dorothy Gerlach, a marriage that lasted 52 years. Nemy began his career in 1955 with a summer job at Batelle, the global science and technology enterprise in Columbus, OH. From there, he joined TRW, Inc. where he would spend the next 17 years supervising, among other things, the metals and material sciences lab for the development of jet airplane engines. Moving from scientific development into corporate management, TRW enrolled Nemy in a Harvard Business School intensive management program and promoted him to develop and foster a cooperative business partnership between TRW and Mitsubishi Japan, which lasted over five years. In 1973, Nemy left TRW, to join Valve Castings Company as President of the steel foundry in Columbus, OH, creating a new operation for the production of investment- casting of industrial valves for parent company IU International. Nemy joined Rockwell International's Flow Control Division in 1975 managing a plant in Raleigh, NC. With the success of this operation, Rockwell promoted Nemy to Vice-President and General Manager of the Rockwell Draper Division, a textiles branch of the conglomerate based out of Greensboro. He spent five years turning the division into a financially successful operation. In 1980, Nemy was hired as Senior Vice-President of Operations for Precision Castparts Corporation in Portlant, OR, which returned him to his original field of metals and material sciences. Following a three year stint with PCC, Nemy joined Keeler Brass Company in Grand Rapids, MI, the leading manufacturer of furniture hardware and automobile parts, where he spent six years leading the company as President and Chief Executive Officer. After successfully turning the company around, he planned to retire, but was recruited by Doehler-Jarvis/Farley Industries of Toledo, OH as Executive Vice- President and Chief Operating Officer of their plant which he ran for two years. Finally, in 1992, Nemy retired to North Carolina with his wife. He is survived by his wife, Dorothy Gerlach Nemy of Raleigh; his sister, Selma Hardy of New Kensington, PA; his brother, Philip (Sally) Nemy of Monroeville, PA. Also surviving are four children, Tom Nemy, Dr. Joan (Joe) Meehan Colatuno, Philip (Kathy) Nemy, and Karen (John) George; seven grandchildren, Kaitlyn, Kelly, Kedrin, and Emily Meehan, Natalie and Teddy George, and Madeleine Grace Zotnowski-Nemy. Mr. Nemy was preceded in death by his parents, Salim and Azeezy Shamey Nemy; his sister, Edna Nemy; his brother-in-law, James Hardy; his niece, Cherie Nemy. A celebration of his life will be held April 28, 2007 in Raleigh, NC. For details of the celebration, please contact the family at 919-676-xxxx. Arrangements are by the Cremation Society of the Carolinas.