I'm still digesting the fact that my friend, Ceil Silver, has just lost her battle with cancer. Ceil passed away, somewhat unexpectedly , on Saturday. Yes, the cancer has been tough on her, but at every turn she projected confidence. She seemed to win each little battle which wooed us all into thinking she would beat this. Yet while her spirit was high, each of these battles weakened her body some more.

I've known Ceil for about 20 years. She is a force in the FoxPro community and we became friends when I first started attending user group meetings in NYC after FoxPro 2.0 was released. When I moved out of NYC in 1991, I began attending the meetings she ran in Westchester County. I remember driving down the Taconic  Parkway from northern Dutchess Co. in my beat-up old Volvo with the bad windshield wipers and especially the post-meeting pig-outs at the local diner before heading back on the road for my long late-night drive home.

Besides programming and community, Ceil was passionate about basketry and I was fortunate to live near Stowe, Vermont where Ceil attended "basket camp" every summer so we were able to get together even though I had moved further away and was no longer involved with FoxPro. I recall getting her stamp of approval on Rich (my hubby) the first time they met at dinner in Stowe.

Ceil has impacted so so so many people's lives in such wonderful ways. She was so cheerful, so very supportive and a joy to be around. Though we've emailed a few times since she's been ill, I haven't seen her in a few years. Though I carry memories of a fabulous meal at Hen of the Woods in Waterbury VT with Ceil, RIch, Alan Griver and Beth Massi a few summers ago...so I have the privilege of remembering her that way in person.

On paper, she has kept an amazing journal throughout her illness, called Too Much Me, at http://theceiljournal.blogspot.com/. The last post was written on Monday by her daughters Carla and Rachel. I still picture Carla at about 9 years old when she would accompany Ceil to the Westchester FoxPro meetings. I've never met Rachel, but have heard so much about both girls over the years.

Ceil leaves so many wonderful legacies, and I thank her for all I have learned from her and been able to carry on while working in the .NET community.

But what she was, is and will always be most proud of are her daughters, Carla and Rachel.

I'm going to miss her so much.