My first impression of my mother-in-law was that she was a sophisticated and worldly woman; she was tall (at least by my standards), dressed well, spoke with a French accent, and was a world traveler. At that point in her life, Denise was traveling the world, even going to China by herself. Our first dinner together was when I was "Johnnie’s girlfriend", in December 1983 at Peter Luger’s Steakhouse in Brooklyn. Denise saw that I was cold and lent me her tailored jacket to wear (actually I was just nervous). I received my first of many of Denise’s afghans for Christmas that year. The afghans were actually a partnership between Denise and her good friend, Grandma (Demilt’s mother, known at G.G. to her great-grandkids). Denise could knit the afghan in about a day, and Grandma would crochet a border for it. After Grandma passed away in 1990, Denise continued to make the afghans, but they were left without the crocheted border. Getting to know Denise, I found that she was actually quite down-to-earth. She never drank alcohol, coffee or tea, never smoked, and her needs were quite simple. Denise usually didn’t eat dinner – just a glass of Carnation Instant Breakfast and a banana or English muffin. When Denise and Demilt were looking for a new home, Denise’s only requirement was that the house have a mailbox attached to it – not out by the road. Denise loved receiving the mail and the newspapers. Denise was compassionate and remembered special details about each of her children. On my first visit to Denise and Demilt’s house for dinner, Denise met us at the door and announced to Johnnie that she had his baked potato ready for him. Apparently, as a child, John didn’t like mashed potatoes, so for every visit, John was served a special baked potato. When Denise hit upon a fantastic cheesecake recipe, it became a staple at every family get-together. If John were to order cheesecake at a restaurant, he would always observe that it was not as good as his mother’s cheesecake. Denise was very generous and could not resist giving to any charities. As a result, she received many calendars, medals, cards, labels, as well as “doo-dads” that she saved for her grandchildren. Denise loved her grandchildren and always made sure the house was stocked with mini-muffins and other goodies that they loved. Denise had her own way of doing things. Her kitchen on Whetmore Drive had a white tile floor that was difficult to keep clean, so she took to using thick white socks to mop up the floor with her feet. She often said that she hated vacuuming, but loved to iron. Shortly after Emily was born, she came to stay with us for a week and ironed everything in the house. Denise loved to visit with people, and even when she could not go out, welcomed people into her home. She was witty and talkative, and maintained her joie de vivre throughout her life. She will be missed.