The LuLac Edition #3098, December 25th, 2015

MERRY CHRISTMAS 

FROM MR. AND MRS. LULAC 

Your blog editor back in the day with the late Freddie Demech of Pittston who donned a Santa suit and visited homes in that town during the season. I was maybe 9 at the time and had to be talked into have a picture with "Santa" but Freddie was a hard guy to say no to. 

Here is a classic photo of Mrs. Lulac (left) her late father Alexander Waskie and her sister Alexis at Christmas.

CHRIS JEMIO-10 YEARS ON

“Through the years we all will be together….

if the fates allow……………..”

The older I get, the more that line in the song “Have Yourself A Very Merry Christmas” means more and more. Christmas 2005 started out as any other day. I was working then for a company that had no idea what keeping “Christ” in Christmas meant. It was all about the buck. So when McDonald’s and everyone else in the world was closed that day, this place was open.
After my shift I did the usual family things but then got a jarring phone call later that night telling me that a co worker of mine, Christopher Jemio had passed away from a cerebral hemorrhage. He was only 27. 
His death was stunning to us all because of his youth. But what really was horrible was the fact that we lost a very good young man. He was a good worker but also tempered that with a great deal of knowledge about baseball, the Yankees and the intricacies of baseball. It was a pure pleasure to work with Chris because he knew the history of the game. 
He also was readily available to lend a helping hand on the job. Even at a young age, Chris knew the difference between the pretenders and the people who cared about him there.
Every Christmas Day since then, when I think about the lyric line “if the fates allow”, I think of family members and friends. Sadly Chris has been on that list for the last decade too. He is still missed, remembered and honored on this day.Gone too soon but not forgotten.
Here’s a link to a Citizen’s Voice stories about him from a few years back.
http://citizensvoice.com/news/mom-carries-on-son-s-mission-1.1082147