A Message From Pam

I am extremely humbled after reading this message from Pam.

To all of the wonderful people supporting Marty and his fundraising:

It is said that if we are fortunate, we may have 1 or 2 true, deepest friendships in our lives. I am so grateful that for Marty and my husband Roy, theirs was that kind of friendship.  We met I think somewhere near 1988 in Miami when I frequented the service station Marty then owned. And he invited Roy and I to his home to meet some friends of his that were planning a ski vacation to Lake Tahoe. Upon our arrival, Marty greeted us at the door in pink piggy slippers- and I knew right then that a bond would be formed! And sure enough for the next 24 years we skied together, visited Europe together, went on trips to the Carribean, and laughed and cried at all the events that life brings families.  But the friendship between Roy and Marty was special. They have been sending back and forth the same birthday card (with appropriate inserts) for 12 years. They called each other "Putz" and "Moron"- affectionately- from the movie Grumpy Old Men. And that is how they addressed each other for 20 years!  Marty and his amazing wife Bobbie have "pranked" Roy with incredibly complicated practical Jokes.  And although Roy tried to return the favor every chance he got- I have to bow to their expertise! And even though we moved from Miami to Coeur d'Alene Idaho in 1992 we managed to stay in touch, continue to meet for vacations and events, and remind each other that we were going to "grow old together".  Sadly, for Roy, this was not to be. He was diagnosed with multiple myeloma in June 2011 and spent a month in the hospital here. Marty called him every day, sent the funniest messages on Caring Bridge, and made Roy laugh. What a gift. And when Roy got out of the hospital, Marty informed us that he was organizing a  biking fundraiser for the following year, in June 2012, to help support myeloma research.  What can you say about a friend like that! Roy was moved to tears.. And we all hoped that he would be able to get the stem cell transplant that the doctors had planned for him and go into remission for many years.  Unfortunately God had other plans for Roy and in Feb of this year he was re-admitted to the hospital with more tumors.  And despite heavy chemotherapy, he died of this terrible disease March 9th.  And through it all Marty kept planning his biking adventure, setting up his website, setting up his blog.  I am so humbled and honored to know such a wonderful and unselfish friend. He was a blessing (and occasionally a pain in the "patooty") to Roy and I know that my husband is in heaven saying "way to go Moron"!  I hope that Marty gets all the support he deserves, not only from the myeloma foundation, but from anyone who knows someone  who is suffering from this terrible cancer. And that a cure is found soon so that no one else has to die.  It is my special pleasure and honor to call Marty and his wife Bobbie my friends.

With great admiration and love

Pam Gross