The Birthday of a Special Person

On November 16, 1955, a baby boy was born in London, England.  He was born to a family of 2 older brothers, a Mom and a Dad. He was christened, Nicholas Newman.
Nick's family was not a wealthy family.  In fact, they actually were quite poor, financially.  Alf(his Dad) was a dock worker.  Alf had served in WW11 in Egypt.  He now inspected bananas being imported to England.
When Nick was four years old his mother & father divorced.   Jacquiline (Mom) left Nick and his 2 brothers to find a better life.  Alf continued to work full time while caring for his three sons.  Nick's aunt helped Alf care for the children.  Nick did not see his mother again until his graduation from Cambridge University,
Nick grew up on the east side of London which at that time was a fairly rough neighborhood.  He learned the Cockney Riming Slang  and helped the group of boys he ran with to throw "red splatter berries" on neighborhood doors.
When he began school they found him to be a very very bright student.  He won several special academic awards.  He also made the news papers rather often due to his exceptional abilities in the maths and sciences. He was accepted into Cambridge University on a full scholarship.  He graduated with a Masters In Mathematics. 
He worked for the Central Electricity Research  Laboratory in Leatherhead England. (just outside of London)  He walked or road his bicycle everywhere he went.  He had no use for a car!!  
The company he worked for selected him as one of their British representatives to go to the USA to be part of a multi-national project called the LOFT Project.  This was a simulated melt-down of a radio active breeder reactor.  His initial term was for 6 months.  However, he was doing so well, his stay was extended for another 1 1/2 years.
During his time in Idaho Falls, Idaho, he learned to ski.  He was an avid skier and basically had no fear.  He also loved hiking and camping.  He loved to fish but as he also loved the FISH he would let them go.  He felt he had no right to take their life.
Also during this time is when I met him at the birthday party of a mutual friend.  We dated while he was here. He had no interest in ever getting married.  I had no interest in ever getting re-married.  So, the fact that he would be leaving suited us both.  When it was actually time for him to leave, nether of us was as happy about it as we had initially thought we would be.
He returned to England and we kept in touch for 3 years or so.  Finally we both got brave and we married in England on 9/8/1988.  He stayed in England the first year we were married as he had research projects he had to complete.  I returned to Idaho as I was the manager of one of our State Offices.
In October 1999, Nick immigrated to Idaho and we began our lives together.  Nick brought an energy and purpose to my life that had always been missing.  I no longer felt empty and without purpose.  Nick also opened the world to me.  He took me to England and to France.  We visited places I had only heard about and never would have gone to without him.
Our marriage had its ups & downs.  Some pretty big ones!  However, the bond between us stood the test.  When he lost his battle with cancer we were still together.   My heart is with him still.
Before his death he touched many lives.  He was charming, witty, brilliant, a tad conceited at times, and very very stubborn. (Not sure if that was the Brit in him or his Newman heritage or a combination of both.)  He will be remembered for a long time by his family and many friends who knew him, worked with him and loved him for all that he was and for all that he gave.
Nick, on this day, your birthday, I wish you were here to go to dinner with tonight.  I wish that later you could read me another bedtime story and then we could curl up and cuddle until we fell asleep.  I wish I could have brought you your morning coffee this morning and that you could have eaten your toast and peanut butter with me.  As it is, I saw a Grief Counselor today.  I wrote a thank you note to Dr Southwick for us.  And, tonight I will be going to a grief seminar.  It is being held at the same place your services were held.  I will go in your memory and with you in my heart.
Darlene Newman                                                                11/16/2011