Robin's Father, Hal Gilbert, Passed Away

Robin's father, Hal Gilbert, passed away this afternoon. A short time ago, he was diagnosed with "Multiple Myeloma," a cancer that starts in plasma cells and affects the bones and other organs. He has now joined God's Saints, with his son, Larry, in Heaven.

At this point, everyone in Robin's immediate family has had Cancer. Her mother, Johnnie had breast cancer (as did several of Johnnie's sisters). Robin's brother, Larry, died from a rare type of blood cancer just a couple of years ago. His son, Matthew, had Hodgkin's lymphoma, and now, Robin's dad is gone from cancer.

Hal was an exceptional man who made his God and his family as top two priorities. He has always been an inspiration to me from our first meeting. He was a hard working Christian gentleman. Although he did not have a lot of formal schooling, he was a person from whom I always learned something new. I will never forget how Hal and I would get up in the mornings before anyone else, and he would coach me over a cup of coffee, especially on money matters, on his common sense approach to life. When I hear about someone who is having debt problems, I thank God for Hal Gilbert.

Robin is too ill to travel to North Carolina to be with her mother, Johnnie, for the funeral. So I am staying home with her and John is planning to go in our place.

Please keep our family in your prayers as we deal with our grief.

Love,

                  --- Larry, Robin, & John