A DEDICATION

TO MY FRIEND PATI GIORDANO

INSTEAD OF DOING A "LOST AND FOUND" THIS MONTH I HAVE DECIDED TO DEDICATE THIS PAGE TO AN OLD FRIEND WHO WAS VERY SPECIAL TO ME. AND ALTHOUGH I DIDN'T SEE HER FOR MANY YEARS - SHE ALWAYS REMAINED IN MY HEART.

THIS IS PATI AND ME AT THE SPORTS AWARDS DINNER AT THE NORTH POLE RESTAURANT

WELL ALTHOUGH PATI GIORDANO WAS NOT MY "BEST FRIEND"

SHE WAS CERTAINLY A "MEMORABLE" FRIEND.

I MET PATI MY FRESHMAN YEAR...SHE WAS DEBBIE'S "LITTLE SISTER".

AS SOON AS I MET HER, I LIKED HER.

PATI HAD A PERSONALITY NO ONE COULD RESIST.

WE BECAME CLOSER WHEN WE CHEERED TOGETHER...MAYBE TOO CLOSE...

SHE WAS ALWAYS GETTING ME INTO SOME KIND OF TROUBLE

BUT I LOVED EVERY MINUTE OF IT

WE GAINED A REPUTATION AS THOSE TWO "BAD" CHEERLEADERS

PATI WAS VERY DIFFERENT THAN I

I COULDN'T EVER BE HER "BEST FRIEND",

BUT SHE HAS LEFT ME WITH SO MANY FUN MEMORIES

I COULDN'T EVER...EVER GET MAD AT HER

SHE WAS SUCH A FREE SPIRIT

ONCE SHE EVEN WENT AFTER MY CURRENT BOYFRIEND!

AND I STILL COULDN'T GET MAD AT HER!

I THINK DEEP INSIDE I ADMIRED HER FOR HER GUTS

LETS FACE IT, IF PATI WANTED SOMETHING...SHE WENT AFTER IT !

THE LAST TIME I SAW HER WAS IN 1994 AT THE CLASS OF 74' REUNION.

WHEN SHE WALKED THROUGH THAT DOOR,

IT WAS JUST LIKE OLD TIMES AGAIN.

WE HUGGED EACH OTHER AND JUMPED UP AND DOWN

LIKE TWO 15 YEAR OLDS.

I AM SO GRATEFUL THAT ALAN HELIAS DID NOT COME TO THAT REUNION

WITH HIS WIFE DEBBIE KNEBLE...

YOU SEE, THAT'S WHY I WAS THERE.

I WAS DEBBIE'S "DATE" FOR THE NIGHT.

IT WAS THE FIRST TIME IN YEARS THAT I SAW PATI, AND THE LAST.

I MAY BE CORNY BUT I ALWAYS THINK OF IT AS "FATE".

AFTER THE REUNION WE KEPT IN TOUCH BY PHONE

IT WAS GREAT TO TALK TO HER AGAIN

BUT EVERY TIME WE TRIED TO GET TOGETHER

IT JUST DIDN'T WORK OUT,

BECAUSE SHE WAS SICK OR IN THE HOSPITAL.

SHE JUST NEVER LET ON HOW SICK SHE REALLY WAS

PATI DIED ON NOVEMBER 16, 1995.

I NEVER GOT TO SAY GOODBYE TO HER.

SO I DEDICATE THIS PAGE TO PATI

AND JUST BE THANKFUL THAT I DID GET TO SEE HER AGAIN.

PATI YOU WILL BE IN MY MEMORIES FOREVER.

THIS IS PATI AND I OUTSIDE THE "NEW" H.S.

HERES' PATI WITH HER CRUTCHES AT CYO...SHE WAS ALWAYS GETTING HURT!