Wednesday, July 22, 2020
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The news of Vera's passing has just broken my heart. I had been searching for her periodically for many years now, searching the internet. I tried to reach out when I found out through a search that her son, Chuck, had passed away but couldn't reach her. Vera was my first supervisor when I entered into corporate America immediately after college in 1978. She taught me so much about the job as well as life. When my husband and I had our first child, she was the first person from work to visit and shower our baby girl with gifts, including a book entitled Millions of Cats, that she still has today after 40 years. Vera and I shared much, including our March birthdays, our southern born parents, our love for our work and a great sense of humor. I loved her so much and was really sad when she left the IBA, but she made sure to leave me with lots of wisdom. I remember Vera loved to write and was a stickler for correct spelling and use of words. So when she interviewed me to work with her and the general counsel, Donald X. Murray, the first thing she did was give me an English writing/spelling test. She told me that I was the first person to ever pass her test. I misspelled only one word that I will never forget for the rest of my life - after 42 years - extension. I don't remember how we lost touch, but I never forgot about her and I will never forget her - the Southern Belle from Chattanooga, TN, who left an indelible impression on this young Black woman from the southside of Chicago. My thoughts and prayers go out to Cecil and their family and friends. May God bless and keep you all. Our lives have been tremendously blessed because Vera was here.