From Carolyn North Strauss

Dearest Maggi, Celia and Jim,

We just learned of Shona's passing, and we are devastated with the news. Our hearts are with you all, and with Shona herself. We knew her mostly as a little girl - that tender, beautiful child whose face was sunshine. (I recall once saying to Celia how beautiful her girls were, and she replied, "Yes, they are, aren't they? No reason to be modest - they are truly beautiful.")

But I, Carolyn, had a connection with her much later on that perhaps none of you knows about. It was when I learned she had become a medievalist - which I, probably not known by all of you - once was also. So I invited her over when she was in town, and we spent a happy and excited afternoon talking medieval art, and Romanesque sculpture, and places in Europe and gossip of scholars. It was amazing to me to be having that conversation with someone I had known as a child! I mean, nobody in California (I thought) had any notion of medieval France! So we gabbed excitedly, and when she left I handed her a stack of my journals from the Centre d'Etudes Medievales, where I had studied in France. From her point of view, they were a treasure, I think, a rare find. From my point of view, I was passing them on into the hands of the next generation.

Herb and I wish you comfort and care.
With love and sweet memories -
Herb and Carolyn