A dear colleague who attended the service on June 16 remarked that she had never felt so much love in our chapel ever before. That certainly is a feeling Annie and I and our family experienced as well.

Where and how can we begin to thank you for such a generous outpouring of love and gratitude as we celebrated not only our twenty-five years together but also all that we have become?

It began many months ago with the inspired leadership of Lora Poepping who recruited a blue ribbon team of UUCers from near and far to plan the day’s activities. And it swelled to include the many, many hundreds of you who made phone calls, solicited donations, made music, secured caterers, wrote tributes, shopped for gifts, and showed up to celebrate. We were overwhelmed by the response then and continue to be embraced by the high energy of that day.

What’s ahead for us? An extended vacation at Lake Chelan comes first – to be followed by summer rest, yard projects and home renovations. We will remain in the Seattle area as extended time with our grandchildren is our priority as well. And we are looking forward to more extensive travel in the near future.

We felt privileged to be called to serve you twenty-six years ago. Now that privilege is enriched by memories, friendships, accomplishments, and the poignancy of saying good-bye. We could not have spent the last quarter century in any better religious community. From the depths of our hearts, thank you!

Love, Annie and Jon Luopa