Marianne Wilson Finckel

Dear Chris and Michael,

I am so sorry to hear that Willie has left us. It was always a pleasure to see her, mainly at concerts in Capital District in which either of you or David were playing. She was always in good spirits, and had that special quality of "niceness" that so many musicians share.

I feel bad that I didn't know about the memorial service in November. Please accept my sympathy and best wishes.

I will always remember Willie for her insatiable quest for knowledge, her love of good food and good friends. Her energy was tireless - quite up until she became ill. Willie set the bar for how musicians should age - or perhaps not accept aging of the mind, at least.