Marie R. VanCola Mercer

She was my best friend, mentor, spirit sister...island memories of a zodiac, a baby, Freedom the dog - Marie and I headed out the cut for Paradise Point where we would spend the day...drinking yellow birds while slapping down backgammon pieces - waiting for the boys to bring in the marlin....blackjack, roulette, lucky rings...then the Lauderdale years of poker games with friends, skinny dipping in the pool at midnight with a cocktail in hand...so, so many priceless memories... she resides...

Hope-all her friends had a safe and Merry Christmas, and thinking of "missed loved ones". 12-26-23... Added an old "Marie-Audio" once included here on Legacy, but now inc. on our closed-Stained Glass site... http://vancola.com/id1.html God bless...

Hey Marie, Miss those long late night phone talks, and especially all the years on South Bimini. Ron

13 years later, especially around this time, I'm reminded of the moments after mom left us on Christmas Eve.... I looked at Carol and said: "Well, she almost made another Christmas!".... When the nurse from the Philippines piped-up and said: "In my country it's already Christmas!"....
I just looked back at my kids and Carol.

Never gets any easier, does it?
Her only child....
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This Rhodesian...

"Thank you ALL" for being my mom's friend and buddies....I never heard her say a negative thing about anyone, except you-know-who on Christmas '83....

But in the Christmas spirit, I thought he was a pretty decent dad when I needed one!....She was a special person and a very upbeat-happy individual!.... It was a shame he forgot for a while!!..... http://vancola.com/id1.html

Merry Christmas to all, and the happiest of New Year's, till Congress comes-back in session!

Marie and I were best friends and spent our time together on south bimini - with baby Shawn - the dogs - taking the zodiac up to paradise beach with the baby and spending the whole day playing.
We traveled the four of us with the baby - two dogs - on the Wee Marie to the islands. We laughed - we played and made priceless memories.
When I moved from north Bimini to Lauderdale - she soon moved there too - we were neighbors who stayed close... until she moved to the west coast when it...