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Community Corner

MOMS TALK: How to Handle Losing a Best Friend

Let's show our kids how deep friendship can run — Here's how we step up and support our friends

On June 20th, our community lost a stand-out mom — Andrea Conklin Bucklin.

Andrea was visible because she was often the team parent, auction chair, and uber-organizer. She was loved because looking out for other people was the way she did everything, from helping folks figure out sports training to getting support for learning issues, her specialty as an Aministrative Law Judge. She did everything from Chess Club to . She was the ultimate planner, and reached out to include anyone and everyone in the teams and events she worked on, whether it was forming teams for basketball or USTA tennis. Most recently her passions were watching her daughter Molly's crew regattas and her son Zach's .

At 51, Andrea lost a very short battle with breast cancer, a condition known only to a few so that life might go on as normally as possible for her family. A small cadre of friends circled the wagons, demonstrating the love and care that Andrea deserved. These friends prepared special foods when she had trouble eating, made family meals, drove her to appointments, drove her kids, helped her shop for hats, organized hospital visits, and even coordinated and provided medical care.

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Most of the kids on Mercer Island who know and love Andrea did not know this was going on, under the radar. But Andrea's children, and the children of the moms who helped out, saw this outpouring of love and it will be a memory that will strengthen them all. The emotion is raw, but a positive message will spread and endure, that of close friends coming together to give Andrea their best.

As the news of her passing has spread, the community struggles to grasp the huge loss this represents. She will be missed at , and also among her daughter's community at Holy Names Academy. Let's remind our kids of what Andrea stood for most -- treating other people well. She reached out to others, included everyone, and spoke about positive things when talking about others.

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A memorial service is planned for 11 a.m. on Thursday, June 28 at on Mercer Island, all are welcome.

Our hearts go out to her children Molly (15), Zach (17) and her husband Kerry.

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