On Sunday, November 23rd, 2008, a friend, customer and fellow merchant passed away. Viola Walker, owner of Vi Walker Silver at 52nd and College Avenue was an amazing lady. She will be missed greatly by our community because she gave so much to us. She was a past president of Meridian-Kessler Neighborhood Association (MKNA) and their only President Emeritus, an honor she was pleased to have received in recognition for all that she had contributed to MKNA. Her interest in building a better business community was evident in her great enthusiasm towards the new organization CAN DO! (College Avenue Neighborhood Development Organization) and she gladly accepted a position on that board. She offered great wisdom, advice and support to their goals of revitalizing College Avenue.

I first met Vi when I stopped in her store to introduce myself as a new venturing merchant in the area. I was looking for a location for my store and asked her for suggestions. After I opened at 49th & College she came in and shopped for her pets. She loved her dogs and cats and bought them toys. One of the most remarkable days I have had at my store was the day she and her husband Jerry came down. It was difficult for her. She was in ill health and tired. I offered her a chair and she accepted. I went to the back to get the chair but my cat Sara was in it. I told Sara she had to get up and Vi heard me talking. She asked if I had a cat and I said yes. I brought the chair out, she got situated and then I brought Sara out. Vi wanted to hold her. I've written about Sara often in my column so you may remember me telling you that up until just over a year ago she had been owned by an elderly woman who had gone to live in a nursing home. Sara was taken by the family to Animal Control where Siamese Rescue retrieved her and I adopted her. When I put Sara in Vi's arms it was instant love on both sides. I so wish I had a picture. Vi loved on her for fifteen minutes and Sara was enchanted. She kept looking up at Vi as if to ask "Are you my lady? Did you come back?" It must have been the first time Sara had seen white hair since her separation. She said she would come back again to visit Sara but that was the last time I saw Vi and I shall never forget it. It was so moving.

Vi was an avid reader of The Broad Ripple Gazette and would often email me about my column, especially when I would post notices about lost pets. In February I received the first email that I quote. . . . . . "You are doing so much to help MK (Meridian Kessler), finding homes for dogs and entertaining me in each BR Gazette. You are a ray of sunshine. Try not to burn out, and thank you. Vi" The email I received this morning, from November 23rd, stated that "early this morning, Vi Walker died at home in her bed, with her husband and pets nearby, as she would have wished." Vi, truly it was you who was the ray of sunshine. This holiday season many will be polishing silver to use at their family table. Silver that came from a wonderful store and a wonderful lady. We will miss her greatly.

Memorial donations can be made to the Best Friends Shelter at www.bestfriends.org.