Washington Capitals fans have had little reason to smile in recent years, with the exception of the emergence of local product Jeff Halpern as an everyday NHL player. And I'm sure that Halpern, the only Maryland native to make it to the NHL, would have given plenty of credit for his success to his parents, Mel and Gloria.
Over the weekend, Gloria Halpern and her brother and sister-in-law as well as another friend of the family were killed in an especially horrific auto accident on a highway in Florida. Apparently, the flames from the accident were so intense that positive identification of the bodies may prove to be impossible. The other immediate members of the Halpern family, Jeff (who is playing in Switzerland during the lockout), father Mel and sister Jennifer, were not involved in the accident.
Just a few weeks ago, John Bucigross devoted a column to the connection between sons and hockey moms following the death of Ray Ferraro's mother:
No one is ready for watching a parent die. No one is ready to live without the unconditional love of one's life. But Ray and other sons like him know their Hockey Mom gave it everything they had, right to the end. They know a lifetime of grace and grit is a good way to make that No. 1 power-play unit in the sky.At the end of that sad, cold, night three days after Christmas when the Ferraro boys kissed their Mom good night for the final time, Ray realized his childhood role model didn't play for the Boston Bruins. His hero didn't skate like the wind, fly through the air, and wear No. 4 for the Big, Bad Bruins. Ray Ferraro's role model and hero made grilled-cheese sandwiches.
My condolences to the surviving members of the Halpern family and their many friends.
