I always had a crush on Eileen Winkler...but who didn't? She seemed to literally sparkle with energy and life -- just being around her made you feel better! When I look back at our 1972 yearbook, one of my favorite photos is of the Mu Alpha Theta math club...we were posing on top of a "jungle gym" at a local park, and I playfully rested my elbow on top of Eileen's head...we were so happy and innocent back then! Years later, when I came back to Miami Beach during winter break from college, my mom and I were having dinner in a local restaurant when I heard an unmistakably infectious laugh coming from a booth behind us. "I know that laugh!" I said, and even before turning around, I knew it was Eileen! And then MANY years after that, we reconnected over drinks at the Beverly Hills Hotel...but really, nothing had changed: her sparkling eyes, the "joie de vivre" and always that loving laugh. She is sorely missed by us all!

My first crush. Then I learned we were related. Bummer for a 7th grader