Shocked and Saddened

This just came in on the Knit U list:

"Monday, November 19, 2007
Dear KnitU Members,

It is my sad duty to let you know that our List Aunt Gail McHugh passed awa=yFriday after a short illness.
For those who may wish to do so, the funeral home web site has a guest bookto sign and virtual candles to light for Gail. I think it would mean a lot to Gail's sister if the members of our list were to visit the web site and add a candle.
The URL is:www.keefefuneralhome.com

Speaking to XRX CEO Benjamin Saturday, Gail's sister mentioned that the knitting charity in New Orleans that Gail and Dez Crawford were working on was very special to Gail. She suggested that if knitters wanted to honor her memory, that she was sure that Gail would want people to remember the work that KnitU was doing for the Covenant House:http://www.covenanthouseno.org

Here is the address as well:
Covenant House New Orleans611 N. Rampart St.New Orleans, LA 70112

A little later today, our List will be passed to the capable hands of a newModerator, Anne Claxon, a long-time member of KnitU, probably now known to many KnitU members as the person in charge of sifting the KnitU posts on behalf of the Tips & Tricks section of the XRX Athena Database. Anne is very aware of our traditions as a group, but she will certainly need your assistance as she begins her task. I hope you will join me in welcoming her as we all begin the difficult task of adjusting to the loss of Gail, someone who has been a part of our lives for such a length of time.

With my deepest respects,
David Xenakis
List DadKnitU"

I have been a Knit U member possibly since it's inception, and had occasion to email Gail personally several times over the years about topics ranging from Stitches events to both of us walking around with wool samples stuffing our bras to try them out for softness.

I am shocked and so, so sad - I don't know what happened to Gail but she did such a phenomenal job of running Knit U, I just can't imagine it without her...