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I assume he was the last of The Boys of Summer by Father Nieuwland

The "catching up with" Erskine part of Roger Kahn's classic is touching - Erskine and his wife devoting their lives to their son Jimmy who had Down Syndrome.

Jimmy died last fall. I'm going to guess these last six months were the only days in the last 60 years Carl did not worry how his son would be after he died.