I just learned of the death of Arthur (Art) F. Kussman, he was 97. I met Art when my father moved to an assisted living facility in Helena, MT -- Art had just moved to this facility with his wife. Art's wife needed more care than he was able to provide for her at home so they both moved to an assisted living facility.
Somehow during this "move-in" period my father and Art met and they became friends -- given that Helena, MT is a relatively small town I was surprised that they didn't already know each other but they didn't. This friendship was the best thing for my father. Art was very patient and seemed to realize instinctively that my father had some serious memory issues (everyone assured me not Alzheimer’s disease but definitely short term memory loss). These memory problems never bothered Art or maybe it just gave him the opportunity to continually retell stories and never bore my father.
It was also wonderful because my father loved being outdoors, something Art also enjoyed so they would take walks and drives around the Helena area (sometimes to the consternation of the nurses and staff especially when they would disappear for prolonged periods of time).
Art was a lifelong Republican and we just finally decided that there were discussion we couldn't have -- he wasn't going to change his mind and neither was I.
I'll miss Art, I only saw him a couple of times last summer and I didn't get back to MT in time to see him but I will remember him and think about him often.
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