Letters

Wendy Flanagan of Sag Harbor died on May 18 of cancer.

On a phone call in early winter, Wendy shared that she hoped to be admitted to a clinical trial at Memorial Sloan Kettering. While Wendy described the medical hurdles she needed to leap to be selected for this cancer trial, I could hear the wariness and apprehension in her voice. Although that much-coveted oncological trial failed, Wendy, herself, rarely failed.

In June 2012, Gail Slevin, who would die of cancer in 2014, approached me about putting my house on a tour that would benefit the John Jermain Memorial Library. While Gail, a few years earlier, had championed my memoir, “Hungry Hill,” for a library event, I now had the upper hand. If Gail could find a “personal assistant” for me, I would agree to the tour.

Enter Wendy, Gail’s niece.

Since Wendy taught prekindergarten in Montauk — those lucky kids — I had her in the summer, when she squeezed me in between Connor’s driving lessons, Grace’s travel sport tournaments, her own tennis, and catering gigs.

Like the kids in Montauk, Connor and Grace and Wendy’s husband, Jay, had all won the teacher-mom-wife lottery. Were a cooking and organizational contest to be held in the Hamptons, Wendy could have easily trumped the likes of Martha Stewart and Ina Garten. Wendy’s portobello black bean burgers head the summer food list with my family and friends.

Last year at this time, Wendy, aided by Connor and Grace, prepared our Sag Harbor home for a summer rental as only Wendy could do. I had no idea what that project entailed, nor did I know that Wendy had cancer. Yet, Wendy stepped up.

Putting aside her skills and upbeat outlook, I was refreshed each year when I returned to Sag Harbor, where I could be with someone like Wendy who shared my values and beliefs. After the Parkland massacre, Wendy and Grace, posters in hand, marched in Sag Harbor, while my daughter, Abby, and I marched in Washington, D.C.

On Saturday, May 14, I chanted “My body, my choice!” with hundreds of like-minded women in Fort Myers, Florida. I like to think that Wendy and Grace would have been on the wharf at Sag Harbor with their pro-choice posters.

I will miss her.

Carole Gaunt

Sag Harbor