As no doubt happened with fires in California and disasters everywhere, sadness brings people together. Such was the case two years ago when I met Ken Levanti, owner of Florida’s Sarasota Trophy Shop.

I’d taken some of our family trophies to be updated with that year’s winners. My late husband, Burton, went by many titles: President, CEO, philanthropist. But his favorite title was Grandpa. He loved arranging activities for our grandkids. These included family tournaments. He had winners’ names engraved on gold-plastic trophies he bought several years ago from Ken’s store.

Two years ago, following our family visit to Sarasota over Christmas, it fell to me to have trophies updated with the latest winners. Our family’s favorite contest was New Years Eve Bingo. For years Burton was our official caller, wearing his beloved Stetson hat.

This past New Years Eve, sons David and Andy took turns wearing Burton’s cowboy hat and calling out numbers. Our full card winner was Beau, at 6 the youngest member of the FarbFam. When Beau read his card off, I was impressed by his accuracy. Beau was not merely over the moon; he circumnavigated the sun with delight.

Which brings me to Ken Levanti. After Burton died, when I took our trophies to be updated, Ken was working the counter. I mentioned losing my husband and started to cry. Ken said he’d recently lost his wife and business partner, Sheree. He, too, choked up.

Ken with Sheree

Ken shared a story about Sheree, who’d recently died of ovarian cancer. Sheree loved elephants. Shortly before she passed, her friend took her to an elephant rescue ranch. She’d loved the experience and returned home with spirits revived.

To honor his late wife, Ken had gotten his first tattoo. He pushed up his sleeve and showed me. An elephant image included Sheree’s initials.

When Ken and Sheree married in 1986, she joined him in the business. Working together to build the company and raise two kids took most of their time. Son Dan grew up to become a detective sergeant and SWAT team member. Daughter Sara has two children of her own. Ken and Sheree had little time off to relax or travel.

Ken was recently reminded of another story about Sheree. The couple had been fixed up by friends on a blind date. (Burton and I met that way, too.) It was 1984. Ken and his dad had just bought the business.

Aside from selling trophies, Ken had romance on his mind. His second date with Sheree took him to a Halloween party. Friends suggested he dress up as the Big Bad Wolf, but he declined.

Then—Sheree showed up that night wearing a red cape, dressed as Little Red Riding Hood.

Recently, Ken came across a box of mementos Sheree had stored in their garage. Inside: Sheree’s red cape.

That red cape, and our trophies, weighed on our hearts. They were our equivalent of Marcel Proust’s taste of a madeleine in “Remembrance of Things Past.”

A smell, an object, a sound can bring back memories. They symbolize the joys and the heartaches of a long-term marriage. Joys and heartaches that. years later, we’re blessed to recall.

Preocupied with business and family, Ken and Sheree had little time to travel. Ken plans to rectify that soon with a trip to Sicily, where his great-grandfather was born. Also on the agenda: travel to Las Vegas to see the Eagles.

For now, Ken remains very involved with his family. Sheree was a devoted friend and protective mother, he says. “If you were her friend, she’d do anything for you. But piss her off and you were dead to her.”

Ken tries to fill the void left by Sheree’s death. “The hardest thing I do now is try to be a mom as well as a dad to my kids. I wish I could have one more hour with Sheree just to thank her. Moms don’t get enough credit.”

Amen to that.

Thanks, Ken, for sharing Sheree with Godsigns readers. And for commemorating many happy times in the Farbman family.

Burt was sporting his cowboy hat when he was holding Beau some years ago. Now, Beau is old enough to have won at our family Bingo tournament!