Thursday, March 26, 2015

The Houlihan Grandchildren Remember 10K Runs, Scary Masks, and Their Best Customer


Betsy's daughter and Pete's stepdaughter, Myla Houlihan, has three daughters Pete adored. They are pictured with him at the beach, above. Below, they share some of their favorite memories about their experiences with him. 



One of my favorite memories of Pete was when he came to Boulder and ran the Bolder Boulder 10K race with me when I was 8 years old. He ran with me the entire way, but he let me set the pace, always staying just a few steps behind. We ran into the stadium together, although he let me cross the finish line first and we celebrated together on Memorial Day!   -Emily Houlihan, 22



One of my favorite memories of Pete is jumping out of the bushes at the Coronado house to "scare" him as he came home from work. My sisters and I were wearing animal masks that we got at the San Diego Zoo earlier that day. I remember watching for his car when he got home,  racing out with my monkey mask, and then waiting quietly behind the bushes, trying not to giggle. In retrospect, he may have heard or seen us behind the bushes that day, yet he still walked purposefully up the path and then dropped his bags and feigned surprise as we excitedly jumped out from our hiding spots. Pete was always a willing participant in our playful games, and it always ended with a good laugh.   -Erin Houlihan, 20



One of my favorite memories of Pete and Grandma was when we set up a pretend "store" in their back office.  After surveying their pantry, we made a detailed list with menu items and prices, and then opened the window to the patio to serve our "customers". Pete was always our most loyal customer — as soon as he got home from work, he would rush out to the patio and order some lemonade and brownies and pay with change. He was very complimentary and always expressed his gratitude, eagerly asking when the store would be open next. 
- Meg Houlihan, 17


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