Barbara Seranella, 50, bestselling mystery author and resident of Laguna Beach and PGA West in La Quinta, died peacefully on January 21, 2007, at 4:15 p.m. EST (1:15 p.m. PST) at the Cleveland Clinic in Cleveland, Ohio, with her husband Ron Seranella and her brother Dr. Larry Shore at her side. Barbara, who died of end-stage liver disease while awaiting a liver transplant, leaves behind her husband Ron, brothers Larry Shore of San Francisco and David Shore of Woodacre, parents Nate and Margie Shore of La Quinta, and stepdaughters Carrie Seranella and Shannon Howard.
Private funeral arrangements are being made by the family. A celebration of Barbara's life is being planned for February; details will be announced later.
Barbara was a class act. I first met her at Bouchercon in Chicago. Even when clearly still weary from the aftereffects of her first two liver transplants, she was unfailingly gracious, generous with time and advice, and funny as hell. I'll never forget her passing out onions with tags that said, "you can have the onions, but I'm keeping the liver." That's Richard Pryor funny, if you know what I mean.
She was also a hell of a writer. Her Munch Mancini books featured a tough female lead, a former drug addict fighting her way back to life with wit and courage. I devoured each one. She was one of those people whose work made me want to be a better writer.
Damn it. This SUCKS.
2 comments:
I'm sorry, Dusty. Lovely memory, lovingly told.
It just hit me in the gut when I saw that she had died.
I knew she was ill, but it was still a shock. What an incredible personality - even as sick as she was. A combination of courage and grace. And her books are pure gold.
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