Before I start, I want to commend to you Scott's video. It is a deeply moving and personal remembrance, like few you are likely to find in any service either in person or online. Thank you, Scott.
I knew Merelee longer than anyone now living, and so I might offer some insight into just what made her the remarkable woman she was. My father said repeatedly that we are measured by the children we leave behind. I know that yardstick was carried by Merelee, and is reflected in her sons Scott and Matt. Yes, they are still young, but they are already giants.
Our parents always taught us by example, although not always in the ways they intended. Merelee and I spent our early years growing up in academic communities, first at Wisconsin and later at Minnesota. Growing up, we were subjected to repeated IQ tests. And just to demonstrate how unreliable such tests were in those days, my parents were told that Merelee was very smart, but that they should never expect her to perform like I would. And incredibly, they believed it! And so I spent the rest of my life disappointing them, and Merelee spent her life trying to prove herself to them.
My sister was determined that her children would never doubt their own self worth, nor would they doubt her limitless and unconditional love for them. The result is what you see on display here, young men who would be admired by anyone, not just proud parents.
When Merelee graduated from high school, the student counselor disclosed the results of those old IQ tests to my sister. They revealed a super-genius. Just for kicks, I Googled a list of genius' IQ scores over the ages. Who knows how accurate these lists are, but they're on the Internet, so you know they're true. Merelee's genius was unsurpassed by Galileo, Einstein, Darwin – you know people we know by just one name. And now one name, Merelee, whose genius is measured by the family she leaves behind.