Adeline Brickel

"Happiness always looks small while you hold it in your hands, but let it go, and you learn at once how big and precious it is."– Aleksei Peshkov

Unfortunately, Secretariat was not with us this weekend. His mother Adeline born in Ohio on October 28, 1915 recently passed. He joined his older brother Jim and older sister Penny in Southern California taking care of family business. Secretariat loved his mom and frequently went back to Southern California to visit.

One story that she told was when she met his father Alpha during the Second World War. She loved going to the USO and dancing with the soldiers at the Hollywood Canteen in the LA area. Incidentally, that is where she met Alpha at the USO.

Adeline loved her garden and spent much of her time in that setting. She worked as a seamstress and even worked on a bridesmaid dress for a Nixon relative. She loved playing poker and even taught one of her hospice workers how to play so that she could play with her boyfriend.

When Secretariat was either six or seven his mother and older brother and sister were at Venice Beach. He collected seashells that had a foul odor. Secretariat planned on taking the shells home with him. This was in Culver City and about 6 to 7 or so miles from the beach. When he told his mother of his plan, she said “either get rid of those shells or walk home.” Secretariat can be strong-willed and stubborn. So at that young age he walked home with his foul smelling shells. At a later date, Adeline reminded Secretariat of the incident and confessed that she felt guilty for telling him to walk home.

Secretariat laughed when he told me the story and I laughed as well. Keep those memories my friend. You were fortunate to have a mother like her.

From Secretariat"s Sister Penny:

I remember plain as day when Tony did in fact walk home.  He disappeared in a second and we were all looking for him frantically.  Mom was distraught and couldn't decide whether to hug him or kill him when he came  walking down the street, yes with those smelly shells still in hand.  Mother decided to hug him but threw the shells out she was so mad he made her worry so

That's when we knew that Tony had a remarkable sense of direction which he maintains today!!! My daughter takes after him in that regard.

Thanks for the lovely tribute, I loved reading it.