ROGER CARLSSON (1974-2011)
My best friend since the earliest days of kindergarten back in 1980. We laughed and had so much fun together during our days in school. We probably should have focused more on homework, but where's the fun in that? We both shared a deep interest in music and in recordings, and luckily I have hundreds and hundreds of hours of recordings that we made together, and they are a treat to listen to now and then. First time we met was in August 1980 and the last time was two months before his untimely death in September 2011, when he passed away just 37 years old.
INES JAKOBSSON (1929-2010)
My grandmother was close to me when I was a grown up, although when I was a child I was more with her husband, my grandfather Henry (who passed away in 1996). We shared a great music interest and it was always a treat to talk to her. Alas, she had problems with her health the last years, so she could never come down and visit us after I had moved there, although she often talked about it. She passed away on Boxing day 2010, 81 years old.
HENRY JAKOBSSON (1926-96)
My grandfather was like the father figure and role model when I was a child, and I still think of him with the deepest affection, even though we had few similarities when it comes to interests or personalities, where I think I have more similarities to his wife, my grandmother Ines. Still, when I was a child it was fun to do things together with my grandfather, no matter what we did, since everything was fun when being with him. Some of the true quality moments that I remember today is when we went out fishing with his motorboat together. Some days we got loads of fish, sometimes we didn't ... and it didn't really matter.
LARS-ERIK ÅSTRÖM (1951-82)
For different reasons, I never got to know my father, so I can't say I have any memories of him; fond or not so fond. I just remember that he wasn't around, until the day when my mother told me that he had passed away. For many years I was very angry at him for not being there and also for dying before I got to know him. Today I don't have any feelings like that, after all, I can thank him for being able to be around. The last couple of years, I've been able to get to know my father's brother and sister and their families, and it shows that it is never too late.