She loved his jokes

My dad, Doug, had a great sense of humor.  He was always laughing and trying to make others laugh.  I think that was one of the reasons Sheila fell for him.

He loved practical jokes, and he sometimes pushed his luck.  Sheila, in her wonderful selfless way, would always laugh when he would play a trick on her.

I remember one incident during Parent's Weekend my freshman year at Dartmouth.  Sheila and Doug had come up for the weekend and we were having a wonderful time.  At one point, we headed into the cafeteria with all the other families to get dinner  We all got trays and got into line. 

All three of us were moving down the line alongside with all the other parents and students, slowly sliding our trays in front of the feast that that was being offered.  After the salads and the main courses, we came to the desert section. 

She was studying the options and Doug snuck up behind her and tickled her ribs.  She let out a loud enthusiastic "OOOHHHH!!" -- just as Doug had hoped.

Without giving her a chance to turn around and scold him, Doug announces, louder than he needed to, so that the entire crowd could hear,

"Relax my dear, you can come back to the dessert station as many times as you like."

Now, many folks would bristle at being made fun on.  But Sheila had a way of loving any chance to laugh, (even if a reasonable person would have been upset).  She just laughed, and gave my father a big hug.  Right in front of everyone.  I loved that about my mom.