My cousin said it best: there are aunts, and then there are AUNTIES. Auntie Retta was next level. She was as sweet as it gets with just the right amount of moxie.

She and I would always make furtive eye contact during meals and gatherings, like we were both up to something that only the other would pick up on, and we knew we’d get away with it too. I like to think our connection was because we were both the babies of the family, just a generation apart.

She was a kind smile. She was a funny story. She was a spicy opinion. She was a flirty wink. She was a cheerful hug. She was a welcoming heart. She was all this and so much more. We love you forever Auntie Retta!