Support Jeff Horger in Honoring Carla's Legacy

My name is Jeff Horger, and I was best friends with Carla for 40 years and married to her for 37 years. We met when I was 17 and she was 15 and fell in love almost immediately. We went on to share a life, work, hobbies, and faith. Over the years, we experienced fun, failure, success, and heartbreak; always with the other one there to celebrate with or commiserate with, depending on the situation. Last Monday, January 27th, Carla passed from a sudden complication of a lingering infection. She fought for so long and told me that morning that she didn't want to die from this stuff as I took her to the ER. My heart was and still is broken.

As I look back on the last few years and especially the last year of her life, I thought I was preparing her for my leaving and getting her ready to be without me. Now, I can see that it was really all about her getting me prepared for a life without her. She brought in wonderful people and friends that I was thrilled would be there for her. Now they are showing their love and her foresight to me in my time of need. It is my goal to use this chance she has so graciously provided to carry on her legacy of love. In a way, I always wanted her to go before me so she wouldn't have to be alone and in declining health. Last week, that happened, but I'm devastated that the walk without her will be so long. Because of my unwavering faith, I do truly believe that she is waiting for me, and when I finish this small portion of my walk alone, she and I will resume our wonderful journey in the ever after.

Over the years, Carla and I have been financially stable at times, financially well off on rare occasions, and on other occasions in financial ruin. Up until COVID, she had a good job, and even though I was on disability, she had all the benefits of a long and productive career. Then when the pandemic hit and she began getting sick herself, she first lost her job, then her benefits. Over the past five years, she has struggled to find permanent work and the benefits (including life insurance) that accompanied it. Unfortunately, increasing neuropathy that only a few select friends knew the real extent of, a destroyed foot that was amputated about a year ago, and continual bouts with infection and sepsis closed the door to work more and more until she joined me in disability.

Honestly, I figured we would have a few more years to figure something out, and we were trying to save and had applied for life insurance but have not been able to start the payments. Regardless, her sudden passing has rendered all of our unpreparedness moot.

First of all, we have great friends and a support network that is unrivaled. The two of us really believed that has been our reward for a lifetime of joy, respect, and unwavering love of each other and those around us. Rest assured, those people have come through in the clutch, and her funeral is covered. I am starting this page for two reasons.

First, many of you have asked to help me get everything situated and covered. If I have heard "I don't want you to stress about things" once, I've heard it fifty times already. I know people want to see me through the tough times ahead. And yes, I need the help right now.

Second, I have no idea what the true costs of her passing are going to be. We will need some legal work, her final bills paid, and unforeseen memorial expenses. We have no current reserves as we had to cash in her 401K for medical costs a couple of years ago. Every day I find some new cost (large and small) that I'll need to take care of. Additionally, although we put together the property taxes for the first half of the year, I would love to put the second half of the year in as well, so I don't have to deal with it until next year. Finally, there will be a few memorials in the convention world this year honoring Carla. I would very much like to attend those and thank in person everyone that made her feel like a valued member of the gaming world. After covering her final expenses and solidifying the house situation, anything that remains should get me to these events.

So I'm reaching out to our network of friends, family, followers, and fans and providing you a singular location to provide your help. I do truly appreciate everything from thoughts and prayers to financial aid. In fact, it is prayers and a show of support that I truly need the most right now.

I realized today as I was making arrangements, that I hadn't looked into the gravestone, engraving, placement, opening and closing fees. Because of that I have made the tough choice to increase my goal for her memorial. If I achieve it, I can have our headstone created and placed with her name and date on it. That will also take a good deal of the burden off whoever remains to care for my burial in the future.

Carla's memorial will be Tuesday, February 18th at Shaw-Davis Funeral Home. 4341 North High Street, Columbus.