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  In the spring of 1973, Nora graduated with a Master’s of Science in Clinical Translational Science and Arthur received his Bachelor of Architecture, they began looking for jobs in the Tucson area. But when Nora was offered a position at the Barrow Neurological Research Institute at Phoenix Children’s Hospital, Arthur decided to look in Phoenix for architect positions. He wasn’t going to let this vibrant, beautiful, spirited woman escape. He was thrilled when he was offered an architect apprenticeship at the prestigious firm of Kraft and Wilson Architecture, Inc., just a few miles from Phoenix Children’s Hospital.

  Nora and Arthur were married four months after graduation in the garden patio of Uncle Ronald and Aunt Nancy’s home. Arthur’s parents flew to Phoenix to attend the ceremony and meet their new daughter-in-law. They were not impressed with the desert scenery, social casualness, or the “cowboy atmosphere” of the Wild West where their son and his new bride were taking up residence. That was Douglas and Marsha’s first and last trip to Arizona.

  CHAPTER THREE

  The Apartment

  Arthur’s parents, Douglas and Marsha Strong, had moved into their apartment on New York’s Upper East Side seven months after their fabulous wedding that was called the social event of the 1946 social season. This picturesque building was seventeen stories high and contained twenty-seven apartments, and the location was perfect. It was located on Fifth Avenue and Eighty-Fifth Street. Rosario Candela designed the apartments in the 1930s, and the Strong’s luxurious apartment was 5,300 square feet. It contained five bedrooms, a living room, library, dining room, kitchen, wine room, and three rooms for live-in staff members. After their three children arrived, Mrs. Strong felt the apartment was a little too small, but every time Douglas brought up the subject of moving. Marsha refused.

  “Marsha, we can move to a larger residence with more rooms. I can have my real estate man scout out some places that we can check out. I know they are building some beautiful, modern apartments close to my office.”

  “No, Douglas, I have a feeling this apartment building is very special, and I love the location. It is so convenient for everything I need. We will just manage with a more confined space and make do.”

  In 1964, the building was humming with a new rumor. A very special new tenant had purchased the apartment on the fifteenth floor. Jacqueline Kennedy and her two children would occupy a mirror image dwelling, one floor below the Strong’s apartment. Some of the residents were concerned that tourists, fans of Mrs. Kennedy, and reporters would invade their privacy, while others were thrilled that this world-famous woman and her security staff would be living in their building.

  At their Thanksgiving celebration, the Strong’s dinner table was filled with conversation about the former first lady. They were all hoping to meet her and perhaps become friends. That fall Arthur began attending a boarding school, Phillips Exeter Academy, which is located in New Hampshire and considered a feeder school to Harvard. Arthur’s sister, Claudia was attending Deerfield Academy in Western Massachusetts, just thirty miles north of Springfield, and Melissa was now the only child still living at home. The Thanksgiving break was the first time the Strong family had been together since September, and all they could talk about was the new resident in their apartment building. Arthur really wasn’t interested.

  The Saturday afternoon after Thanksgiving, Arthur was on the second floor of his building visiting his friend, Patrick Baker, who was also home for the holiday. On the way back to his apartment, he pressed the “up” button on the elevator. The doors of the elevator opened, and a huge man in a black suit and wearing sunglasses blocked the door. “Take the next elevator, son,” he ordered. As Arthur stepped back to wait for the next elevator, a soft-spoken voice responded, “Leo, it’s okay, that young boy lives on the floor above my apartment.”

  The large man in the black suit lowered his arms and allowed Arthur to step inside the elevator. Arthur was surprised to see Mrs. Kennedy and her two children in the corner.

  “What’s your name, neighbor?” she asked softly.

  “It’s Arthur, Mrs. Kennedy, Arthur Strong, and I do live in the apartment on the sixteenth floor.”

  She smiled, “I was going to introduce myself, but then I’m rarely allowed that opportunity. But let me introduce you to my children, this is John and Caroline.”

  “Welcome to the neighborhood,” Arthur said as he shook hands with the little boy. “My parents have lived here since January 1947, and they love the location and the building. It is very safe and private,” Arthur offered to the conversation.

  “Thank you Arthur, that is exactly what I needed to hear—safe and private.” Mrs. Kennedy patted his hand and smiled. “I need someplace safe.”

  Then Arthur remembered that his friend, Patrick, had given him a Matchbox Mustang car as a joke. He pulled it out of his pocket and started to hand it to the little boy with the famous John-John haircut. The man in the black suit put his hand out to stop him and took the tiny red car.

  Arthur looked at Mrs. Kennedy in surprise, “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean any harm, I just thought your son might enjoy….”

  “Leo, it’s okay, give the car to John,” Mrs. Kennedy smiled and looked at Arthur. “It’s terrible to be so distrustful of everyone, but Leo is only doing his job.”

  “Thank you,” said the smiling little boy as he clutched his shiny new toy.

  As Arthur walked into his apartment, he suddenly made the decision not to tell his family about his encounter with the building’s famous new resident. He would keep it his own special secret.

  During the next three years, Arthur and Mrs. Kennedy would meet each other at various times in the elevator. They became friends and Mrs. Kennedy would talk to Arthur about his studies, his dreams, and hopes for the future. She encouraged him never to settle for anything less than what he wanted to achieve. She also warned him of the dangers of being too dedicated to his career and to always remember to take time to spend with his future family. Arthur couldn’t get over this captivating, beautiful woman who had become his special friend. He was truly infatuated with the former first lady. Their brief conversations were always the highlight of his day or week. Over the years, Arthur’s secret crush developed into deep admiration and respect for Mrs. Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis.

  CHAPTER FOUR

  Their New Life

  After graduating from the University of Arizona and moving to Phoenix, everything fell into place for Arthur and Nora. Arthur’s Aunt Nancy and Uncle Ronald were thrilled their nephew and his wife would be living close by. Over the time Arthur spent in Arizona, they had spent holidays and summers together and developed a deep bond for each other. Arthur had only traveled to New York to visit his parents a few times in the last four years. He enjoyed his warm, funny aunt who fell in love with Nora. It was so hard for Arthur to believe that Nancy and his mother, Marsha, were sisters. They were as different as the East Coast and the West Coast.

  Charlotte was born five years after Arthur and Nora were married; Alexis came along a little over three years later. The girls grew up in a loving home raised by parents who made sure their girls were protected, nurtured, and enjoyed the benefits of a happy childhood. Even though both parents worked, Arthur and Nora always had time for their daughters and participated in all their activities. Charlotte, the eldest child, was headstrong and demanding. Alexis was a little afraid of her older sister, and tended to tread lightly, not causing any problems for her parents.

  Arthur prospered as an architect, and his reputation grew over the years; Nora flourished as a researcher and received commendations and praise from the medical community. The love Arthur and Nora felt for each other and their daughters intensified as they experienced the provocations and pleasures of routine family life. Charlotte was always a challenge and had to be redirected in some of her choices. In the beginning of her senior year of high school, Charlotte found herself pregnant with her boyfriend’s baby. Charlotte and Jordan had dated for over a year, much to the c
hagrin of her parents. Neither Arthur nor Nora thought he was a good influence for their daughter. They wanted her to go to college and establish a career.

  One shocking afternoon Nora walked into Charlotte’s room when she heard hysterical sobbing from her oldest child. Charlotte was sprawled on her bed, crying while three pregnancy tests were sitting on her dresser. All three of the sticks were positive.

  “Charlotte,” Nora asked as calmly as possible while she put an arm around her distraught daughter. “Do you think you are pregnant?”

  “No. I know I’m pregnant.” Charlotte said as she waved at her dresser. Falling into her mother’s open arms, sobbing, “I’m so sorry, Mom; we were so careful. I just never thought this could happen to me.”

  Nora calmed her daughter and reassured her everything would be okay. They would do whatever she and Jordan wanted. Arthur, usually a calm and reserved man, was infuriated. He never liked Jordan, and now he wanted to beat him to a pulp. Nora’s composed voice and rational reasoning coaxed her husband back to a sane and analytical solution to the problem.

  Charlotte wanted to keep the baby, so she and Jordan were married in a church ceremony with a small reception in the church’s social hall. Not exactly the wedding Nora had dreamt for her oldest daughter. Jordan’s nonchalant behavior didn’t change; he didn’t like working and eventually his parents refused to support him and his new wife. His attendance at school was spotty, not the best decision for a senior with barely passing grades. Arthur and Nora insisted that Charlotte graduate from high school, so they rented the newlyweds a small apartment and supported the couple. A few weeks after Christmas, Charlotte and Jordan had a huge fight; Charlotte fell down the apartment stairs and lost the baby. Jordan dropped out of high school, refused to get a job, and consistently asked his in-laws for additional spending money. Charlotte finally had enough and asked her parents to help her petition (and pay) for a divorce. They did; and Charlotte moved back home.

  Arthur found great pleasure in cancelling the lease on the apartment he and Nora had been paying for and giving Jordan notice that he had one week to move out.

  “Where am I supposed to go? My parents won’t let me move back home. I will be homeless.”

  “Thank God, that’s not my problem.” Arthur quietly, but assertively, answered back. “You might think about getting a job. But let me reassure you that if you ever try to contact my daughter or touch her or see her again, I will make sure it will be the last action you will take on this earth. I know some pretty bad dudes who can inflict so much damage on a human body, you will beg for death.”

  Jordan was speechless as he stared at his soon-to-be ex-father-in-law. This was a side of the gentle and kind man that Jordan had never experienced before, but he believed the threat.

  Of course, Arthur didn’t know any gangsters. Arthur had never even been in a fight in his whole life. But he walked out of that apartment looking back at shell-shocked Jordan, feeling very smug he had been able to pull off his newly discovered bad-guy image.

  CHAPTER FIVE

  The Invitation

  April 1996

  An engraved invitation arrived at the Strong’s Tempe home in April 1996. It was an invitation to Douglas and Marsha’s Fiftieth Anniversary Party that would be held on Saturday, June 15, 1996, at The Plaza Hotel on Fifth Avenue in New York City. The invitation also included four first-class airline tickets, a prepaid suite at the Plaza Hotel for four nights, and a handwritten note inviting them to a special gathering at their apartment that would take place on Friday evening, June 14th.

  “I’m guessing there is no escaping attending this celebration,” announced Nora as she handed the invitation to her husband the minute he came home from work and walked through the front door.

  “You are right, we are definitely going. I have to go. I’ll call Aunt Nancy and see if she’s able to attend the party, she might enjoy traveling with us.” Arthur thought about his beloved aunt and how sad she had become since Ronald’s death last winter. This celebration might cheer her up a little—or maybe not, Arthur thought about dealing with his parents and shook his head.

  Holding the elegant invitation in his hand, Arthur suddenly remembered a Fourth of July party he and Nora had attended many years ago at Ronald and Nancy’s home that brought a smile to his face. Nora was pregnant with Alexis and was looking forward to attending the Scottsdale gala. The affair did not disappoint. Driving halfway up the Porter’s twisted driveway, they found a young valet who took their car and pointed them to the front door. Greeting them on the walkway was a huge picture of President Ronald Reagan and his First Lady, Nancy, dancing at one of the presidential inaugural balls. Over the top of the photo was a banner that identified the famous couple as “Washington D.C.’s First Couple—Ronald and Nancy.” Arthur and Nora smiled and walked up to the front door where an even larger picture of Uncle Ronald and Aunt Nancy was attached. They were wearing red, white, and blue crowns on their heads, and the caption read, “Scottsdale’s Own First Couple—Ronald and Nancy.”

  Aunt Nancy greeted them warmly and asked Nora how she was feeling.

  “I feel like a cow, I’m so huge and I still have two more months to go,” complained Nora.

  “Nora, you are gorgeous. Mothers-to-be have such a glow.” Nancy said.

  Arthur kissed his aunt and said, “That’s some picture of the two of you on the door.”

  Nancy smiled as Ronald walked up with a bear hug for Nora.

  “Arthur was commenting on our picture,” Nancy remarked. “We are having fun sharing our names with the president and his first lady; aren’t we, darling?”

  “We sure are—actually this has been the most entertaining year in our almost thirty-five years of marriage,” Ronald smiled and looked at the picture of both him and Nancy.

  CHAPTER SIX

  The Anniversary Party

  June 1996

  Arthur Strong’s family and Aunt Nancy arrived in New York late in the afternoon. Arthur’s family unloaded their luggage at the Plaza Hotel and the airport taxi took Aunt Nancy to her sister’s apartment where she would stay in one of the guest rooms. At the Plaza, their daughters were delighted to discover that they would share a bedroom separate from their parents. They looked out of their bedroom window in amazement at the New York skyline. The following evening the Strong family took a taxi to the apartment on the Upper East Side.

  Before Arthur walked into the apartment building that he had once called home, he looked up at the fifteenth floor and thought of his lovely friend, Mrs. Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis. Arthur smiled as he thought of her, Dear friend, I never had the opportunity to thank you for your good advice so many years ago. I took your words to heart and followed my dream to a career where I excel and truly love. My family is so precious, and I always find time to enjoy them. I’m so sorry you never found real peace and tranquility in your life. Your celebrity status never allowed it. Jacqueline Onassis died in 1994, two years before the party. Arthur wondered if she were still alive, would his mother have had the gumption to invite her? Everyone who lived in the building had been invited and almost all had shown up.

  The party was even nicer than Arthur expected. He was able to visit with some of his former neighbors and friends of his family. Arthur’s two sisters snubbed him and his family. A brief hello and a few words of acknowledgement were the extent of their conversation. However, he was thrilled to see his friend Patrick Baker and meet his wife and son, Aaron. Arthur introduced his wife, Nora, and his two daughters. Aaron and Charlotte seemed to immediately hit it off just as Patrick and Arthur did when they met so many years ago.

  The next evening was a black-tie affair. The Anniversary Party was held in The Terrace Room at The Plaza. That made it very convenient for Arthur, Nora, and the girls. They could stay in their suite until it was time to go downstairs and meet the hundreds of socialites gathered for Douglas and Marsha’s gala. The Terrace Room was breathtaking. The tables were set with bouquets of pink and white roses,
crystal glasses, and delicate china. The crystal chandeliers twinkled with illumination, and the wine glasses and silverware on the tables reflected the sparkle and glitter of the evening. Walking into that room made you think what it must have been like to attend a party at the Palace of Versailles when Louie XIV was king. The invitation requested no gifts, but there was a table as you entered the room and it was piled high with exquisitely wrapped presents for the happy couple. Arthur was astonished at the decadence of the evening. However, he appreciated the architecture and the beauty of the room, delighted in eating the magnificent food, and enjoyed visiting with special friends from his past. The party went on until the wee hours of the next morning. Arthur, Nora, and the girls were grateful they only had to take an elevator up to their hotel room at the end of the party.

  The next morning, Douglas, Marsha, and Aunt Nancy joined Arthur and his family for brunch at The Tavern on the Green. After a few uncomfortable moments, Charlotte and Alexis started a conversation with their New York grandparents. Arthur and Nora were amazed and proud of their daughters’ ability to connect with these two aloof adults. In a few moments there was actual chitchat and even laughter between the senior Strongs and the two young girls. Even Aunt Nancy had a look of awe on her face.

  Charlotte had invited her grandparents to Arizona for a visit while Alexis explained in great detail some of the famous places where she would take them. As she was describing some of the iconic Western-themed restaurants that were enjoyed by tourists, Arthur cringed as he thought, Oh, baby girl, my parents don’t do touristy things. As children visiting Florida, they never once took us to Disney World or even to a circus. They would hate….