I’m one of those lucky guys who was blessed with 3 mothers.

Shirley Ruth Fantl came into my life when I was a young man fresh out of the US Army, working at the Greenville News and taking classes at Furman University.

I fell in with a group of college writers, poets and artists who shared similar goals – to make a living from our talents.

They invited me to attend a Unitarian Fellowship discussion group that met on Sunday evenings at a local synagogue.

This was a spirited group of Christians, Jews, agnostics and atheists. They agreed to disagree on almost everything, including the existence of God, but did it with utmost respect for each others’ differing views.

There I met Shirley and her husband Joe.

When they learned I was an aspiring writer, they invited me to their home and Joe gave me the script of one of his plays.

Thus began a friendship that has lasted with them and their children to this day.

THEIR STORY began at the New School in New York City. Shirley was a girl from Glens’ Falls in upstate New York. Joe was the son of a New Jersey butcher.

He had graduated from the University of Chicago, served in Italy in World War II, and was attending classes in theater and writing at the New School on the GI Bill. Among his classmates were Walter Matthau and Bernie Schwartz, later renamed Tony Curtis.

Joe was a worldly man and talented musician who had played sax in jazz bands.

I suspect he swept Shirley off her feet.

She gave him 2 sons and 2 daughters.

JOE AND I started working together on a full-length screenplay based loosely on his experiences in the war. We also wrote a couple of TV scripts. TV was in its Golden Age and needed scripts from writers.

I spent so much time at their home that I was like an adopted son. I felt honored to be big brother to 4 rambunctious kids.

I went with them to Friday night services and to Hunting Island where they had a summer place. Shirley went with me to Baptist revivals and other Southern events she would not have gone to alone.

Shirley was remarkable in that I was not the only one she treated like family.

Joe went from textiles to the home building business to teaching in the state technical college system.

That led them to Delaware where he taught and even arranged for me to teach writing seminars for his students.

Shirley had a good head for business and managed Eddie’s of 5th Avenue at Rehoboth Beach for more than 20 years.

BOTH OF MY adopted parents are gone now, as well as their daughter Robin who cared for the elderly in Irmo.

We stay in touch with their children – newspaper publisher Brian in New Mexico, architect Stephanie in the Greek Isles and rock concert manager Rick in California.

On more days than Mothers Day, I thank God for putting 3 mothers in my life.

I hope you have pleasant memories of your mother and what she did for you.

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