The Bride:
Karen “Purdy” Gotto, will be the Matron of Honor. She and Emily have been good friends since Emily’s senior year at Carleton when she was Karen’s less than strict Resident Advisor and bathroom-mate. Luckily, both Emily and Karen ended up on the west coast, and Karen’s work in the outdoor industry allowed for frequent trips to Seattle. Emily has also made an occasional sanity-saving trip south during the long, dark Seattle winters. Karen is currently the Director of Operations for The Terrapin Companies in Santa Barbara. She married her husband Phil in April 2002 in a lovely ceremony in Santa Barbara, and Emily was lucky enough to be a part of the event. She and Phil are expecting their first child in August (not in June, as originally planned). It is only the truest of friends that delays family planning for a wedding: thanks Karen!
Caroline Behler is one of Emily’s best friends from medical school. She and Emily became close after they both took a lighter semester in medical school after family tragedies. In addition to a shared devotion to academic pursuits, they had (and still have) a love of cooking/entertaining, dancing, and sipping good cocktails that helped keep medical school balanced. Caroline went to University of Washington for undergraduate, graduate and medical school. She is currently finishing her residency in internal medicine at the University of California San Francisco and will soon be starting a fellowship there in Hematology and Oncology.
Katherine Hansen is also a good friend from medical school. She and Emily were acquaintances that became fast friends over poorly played tennis and mediocre yoga. She is a smarty who went to Wellesley and MIT for her undergraduate years. She is currently a third year resident in internal medicine at Washington University in St. Louis. She and her husband Luke (also a classmate) were married at Kat’s family home in Wenatchee, Washington in 2001. They have a lovely daughter Clara who just started walking.
Amanda Darby is Emily’s niece, daughter of Jon and Mattie Darby. She has been involved in more sporting events, musical activities and academic pursuits than Emily and VK put together. She goes to George School in Pennsylvania and will be 16 by the time of the wedding.
Johnnie Darby is also Emily’s niece, daughter of Joe and Kathy Darby. She is now 7 years old and in the first grade. She loves reading and riding horses. She is also much more fashionable than we were when we were 6 (but then again we were 6 in the 70’s).
The Groom:
RK Gadi: RK is the less attractive, less accomplished, younger brother of the Gadi family. He has completed only one post-graduate degree and is therefore the pariah of the family. He spends his days being a physiatrist in Denver. He will be the best man, a title which he has taken quite literally. While he has no known legitimate children, he does have a dog named Maggie and a cat named Lucky.
Benjamin Musher: Ben and VK met during their first year of residency in Seattle. Most would assume that their common interests in medicine, academics, snow boarding, baseball and dirty jokes are what comprised the foundation of their friendship, but that would be untrue. All the folks that know both Ben and VK well will readily explain that their deepest bonds are over a common love of the Simpsons. Ben will soon be leaving Seattle to begin his fellowship in oncology in Philadelphia. While VK and Seattle in general will be left somewhat incomplete by his departure, VK can at least take solace in his Cubs throttling Ben’s Astros in the upcoming baseball season.
Robin Houck: VK and Robin also met as interns but became excellent friends after a harrowing month at the VA hospital. Since then, VK has consistently been taking Robin for all he is worth at the poker table and throwing improbable strike after strike in head-to-head bowling matches. Presently, Robin is completing his year as a chief resident at Providence Hospital in Seattle. He is waiting to hear where he will be doing his fellowship in cardiology. Robin also has an upcoming wedding of his own in late July in Seattle to the lovely Sara Rice.
Jon Darby: To VK, Jon was the imposing older, protective brother of the squirt (Emily) – that is until he met Jon. Jon showed up at his 20th college reunion at Carleton College, the same occasion as Emily’s 10th reunion. He turned out to be an affable guy who welcomed VK into the Darby family with open arms. He lives in Maryland, is a civil servant and the father of two teenagers, Amanda and Tim
Joe Darby: Joe is Emily’s second older brother. He is the prankster-grown-into-caring-father type. He still pulls an occasional funny, but mostly he is a husband and father of two, Johnnie and Sam. He and his family live in Denver. Most recently, he has become an entrepreneur (ask him about the fan-belt). He is also the creator of this website.
