Remarkable little library causes big stir in Victoria.
Husband pays tribute to late wife by building a remarkable little library inspired by the Queen Mary. “I’ve always wanted to make a library with a cruise ship theme,” Jeff Apolinaro smiles while punching portholes out of sticker paper, gluing holders to hang miniature lifeboats.
Jeff started building the ship in his garage a few years ago, after finding a perfect piece of furniture discarded on a curb.
After cutting it up, adding a bow and stern, and studying books showing the blueprints from the real Queen Mary was built, Jeff focused on custom-making every detail of the ship in miniature.
His wife Marge was happy to help too.
“She was great with sanding, with varnishing,” Jeff says. “I put her to work on a lot of projects.”
That’s after she put him to work a lot, throughout their careers.
Three decades after falling in love and getting married, Marge and Jeff survived countless conflicts overseas, before facing unexpected adversity at home.
“You play the cards you’re dealt, right babe?” Jeff smiled at his wife. “And we’re making the best of things.”
So, after Marge was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, Jeff customized a trike so they could go on daily dates around the neighbourhood.
Although her memory was fading, their love was enduring.
Marge never got to see the library set sail to the end of their driveway.
She passed away more than a year ago. “We had a good run.
We saw a lot of places,” Jeff says. “Had a lot of fun times.”
Which is why Jeff is so pleased to see the fun times people are having with the ship library, exchanging books and engaging in conversations. “The fact that people light up when they see it is fun,” Jeff says. “It makes it all worthwhile.” Jeff says this library won’t be complete until he adds a brass plaque saying, ‘In memory of Marge’.
Adam Sawatsky has the full story of this remarkable little library in this Sawatsky Sign-Off.
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