THE FORMATIVE YEARS.

Tamara ("Tammy" or "Tam") Ilona Klos was born on January 25, 1952 in Geelong, State of Victoria, Australia, the only daughter of Michael and Mara Klos. Michael and Mara were of Ukrainian descent who had immigrated to Australia from the horrors of World War II, where they had met as fellow prisoners in a German labor camp. Michael had run away from an abusive home as a teenager in Lviv, Ukraine and joined the Polish army, becoming a prisoner after the German forces invaded Poland. What perhaps saved him from being executed was he somehow as a youth had acquired a mechanical skill for working on vehicles. Mara had received a university education in Ukraine, but served as a domestic household servant in one of the German officer's homes in the labor camp. They met in that setting and fell in love.

Neither Michael nor Mara spoke English when they arrived in Australia. Nonetheless, they persevered by reading newspapers, listening to the radio and sheer determination and hard work. These were attributes that were passed on to Tammy and would be present throughout all stages of her life.

After spending two years working on a rural property between Melbourne and Geelong as a part of his immigration arrangement, Michael obtained employment at an automotive manufacturer. From that economic platform, and with the assistance of friends, he built a modest home in Geelong for Mara, Bogdan (Tammy's older brother), Tammy and himself. He selected the lot in question because there was enough space to add a small orchard of fruit trees, a large garden for vegetables and flowers, and to construct facilities for "chooks" (or chickens) to provide for the family's nutritional needs. It was in this setting as a child, until Michael tragically succumbed to cancer when Tammy was only 14, that Michael shared with Tammy his knowledge of and love for gardening and being outdoors in harmony with nature. He also taught her the necessity of knowing how to convert chooks" from producers of eggs into meat for the family, tasking her to perform that role. Bogdan was book-oriented, so in many ways Tammy was the "son" with whom Michael shared his interests.

Although the Klos family lived comfortably yet modestly while Michael was alive, frugality was the "order of the day," and with it the associated necessary financial discipline. This became even more so after Michael's passing and Mara began to work at a lower income level. Again, these were attributes that characterized Tammy throughout her life, regardless of how comfortable her financial circumstances might be. And, they were central to her high level of success as a businesswoman both in Australia and the United States.

A final building block to the remarkable individual Tammy would become was her connection with Ukrainian culture from early childhood. Tammy was extremely proud of her Ukrainian heritage, including the fierce Cossack commitment to defend what was important in life and to one's sense of values. Geelong had a large Ukrainian immigrant population. While Monday through Friday was spent in an English-speaking Australian school setting, all day Saturday was spent at the Ukrainian community school where she learned about the history and culture of the Ukrainian people and how to speak the Ukrainian language fluently. That fluency continued throughout her lifetime, and enabled Larry and her to have wonderful visits with several of her 1st and 2nd Ukrainian cousins in Sevastopol, Ukraine in 2012 and St. Petersburg, Russia in 2018…before Russia's invasions. It also enabled her to have extended Skype family visits with her cousins every 3-4 weeks up to her passing. And, thanks to modern technology, those same cousins and Larry remain in touch via email, which performs the necessary translation.

THE BUSINESSWOMAN.

Had the family's financial circumstances allowed, Tammy by choice probably would have studied architecture and design at the university level. But, they did not. So, at age 18 or 19, Tammy moved from Geelong to Melbourne to enter the world of work. After one or two unsatisfying experiences in a clerical setting, she set up her own business offering cleaning and plant maintenance services to high-end condominium owners and businesses in Melbourne. The business thrived and quickly, with Tammy overseeing multiple crews, probably in large measure because of the aforementioned attributes she carried forward from her formative years, and her own role in performing those same activities after Michael had passed and Mara was working full-time. During this same time period, Tammy and David Clancy of a prominent Melbourne family were married in the traditional Ukrainian manner at the Ukrainian church in Geelong. Shortly thereafter, David entered the business with Tammy.

Tammy's entry into the high fashion end of the garment industry, or "rag trade" as she sometimes described it, was the result of a challenge David issued one day suggesting she probably would not succeed in any other line of work. That was all it took to stir the Cossack spirit in her! Although, perhaps, she already had been thinking about exploring her interest in design. Just not in an architectural sense. Shortly thereafter, Tammy "turned over the business" to David and obtained a position with a well-known Australian clothing designer. During that period of employment, it was confirmed that she not only had an excellent "eye" for high-end design and fashion, but also skills in how to successfully operate such a business from a financial perspective. Unquestionably, the frugality and financial discipline of her formative years enabled her to make those difficult decisions that others might prefer to defer or completely avoid. At that point, the "word got out in the industry," and Tammy was recruited by an East-Indian owned prominent fashion firm in Sydney to address and resolve some serious financial problems resulting from mismanagement. She did so, with excellent results, enabling the company to stabilize itself and expand its business substantially.

But, it took its toll stress wise. After a number of years with that company, Tammy voluntarily exited the high fashion industry, and took a position as a trail hand for a few months with a small business which offered week long horseback treks in the beautiful Snowy Mountain region of Southeastern Australia. Think of the motion picture "The Man From Snowy River" and you've got the setting. In addition to the intended removal from stress and the resulting time to think about next steps, this enabled Tammy to experience her lifelong love of nature and animals in a genuinely natural setting on a daily basis. Unbeknownst to her at the time, this background played a role a few years later when she would meet "The Man From Arizona" on a trek in the Snowy Mountains, and ultimately marry and spend the last 23 years of her life with him. To his blessed good fortune!

The "next step" business wise turned out to be Tammy moving to Cairns in Far North Queensland Australia, where she accepted a position as the combined de facto Chief Operating Officer/Chief Financial Officer for a company owned-by an American expatriate, which operated retail tropical clothing stores in Cairns, Darwin and Alice Springs. This required transformation to a tropical-paced lifestyle, to which she adjusted beautifully. The product in large measure was manufactured in Indonesia and to a lesser extent also in India, so it allowed Tammy to both continue and expand her overseas contacts. She also inaugurated a wholesale facet of the business, creating business relationships with Aboriginal communities in northern Australia which proved to be high volume and very successful. Picture Tammy filling a Piper Cub or Cessna aircraft with colorful tropical clothing attire and flying with the pilot into remote Aboriginal areas to supply the community stores. You've got to love it…and, they loved her! In the process, and so typical of Tammy's receptiveness to things new, she developed an understanding of and appreciation for the Aboriginal people and their cultures.

The final stage of Tammy's career as a businesswoman began when she married Larry and moved to Arizona. After spending the first few years getting the two of them and their Australian Shepherd and Rhodesian Ridgeback "children," Luke and Tara, settled into their new home and new life together with one another in the historic rural community of Tubac in southern Arizona, Tammy assumed full responsibility for the financial and administrative management of Larry's sole practitioner law practice. Once again she excelled, while concurrently establishing and maintaining the magnificent landscaping and several gardens which characterized their 1-acre Tubac home. Tammy continued in this dual role until early 2020, when Larry closed his private law practice and accepted a position with the Arizona Attorney General. In the interim, they had moved to Green Valley where once again Tammy created a warm and welcoming home.

THE INDIVIDUAL.

This portion of this remembrance is comprised of observations and comments offered by some who knew Tammy in various settings in both Australia and the United States. There has been no editing or particular ordering of the same. They spoke from the heart and are repeated verbatim here with heartfelt appreciation.

Tammy was my dearest friend for over 30 years. She was my confidant and advisor in my confusion, my backstop in my battles, my warrior when the chips were down. But most of all, she was my laughing mate. Never, in those 30 years, did a cross word pass between us. We were too busy laughing at the absurdity of life.

She was never judgmental, always kind, considerate and caring.

She brought such a beautiful light into this world, always made me smile and will forever continue to do so.

She was always such a loving and positive person and if you were her friend you were that for life.

She was loving, caring, curious, energetic, fun, adventure seeking, and oh so much more.

Our conversations on walks with Luke and Tara were always fun and carefree, deep and loving, open and honest.

I'll miss my chats with Tammy. She was always open to my sometimes different opinions on different matters, and would hear me out before correcting me.

Without a doubt, Tam was one of the most genuine and self-aware people I have ever known. Her quiet thoughtfulness and sense of humor are the two traits I will miss most about her.

Observant, intuitive, perceptive, kind, funny, content.

She made a very special mark on this world and in the end love is all that matters.

From the day we met Tammy she made us feel as if we had been, were and always would be great friends. She warmly welcomed us into her robust life.

Tam loved Arizona and its natural beauty. She would show it off proudly to all her overseas visitors. And, she loved adventures, so moving to a new country was a challenge she relished.

She loved having one foot in Australia and one in the United States.

Simple and elegant, that was Tam.

She valued friendships she established in the United States immensely.

Unwavering energy and optimism was how she approached everything and everyone in life.

Tammy had a gift for making others feel comfortable around her. She was not one to talk about herself, but she never failed to engage the most reluctant among us, whether it was at a noisy party,or quietly with a friend in need of comfort, or a shy child or even a wary animal.

She was always interested, sometimes opinionated, but never judgmental or critical. She was also determined.

She was truly a sparkling star and we know that even now she shines brightly wherever she may be. We miss her terribly.

What struck us most upon meeting Tammy shortly after her arrival in the United States was her joy and passion for this new challenge and adventure.

She was a shining star of a human being.

Her love and devotion to those she loved was unsurpassed and we all know her organizational skills were world class.

Tammy could brighten any room with her warm and infectious smile, and I will miss our hours long dinner table conversations discussing the Australian system of government versus that of the United States, as well as her opinions on current events.

I loved listening to her talk because I found her accent so beautiful.

Tammy, as we all know, did not like to call attention to herself but she always had the best words of advice, She also always asked the best questions and wanted to know more.

She was so selfless, and will always forever and ever be in my heart.

A very grounded lady, who exuded a quiet, down-to-earth confidence and modesty. She was highly intelligent, a good listener, had a wonderful sense of humor, and was also a woman of respectful candor.

Radiant presence reflecting the joy of life.

Highly intelligent, observant and astute, coupled with thoughtfulness and giving to others.

Trying to capture Tammy in a few paragraphs is like trying to make a mosaic with a single tile. Yet, there was a constancy you could set your clock by. No matter when you spoke with Tam, no matter what the topic, no matter who you were, you could count on getting two things: the truth and a laugh. Even when

she didn't say a word, her eyes spoke volumes. If you knew her, and if you paid attention, those eyes revealed what no words quite could.

She never forgot a birthday, or anniversary, or a big day for family or friends, and she sent the most beautiful notes for those occasions. Gestures like this made you feel she was right there, and leave a lasting impression reminding us that she still is.

THE LOVE STORY AND FINAL CHAPTER.

Tammy and Larry met in early March of 1999 in the Snowy Mountains of Southeastern Australia in connection with a week-long horseback ride known as the "Trek of the Tasmanian Tiger," which was an annual gathering of 30-35 Australian and American men who loved horseback riding. The horses that year were provided by the same small company for whom Tammy had worked as a trail hand between her years in Sydney and Cairns, only this time she had been asked as a friend to help out the couple who owned the company by socializing with the riders both on the trail and in the evening around the campfire. She would have the freedom of riding her favorite horse "Clancy" each day, and no chores. This same ride was Larry's sixth, and he previously had established good friendships with the 20-plus Aussies on the ride that year, so he was looking forward to catching-up conversations with them.

Larry and Tammy met and chatted briefly at a dinner party the night before the ride began, but had very little contact the next 6 days during which, and not surprisingly, Tammy was surrounded by men who wanted to "chin wag" with her. However, he was captivated by her radiant smile, the ease with which she interacted with everyone, her quiet but clearly thought through manner of expressing herself at days-end around the campfire, and her very intelligent eyes which "said volumes." So, shyly he approached her the last morning of the ride as the riders were saddling up and asked if she would allow him to write her. She graciously said "Yes." Then, as it turned out, Tammy and Larry rode together at the end of the column for the 9-hour trek out of the Snowy Mountains back to Khancoban, where the ride had originated. And, they talked steadily and substantively throughout that time period. Something "clicked" between them.

During their conversation, Tammy had learned Larry was scheduled to travel to Cairns for a 3-day snorkeling trip on the Great Barrier Reef after the ride. Having previously lived there and knowing there could be cyclones during that time of year, she invited him to visit her in Darwin where her company had relocated its headquarters 2 years previous, in the event a cyclone might jeopardize his snorkeling plans. Larry decided then and there that he was going to accept the invitation regardless of whether any cyclones descended upon Cairns, although he did spend a few days there before traveling onto Darwin. Their time together in Darwin was wonderful as they got to know more about one another. But, when Tammy dropped Larry off at the Darwin airport they really did not know if they would ever see one another again. Each had been effectively single for at least 10 years and had no intention of remarrying or becoming seriously involved in a romantic relationship.

That said, when Larry returned home 30 hours later to his apartment in Tucson, the first thing he did was to call Tammy to tell her something was going on inside of him emotionally and he would like to return to Australia to see if it was real, if she was interested. She was, and he returned several weeks later. They met in Sydney and spent a week driving along the Australian coast getting to know one another better. By week's end, they each had declared their love for one another. In the intervening weeks before that trip, Tammy and Larry had talked twice each day by telephone, and continued that practice thereafter as a means of continuing to know one another better. Upon his return to Tucson in mid-May, Larry proposed by telephone 2 weeks later, Tammy accepted and Larry flew back to Darwin several weeks later in late June to formalize the proposal with a combination engagement and wedding ring he presented to Tammy on his birthday on the beach at sunset. During the next 5 months, Larry made 3 more trips back to Australia, and Tammy resigned from her company in Darwin and returned to her childhood home in Geelong to spend time with her Mother while she and Larry sorted out the process for obtaining a Fiancé Visa for Tammy. At one point, they enlisted the assistance of a former United States Ambassador to Australia, with whom Larry had ridden on two previous "Trek of the Tasmanian Tiger" rides, to nudge the visa process along when Tammy encountered delays getting an appointment in Melbourne to start the process. Cupid can be impatient as well!

Tammy traveled with Larry to begin her new life in the United States on November 16, 1999, arriving in San Francisco, where they spent 3 wonderful days sightseeing and sailing on the San Francisco Bay before traveling onto Tucson. On February 14, 2000 (appropriately, Valentines' Day) Tammy and Larry were married in a civil ceremony in Tucson by a judge with whom Larry had previously practiced law. They moved into their new home in Tubac the following day. The ensuing 22 and 2/3 years until God called Tammy home were truly storybook, including special times spent with the sons, grandchildren and daughters-in-law Larry shared with Tammy, many international and domestic trips to approximately 20 countries, and dozens of cities and villages, and quiet time with one another throughout. In addition to being with one another at the beginning and end of each workday, Tammy and Larry also were together in the same suite of offices for his law practice throughout the day between 2005-2020. So, they "packed a lot" into those years.

CLOSING THOUGHTS.

In putting this remembrance together, I am truly humbled that God saw fit to bless me with the love from and the sharing of a life with the remarkable woman we knew as Tammy or Tam. I was and continue to be so blessed.

As "bookends" to this remembrance, I have chosen to begin it with a photograph of Tammy as a young girl in Geelong in her Ukrainian costume, and to conclude it with a photograph taken by me less than 4 months before she passed when we were deep sea fishing off of our beloved Ziahuatanejo/Ixtapa, Mexico and Tammy had just landed her second sailfish. Look at her eyes in both photographs, and her subtle but confident smile in the first and her infectious and joyful smile in the second. I believe they capture the Tammy we all loved.

Larry Robertson

May 6, 2023