In an E-mail from Helen Thomson Mickleburgh on 7 January, 2005, John is referred to as "Max". In one dated 12 Oct., 2008 she reports that "Maxie" von Schey, who was like a little brother to her when they were young, died, 12 October, 2008 at 3:50 in the morning.


Dear Mark,
Here, the loss of a car would be a real tragedy. I am glad that nothing serious happened to you.
Poor James! I expect he will be in some pain afterwards but he must remember that he has to be as handsome as the rest of the family.
Maxie von Schey was Clemens von Schey's only male child and he lived here in Buenos Aires. His father was very German in his approach and thought that boys should be shouted at - so much so, that he was 35 and still afraid of his father. Lida (Helen Jane-Jessie Thomson-) his wife, ruled the house even though she never raised her voice once.
I will give you an example: when Max was 25 he planned to go and spend the weekend with a girfriend in a house they had in the Delta. I don't know how Lida learnt about it but she took the next launch and took the girl and Maxie to their respective homes! both were of age. He wanted to study music and his parents wanted him to be a diplomat; in conclusion, he was not one nor the other. He married very badly: his widow is a humble woman (there is nothing wrong with that) who did not even allow him to see his niece when she came from France and accused him of having had a "relationship' with her. She dragged him down and made him mingle with uncultured people. I could go on and on. From one authoritarian woman to another, as one of my brothers put it. There goes the skeleton in the cupboard for the von Scheys. Yet Maxie, having lived so well, was always good and smiling and never resented anything. He would always make me laugh. I think that he was both too sensitive and too weak. I suppose we all have one. Mark my words: this is very confidential.
Love,
Helen