Madeleine "Maddy" Wood

Born in Montreal, Canada ,in 1910, but raised in New York City, she was the oldest of 7. Maddy was the big sister who took care of the babies. At one point she asked her mother, Juliette, to "stop having babies". She lived in a era of tin not aluminum, buttons not zippers, iceboxes not refrigerators and hot water on the stove not from the faucet.

She shared many interesting and sometimes hard times as a young adult. The most often dinner was beans and bread with

an occasional roast beef. There were times when her mother told her to go get her Dad (Gaston). Maddy would run to the "saloon" peek her head under the swinging doors and yelled "Daddy, Mommy wants you home, now" Yes this was the time when NYC had real saloons.

One of her most memorable jobs in NYC was as a chocolate candy packager, just like in the I Love Lucy episode,

but I'm sure my mom did a much better job. She was an avid NY Yankees fan and usually sat in the 25 cents seats at Yankees Stadium and saw all the past great players. She never missed a Yankee game on TV or a world series, the players, she knew them all.

Her fist husband George passed away at the age of 32 from melanoma, which they knew little of back then. With a young daughter, Marilyn, she went on to try to make a life for her family during very hard times. She meet Al when he was "courting" one of her sisters. Al had just gotten back from the war (survived Iwo Jima) and fell for Madeleine. Thank goodness for me as they had me in 1950. (Mom was 40 at that time) Moved out to Northport, Long Island, where they stayed till 1972. Mom worked at the schools as a dietitian and rest of the time she enjoyed her girls growing up. When all her "sisters" got together usually it was a very fun time... at one gathering all 5 sisters did the "can-can" and all revealed their girdles.

They moved to Largo Florida in 1972 into a double wide as they called the mobile home. Mom lead the life she wanted ....simple never wanting more than they could have. She lived her life as we all wish little complications. She swam every morning, played pinochle, bingo read tons of books (so many she had to keep a log) and went for sunset walks with Dad and an occasional cruise.

In 1997 after Al passed away she moved to Assisted living at Manor Care , Naples and then Carlisle,Naples were she became the bingo queen and made many friends and had a busy social life. As things went, at the age of 95 she lived at home with her youngest daughter. Her 100th birthday was celebrated at home with a great party and friends, she always said she didn't know why she lived so long. I say it was because she was not complicated.

She is survived by one brother, two daughters, two son-in-laws, two grandchildren, four great grandchildren and numerous nieces and nephews.

I want to thank from the bottom of my heart all the angels at Avow Hospice who took care of Maddy at home, at Lakeside pavilion and at Avow House for the last 1 -1/2 years. And to all the people at Lakeside and Avow who became Mom's caregivers.... they know that she didn't say thank you ... you got a kiss instead.

It was a blessing to have Maddy in our lives so long she touch many hearts in her small way.

Her favorite "toast".... "Here's to you, here's to me... the best is yet to be" So enjoy heaven Mom, that the best!

A memorial service will be held Thursday, December 22, 2011 at 3pm at Hodges Funeral Home at Naples Memorial Gardens, 525-111th Ave North, Naples.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests memorial contributions be made in Maddy's name to AVOW Hospice.