Camille, I learned last night of your father's passing and sought out his obituary this morning.  While I was looking at your father's picture the the music came on...Time to Say Goodbye...my nose crinkled and the tears started flowing.  I am so sorry..the end of a great era..I see your father in his garden..and yellihg at me when I broke your basement window playing baseball..I was the catcher and it went through my skinny legs..what were we..11 years old..?  Simple life we had and a great life we had and we can thank our parents for it.  Much love, Dianne

As I sat down to write about Popi so many childhood memories came flooding back. It?s impossible to think about Popi without remembering the little blue house on Collimore Rd. That house was magical and it somehow always seemed to swell to accommodate our large family. We were drawn to that place by the love that poured forth from my grandparents. Visits to that house and time spent with Popi and Gram always helped to smooth out the edges of any cares and concerns weighing on our hearts. It was our sanctuary.

I feel fortunate that through Popi?s enduring presence in my life I was afforded many opportunities to learn from him. But perhaps the most significant lessons he taught me were taken in slowly over time and were the result of the steadfast example he set for all of us. 

Popi taught me that the world is abundant and that there would always be enough to sustain us. I remember as a small child being led by the hand into the backyard by Popi and he would show me the wonders that stretched the long length of the yard all the way back to the brook. Like the house, the backyard was also magical and I often felt like I was walking into a secret garden back there. When I was little there were fruit trees and I can remember standing on a ladder gorging myself on sour cherries and plums. They had two gooseberry bushes and the berries reminded me of tiny basketballs that popped in my mouth and exploded with a sweet-sour taste.  As you walked a little further back you?d have to duck under the arbor laden with ripening grapes. I have never tasted such delicious fruit and I continue to this day to search farmers markets in vain for something that?s even close. Popi and Gram always had an amazing vegetable garden. They grew pole beans, zucchini, and a variety of other vegetables, but mostly they grew lots and lots of tomatoes, which Gram transformed into the most delicious sauce. There always seemed to be so much in that backyard and Popi shared it with all of us. His generosity instilled in me a strong sense of wellbeing.
Popi loved to nurture living things and watch them grow. In addition to the fruits and vegetables he grew, Popi had a nursery of small saplings that sprouted up from the Tulip and Mimosa trees in the backyard. He gave everyone who wanted one a small tree and he often helped plant them as well. I remember the reverent care he took when he taught me how to plant a tree.  By showing me that this was something worth doing he planted in me the seed of desire to grow a garden of my own. 

Popi taught me how to enjoy the little things and he loved watching life unfold around him. He always had a birdfeeder outside the kitchen window so he could watch the antics of the birds. He watched closely enough to learn about their individual personalities and he always got a ?kick? out of them. Off and on over the years he had pet parakeets as well and Popi enjoyed teaching them to say among other things ?pretty bird?. Popi also loved his little dog ?Sassy?, who was his constant companion and his loyalty was often rewarded with choice bits of food from the table. 

Good food was important to Popi and it was often his vehicle of choice for imparting a lesson. I remember sitting in the living room with Popi along with my sisters and cousins as he deftly peeled an apple and then cut it into sections and doled them out one at a time to each of us. This simple ritual taught us about sharing, patience and how to peel an apple with a knife in one continuous strand. 

Popi encouraged us to try new things. I remember Popi unveiling an avocado that he was pleased to have purchased at the store. I had never seen one before and at first I was not too eager to try it, but Popi insisted and explained that you always try something at least once to see if you like it. 

It?s no secret that Gram did most of the cooking, but Popi loved to shop for groceries. A trip into their basement made this evident. The walls were lined with shelves filled with an overflow of goods from bargains too amazing to pass up. He had an eye for fresh p

Camille, I just read in the Citizens that your father passed away, Dennis and I want to send our deepest sympathy and prayers to you and your family.  You know that he will always reside in your heart.

OBITUARIO

Edward N. Martocchio

Falleció en 25 FEBRERO, 2009

D'Esopo Funeral Chapel

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