What a great life I’ve had! I was fortunate to meet a handsome, sexy lifeguard on Lido Beach in New York and to love and be loved for 60 years by my husband Bob, who was the good cop to my bad cop in raising our 5 crazy kids…all educated, involved in their communities and parents to my awesome grandkids. How proud I am of you Kathi (Don Harvey), Gayle (Rick Buckman), Debra, Rob (Pattie), Heather and Alice, whom we considered our own. I love each of you and each of you is my favorite. Thank you for blessing me and dad with 14 grandchildren: Courtenay, Christopher, Jason, Jennifer, Ricky, Murphy, Samantha, Nomi, Jose, Jesse, Andrea, Rob, Kai and Lindsay, who in turn have brought me the joy of knowing 24 great grandchildren.
Being a mother to five children wasn’t always easy but I did my best and they all survived drinking out of a hose, my cooking and the occasional fire department visits as a result of that cooking, family dinners which included throwing rock hard rolls out of the back picture window to the yard to “attack the Germans”, songs about the meatballs on the table killing their friends and the year I forgot to take the innards out of the turkey.
Because parenting often had its share of funny moments…I sold some jokes about my life with the kids and Bob to Comedian Phyllis Diller, famous for her one-liners. Bob and I were invited to a performance and were thrilled to meet her and hear her use some of my jokes! Her friend Frank Sinatra was there…a bonus to this amazing night.
“I’ve lived a life that’s full, I’ve traveled each and every highway.” I’m proud of so many things I was fortunate to be able to do. Born and raised on Long Island, NY during the war, one of my fondest memories is taking the big urns of coffee my mom made up on the Boardwalk to the soldiers who were protecting the coast. We raised our family in Brentwood, PA where I studied Political Science at Pitt, acted with the South Hills Players, coached the Daisies Girls Softball Team, and was the first women elected to Brentwood Borough Council. I was a travel agent and tour guide for Fletchers Tours and Travel, getting to see just about every corner of the world. I loved my position as Legislative Assistant to State Rep. Gene Ward during the 16 years Bob and I lived in Hawaii, ran a marathon for my 60th Birthday, was a docent on battleship Missouri in Pearl Harbor, and enjoyed many years of spelunking with Bob and the kids when we moved to Florida.
“ Regrets, I’ve had a few”…and I’d like to apologize for driving the alleys in Ocean City (because I didn’t have a license) back in the 60s and flattening so many trash cans. I regret that my sisters Marie Scher of Las Vegas and Anita Ahearn of New York didn’t live closer. I regret that my husband and best friend Bob, an FBI Agent, Coach and Educator didn’t get to spend the last 8 years with me, and that Frank Sinatra had already passed.
“To think I did all that, and may I say, not in a shy way. Oh no, no, not me”. I’ve been outspoken about politics (understatement) and am proud to have been a Republican who was financially conservative and socially moderate. I loved debating beliefs and values, being a contributing member of society, giving back and being my own person…something I wish for each of my young great grandchildren.
Remember me with smiles and laughter and promise me you’ll be your own persons. In the words of Maya Angelou, “If you’re always trying to be normal, you will never know how amazing you can be.” In the words of Frank Sinatra “For what is a man (or woman), what has he got, if not himself, then he has naught. I faced it all and I stood tall. I DID IT MY WAY”
Note from family: Our mother will be interred with our father on Wednesday, April 24 at 1:30 pm at Sarasota National Cemetery following a graveside service. Contributions in lieu of flowers may be made to the National Alzheimer’s Association or www.CompassionandChoices.org in our mom’s memory.
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