Barbara M. Connerly

Barbara M. Connerly died on October 18th, 2019. It was not the ending that she deserved, but at least now she is at peace with the love of her life, my dad Rudolph A. Connerly Sr. She is survived by her only child Rudolph A. Connerly Jr.

I gave her the nickname “Hyper” because she was always working on something, whether it be painting the house, helping my dad with one of his projects or working in the yard, she was constantly busy. She was even a good cook even though she didn’t like being in the kitchen. Her abilities and strengths never ceased to amaze me. She was never afraid to get her hands dirty she embraced challenges and would push through them.

She was capable of great love but she was not afraid to discipline. Through her I learned the meaning of the phrase “vas a ver”. Trust me when I heard those words a chill would go down my spine and I would get my act together real quick. I look back now and appreciate what she did, it helped me to understand the world and for that I am thankful. She was a parent when I was a child and then when I got older she became my best friend.

My parents had a powerful relationship. They spoiled each other whenever they could. It was great watching them because they worked well as a team. They made a great combination, my mom was usually the designer, my dad was the builder and I was the extra help.

This was especially true during Christmas time. My parents loved decorating the house with Christmas lights, always trying to come up with better ideas to outdo the previous year. The work was hard but when we got it right the house would look so beautiful and peaceful. My mom could stare at the decorations for hours enjoying their beauty. I remember those times so well and learned a lot from both of them, I cherish the time we had.

When my dad died in November 9, 1999, my mom was heartbroken for years. She finally recovered and became “Hyper” again, but you could tell she had lost a step. Life wasn’t as much fun as it used to be. Almost 20 years to the date of dad’s passing, my mom now joins him.

On a side note: My father had planted a yellow rose specifically for my mom (she loved yellow roses). After his death the plant would bloom every year religiously. In 2018 it bloomed twice, the second time caught us by surprise, because it was so late in the year. I believe the second bloom (if memory serves me right) was in mid to late October.

Strangely enough in 2019 about April or May when I started working on the gardens I discovered that the rose was dead. I was stunned but didn’t give it much thought. Now I wonder if this was dad’s way of letting us know that the roses would no longer be needed since they would soon be together again.

Well Hyper, thank God your suffering is now over but you will be sorely missed.