We only met a couple of times but enough to see the beauty of life in her eyes. My heartfelt sympathy to Mrs. "B's" family. Carol (Robins sister)

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What a beautiful tribute you wrote about your Mother!! You were blessed, as was she. Our deepest condolences and may beautiful memories live in your hearts forever.

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MY MOM GREW UP IN CHICAGO AND LIVED A VERY TRADITIONAL ITALIAN AMERICAN LIFESTYLE, SURROUNDED BY EIGHT SIBLINGS (SHE WAS THE YOUNGEST AND HER SIDEKICK WAS AUNT MAE WHO WAS NEXT IN LINE). MY GRANDFATHER WAS AN ELEVATOR OPERATOR. MY GRANDMOTHER WAS A HARD WORKING SPUNKY LITTLE HOMEMAKER. BOTH MY MOM AND GRANDMA WERE SMALL IN STATURE, BUT MIGHTY WHEN NEED BE. DON’T MESS WITH THEIR FAMILY OR THE HOUSEHOLD BROOM COULD SUDDENLY BECOME A WEAPON. MY DAD AND MOM MET AT A DANCE HALL IN CHICAGO. SHE LOVED DANCING TO THE BIG BAND MUSIC WHICH WAS MY MOM’S FAVORITE PASS TIME. SHE WAS ALWAYS A WELL DRESSED FASHION PLATE…. WEARING HER DESIGNER CLOTHES, MATCHING HIGH HEEL SHOES, JEWELRY AND PURSE OF COURSE. MY MOM WAS NOT IN A HURRY TO MARRY. SHE WAS CONTENT LIVING AT HOME AND WORKING AT WIEBOLT’S DEPARTMENT STORE IN THE OFFICE. MY DASHING DAD HAD THE LOOKS AND CHARISMA WHICH EVENTUALLY SWEPT MY MOM OFF HER FEET AND THEY MARRIED AFTER MY DAD RETURNED FROM AN INJURY IN THE ARMY DURING WORLD WAR II. MY MOM LOVED HER HOME. SHE LOVED ENTERTAINING FAMILY AND FRIENDS IN HER HOME WHILE COOKING GREAT ITALIAN MEALS. MY DAD LOVED TO SOCIALIZE AND WAS THE LIFE OF THE PARTY. THEY BOTH HAD GREAT WORK ETHIC AND AN UNENDING DEDICATION TO FAMILY. THEY TAUGHT US SOMETHING YOU CAN’T LEARN IN BOOKS. WE LEARNED BY THEIR EXAMPLE OF GREAT CHARACTER AND MORAL FIBER. MY DAD WAS A RIGID DISCIPLINARIAN AND MY MOM WAS THE SOFT SHOULDER TO LEAN ON WHEN NEEDED. WE WERE TAUGHT TO RESPECT AND TO BE THERE FOR FAMILY, NO MATTER WHAT! MY MOM WAS THE GLUE THAT HELD OUR FAMILY TOGETHER. SHE WAS OUR PINNACLE OF UNCONDITIONAL LOVE, HOPE AND FAITH. SHE WAS DEEPLY COMMITTED TO GOD AND THE CLOISTER NUNS. SHE ALWAYS HAD A ROSARY NEARBY AND HER NOVENA’S IN HAND. SHE BELIEVED IN THE POWER OF PRAYER AND SHE WAS AN OBEDIENT FOLLOWER OF CHRIST. MY MOTHER BLESSED US WITH “UNCONDITONAL LOVE” AT ALL TIMES (WHETHER WE WERE WORTHY OF IT OR NOT). SHE WAS EXTREMELY PROTECTIVE OF HER CHILDREN AND GRANDCHILDREN AND WAS THERE FOR US NO MATTER THE CONSEQUENCE. WE KNEW WE WERE LOVED AND SHE WASN’T AFRAID TO SAY AND SHOW IT. I LEARNED DEVOTION AND DEDICATION TO FAMILY FROM MY MOTHER. SHE WAS MY DEAREST MENTOR. WE ALWAYS HAD A CLEAN HOME WITH COMPLETE ORDER. EVEN HER JUNK DRAWER WAS NEAT! SHE COOKED AND BAKED WITH THE MOST IMPORTANT INGREDIENT…”LOVE.” IF SOMEONE CAME OVER UNEXPECTEDLY SHE WOULD WHIP OPEN THAT FRIG, SAUTE THAT FRESH GARLIC AND HAVE A COMPLETE MEAL IN MINUTES. MOM WAS BORN IN 1921, AND LIVED THROUGH THE DEPRESSION WHICH TAUGHT HER HOW TO STRETCH A DOLLAR WHEN MAKING A MEAL. SHE HAD A GOOD LIFE, BUT SHE DIDN’T ALWAYS HAVE IT EASY. SHE SAW A LOT AT A YOUNG AGE WITH HER SISTER WHO DIED IN HER 20’S FROM A HEART AILMENT. SHE OFTEN TOLD ME THAT TO MAKE IT IN THIS LIFE YOU HAVE TO BE TOUGH. I SAW THAT IN HER OFTEN THROUGH THE MANY CHALLENGES AND HARDSHIPS SHE ENDURED. SHE NEVER HAD A PITY PARTY, SHE WAS AN EXTREMELY OPTIMISTIC PERSON. SHE HAD TREMENDOUS INNER STRENGTH. IT DIDN’T MATTTER WHAT LIFE THREW AT HER, SHE WOULD SAY “WE ARE NOT MADE OF TISSUE PAPER” AND SHE WOULD PUT ONE FOOT IN FRONT OF THE OTHER AND WITHOUT DWELLING, SHE WOULD GO ON WITH LIFE…SHE NEVER LOOKED FOR SYMPATHY...SHE KNEW LIFE WAS FOR LIVING AND SHE GOT ON WITH IT. HER DEEP FAITH IN GOD WOULD GUIDE HER WHEN TIMES WERE TOUGH AND THE CLOISTER NUNS WOULD GUIDE HER IN SUPPORT AND PRAYER. MY BROTHERS AND I GREW UP SMELLING THE AROMA OF GARLIC IN THE KITCHEN, ALWAYS GOOD FOOD ON THE TABLE AND AS A CHILD I REMEMBER HER OFTEN SINGING WHILE DOING HER CHORES. SHE WAS A SIMPLE WOMAN AND EASY TO PLEASE. SHE WAS HER HAPPIEST WHEN SURROUNDED BY FAMILY AND FRIENDS IN HER HOME, SERVING THEM A GOOD MEAL. THIS WAS HER EXPRESSION OF LOVE. OUR MOTHER WAS OUR SAFETY NET IN LIFE. IT WAS ALWAYS COMFORTING TO KNOW THAT NO MATTER WHAT, SHE ALWAYS HAD YOUR BACK AND SHE WAS ALWAYS THERE TO LISTEN AND HELP. THE WAY TO MY MOTHER’S HEART WAS THROUGH SWEETS. JUST GIVE HER A FRESH CANNOLI OR ÉCLAIR AND SHE WAS INSTANTLY GRATIFIED… SHE HAD A VICIOUS SWEET TOOTH AND LOVED ICE CREAM, CANDY AND DESSERTS…AND UNFORTUNATELY, I INHERITED THAT QUALITY, BUT NOT HER BODY. WHEN REFLECTING ON MY MOM’S LEGACY, IT’S SIMPLE… “UNCONDITIONAL LOVE” OF HER FAMILY . EVERY BREATH SHE TOOK , EVERY MOVE SHE MADE WAS ALWAYS FOR HER FAMILY. SHE DIDN’T GET A COLLEGE DEGREE OR FIND THE CURE FOR CANCER, BUT HER LOVE, WISDOM OF LIFE AND KIND HEART HAS CHANGED THE LIVES OF ALL THOSE WHO WERE BLESSED TO HAVE KNOWN HER. IF SHE LOVED YOU IT WAS WITH THE DEPTHS OF HER HEART AND SOUL . MY PARENTS LIVED QUITE A LIFE. THEY LOVED, LAUGHED AND LIVED THROUGH ENDLESS GOOD TIMES AND SOME REALLY TOUGH HARDSHIPS….BUT THROUGH IT ALL, AS SINATRA SANG……. ”THEY DID IT THEIR WAY.” MY DEAR SWEET MOTHER… STOOD TALL AND FACED IT ALL AND LEFT THIS LIFE WITH A LEGACY OF LOVE THAT NO DOUBT WILL BE REWARDED IN HEAVEN AND FELT IN OUR HEARTS FOREVER. SO AS I MOURN THE WOMAN WHO GAVE ME LIFE AND TAUGHT ME HOW TO BE A GOOD CHRISTIAN AND SELFLESS MOTHER, I REALIZE I WILL NEVER FILL HER SHOES, BUT I HAD THE BEST FRAME OF REFERENCE IN THE WORLD TO TRY TO EMULATE….I REALIZE HOW BLESSED MY BROTHERS AND I HAVE BEEN TO HAVE RECEIVED THE GREATEST LOVE A MOTHER COULD GIVE AND HOW DEEPLY MISSED SHE WILL BE, UNTIL WE MEET AGAIN ETERNALLY. AS MY MOM TRANSITIONS TO HER ETERNAL LIFE I CAN ONLY IMAGINE GOD, TOMMY, MY DAD, AUNT MAE, LYE AND ALL OF HER LOVED ONES WAITING WITH OPEN ARMS TO GREET HER. I COULD ONLY IMAGINE HER BEEMING FACE AS SHE STANDS BEFORE OUR LORD AND ENTERS THE HEAVENS TO FIND ALL OF HER BELOVED FAMILY AND FRIENDS GUIDING HER TO A GREAT ITALIAN DINNER, LISTENING TO FRANK SINATRA AND DANCING. NO MORE PAIN, NO MORE SUFFERING…AND I KNOW GOD WILL TURN TO HER AND SAY THESE GIFTS ARE ALL YOURS AS A REWARD FOR LIVING YOUR LIFE AS JESUS DID.

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A Grandmothers heart is a patchwork of love. She holds our hands for a while,but our hearts forever. Our sincere condolences and deepest sympathy to you and your family Mike. The Drabik’s

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PRAYERS YOUR WAY FOR THE ENTIRE FAMILY . SHE WAS A VERY SPECIAL LADY .KEEP ALL THOSE GREAT MEMORIES CLOSE TO YOUR HEART . R,I,P

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