| Thank you very much for being here today to say farewell to my mother. There is so much I would like to say, so many memories, so many good times, so many wise words, so many tears. This is not going to be easy, please bear with me. My mother was above all else self-sacrificing. Nothing was ever too much trouble when it came to her family. She was a devoted wife, mother, grandmother and aunt. She gave everything she had for her family. Her hardest role, I�m sure, was being my mother. I was not a perfect child. She was caring and compassionate throughout her life. She lived simply and humbly. She was always right there to help others. She gave in any way she could. She went overboard in providing love and support for her grandchildren, Jennifer, Julie, Allison and Diane, and for all her nieces and nephews, and their children. She encouraged, prayed, counseled, and worked very hard to ensure that each person she loved was supported, especially in difficult times. If she were in her prime, and with us today, she would be comforting her niece Patti, as we approach the anniversary of Sean�s death. She would also be supporting her niece Connie, as she faces a difficult challenge. My mother was never angry with me. She gave me good advice to always tell the truth, so I�ll never forget what I said. And she practiced what she preached. She never complained. She asked for very little. She would always endure more so that someone else could endure less. She stayed very close with her two sisters, my Aunt Mary and my Aunt Josie, her whole life. My mother and her sisters made sure we celebrated everything. And my Aunt Carol and Uncle Joe Menta have been so very special to our family since forever. My mother loved visiting and receiving visitors. We visited our cousins all the time: the Dottore�s, the Russo�s, the Lazzaro�s, the Lazzara�s, the Cala�s, the Zingale�s, the Galati�s, the cousins from the farm in Akron, as she used to say, the cousins in Carbondale, Pennsylvania, and many more that we called cousin, even if no one knew for sure if we were related. Everywhere we went, my mother found ways to express her love of family and friends. And when visitors came to our house, she made sure they got something to eat and drink. Everyone learned they had to at least have a little piece of something, so my mother wouldn�t worry about them. She loved to have fun. If this were twenty years ago, she would be looking forward to the San Leone Lodge Christmas party, and hearing cousin Paul Lazzara sing �Jingle Bells� in Italian. She loved playing simple games with the whole family. We played �sept y mens� with our grandparents, Salvatore and Concetta Lazzaro, even though we knew very little Italian and they knew very little English. And she loved the Polkateers clambakes at the SNPJ Farm, where she would always find someone to polka with, often Aunt Carol. She brought the same caring and unconditional friendship to my dad�s side of the family, taking in my Dad�s sisters as if they were her own. She became very close with my Dad�s twin sister, my Aunt Florence. They were close buddies, and they were the two that drove cars when most women didn�t drive. She stayed close with many relatives and friends on my Dad�s side, and we had great fun with games, picnics, clambakes and New Years parties. When Marybeth and I got married in 1975, my mother added more dear relatives to her life. The Dula�s and the Skala�s had great fun together, plus vacationing together at Salt Fork State Park each year, sharing precious adventures and time with their grandchildren. My mother was the peacemaker and bridge builder in the family. Her sister Mary, in her loving way, would often get everybody�s feathers flying, and get people yelling about this or that. And when these loud words sometimes hurt people�s feelings, my mother would find ways to make peace again, sometimes right away, sometimes a week later when the time was right. She was the glue working to pull things together and smooth over problems. My father was widely known for repairing relative�s homes in his spare time, and even built our entire home in Maple Heights in 1950. But my mother repaired and built far more homes than my father did, with her love of family, and her talents at helping people see the best in others. She was a tour-de-force as a homebuilder. My mom never sought the limelight or attention for herself. She always sought to build others up. She did not need, nor even want, to be in the spotlight - but it was on her shoulders that many of us stood to get to where we are today. My mother stayed strong through many years of illness, and things became very difficult for her at the end. She was unable to speak without great effort, and answered questions with a �yes or no� nod of her head. I told her that we were going to visit Patti and Connie, who were both in the hospital, and what would she like us to say to them. My mother forced out in a whisper, �Give them a hug and kiss for me.� Those were her last spoken words. She passed with great dignity and strength, with her family at her side. Sensing the end, and unable to speak, she lovingly and peacefully waved goodbye to us. It choked us up, but we were happy to see the merciful Lord let her pass from the Earth with the greatest of all dignity. We will miss you, Mom. I know that our grief is not forever, but our love is. |
| Written By Son: Frank Skala December 11, 2002 at DiCicco & Sons Funeral Home Mayfield Hts., Ohio |
| IN LOVING MEMORY ROSE SKALA 12--1921 to 12- - 2002 |
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