For further information concerning services please contact her daughter, Mona, at 774-249-9547.

Ma personified the expression:

You never know how strong you are until strength is all you have. I found this on the Internet and immediately thought of the struggles Ma went through. Her triumph over adversity and personal loses was exemplified by her unwillingness to give up and her belief in Jesus.

While I was going through her boxes I came across her Bible. It appeared she had read it ten thousand times and was prepared to read it ten thousand more. On nearly every page she had scriptures circled with cliff notes that read like a woman who wanted to imbibe and retain those verses that seemed to speak directly to her heart. The one word I found that she had written more often than any other was the word Faith . She had dog-eared pages that seemed to leave a trail of her continuous search for peace and contentment. And as I flipped the pages down one by one it appeared to me that maybe she knew someday I would need to follow the bread crumbs to convey what she wanted to be remembered for more than anything else; her undying faith and her love for God.

Ma had a tenacious sense of equality and justice. I remember once there had been an accident at the Garfield school. I run the three blocks home as fast as I could to tell Ma that Hal (her first born son) was injured on the playground.  Ma threw me in the back seat of our two tone green Chevy and off we went back to the school where Ma very unceremoniously marched her way in to the principal’s office with me in tow and wanted to know who the teacher was that was going be fired today because they weren’t doing their job and protecting her child. I remember beaming with pride at her tenacity.

On another occasion when Ma had moved to Boston to live with me in the Back Bay the two of us went to the Wailing Wall in Washington DC to honor our fallen Soldier’s who had so gallantly given their lives to secure our freedom. A petition was being passed among the multitude of visitors to secure the rights for Homeless Veteran’s to receive better health care, affordable housing and of course, counseling for those who were still suffering from PTSD. Ma didn’t waste a moment in making her way to the front of the line to proudly sign her name.

So it came as no surprise to me when I learned that Ma had run for the Ward 4 at-large position to secure a council seat for the city of Kennewick. Her platform was based on her view that making life easier for the elderly and those with low income were important issue that needed to be addressed at the level of Government.

There are many more examples of her desired commitment to make life inclusive rather than exclusive. A very impactful one that comes to mind is the story of a Romanian woman who pushed her shopping cart through the Boston Commons every Wednesday morning collecting soda cans. Her name was Francesca and she had a variety of flamboyant hats decorated with plastic flowers arranged purposefully with feathers and strings of beads. She was always dressed in outfits of long flowing floral prints accented with brightly colored bobble earrings and necklaces that hung like trophies around her neck. Francesca also sported lengthy chains of bracelets that matched every color of the rainbow that seemed to dance around her slender wrists. I recall Ma relaying to me that she had a fabulous conversation with a woman in the park and she wanted me to meet her, and I did. Ma’s sense of child-like curiosity and her appreciation for the unique and flamboyant inspired her to not see what others might have seen; a homeless bag lady aimlessly roaming the streets of Boston with no real direction in life, but rather an interesting lady with a story to tell.

Ma was like that. She never missed an opportunity to capture the attention of someone she found interesting and to start a conversation with them. It never mattered to Ma where they came from, what color, race or creed. What religion or status in life they encompassed was unimportant to her. She had a way of making other’s feel comfortable enough that they would often tell her their life story and walked away feeling that finally someone understood their joys and sorrows.

Ma was a woman of distinction, class and character. She had a quick wit and could turn a word or phrase that kept others on their toes. Her sense of humor was often laced with sarcasm which others might have misconstrued as distasteful or even rude, but Ma only knew one way to slice the bread – straight. Ma’s unwillingness to be segregated to the back of the bus or to compromise her standards and sense of morality was not in her DNA. Ma was a proud woman who knew all too well that if you don’t stand for something then you’ll fall for anything.  With this said Ma

Ma was solidified in her faith as a Christian and yet true to her nature she was accepting of all paths of faith. When she came to Boston I introduced her to the woman of Salem including Laurie Cabot. She and Laurie made a great connection and Ma was eager to participate in the “Wiccan Awareness Movement” march to bring about enlightenment and dispel ignorance surrounding the beliefs we follow to Honor The Goddess, The Venus of Willendorf and in respect for the members of The Temple of the Nine Wells. Ma walked proudly Christian to Wiccan, Wiccan to Buddhist, and Buddhist to Christian through the streets of Salem knowing that her presence was honoring the empowerment of woman and those who had been systematically put to death for the beliefs. This is yet another example of Ma’s tribute to stand up against whose who were bent on destroying what they didn’t understand and to honor those who had suffered at the hands of others’.

Ma’s cheerful laughter could fill any room with joy and spender. In her own pragmatic way she found humor in the most mundane of circumstances. When she laughed she did so with the whole of her being, and if others’ didn’t get her underlying sense of perception then the joke was on them.

With all due respect to Hollywood royalty of her day, Ma was the most beautiful woman I have ever seen. With her glorious locks of long dark hair and sculptured features she always brought to mind a mirror image of Sophia Loren. Ma forwent the trappings of “fashion” and embraced a style that enhanced her personality. Though sometimes bold and ostentatious she had impeccable taste and knew how to dress for any occasion.

Her piercing blue eyes seemed to penetrate through the exterior of another to see the true beauty that resonated in their soul. She was non judgmental and did her best to meet people where ever they might be on their spiritual path.

An interesting foot note regarding prejudice is that Ma had purchased a Red Tail Boa-Constrictor as a family pet. She expressed her desire for her children to understand that prejudice was not a quality that built any sort of good character. I took Mr. Slithers to school one day for Show and Tell and experienced the type of prejudice Ma had warned me about. I recall not felling impugned by the snickers or gasps of the other students who kept their distance crying out what the heck is that and will it bite me.

Ma faced more than her fair share of tragedies in her life and often stood to face them alone. The trauma of losing her innocence at such an early age gouged a wound in her heart and soul that never really healed. Because of this Ma was on an endless search for answers to questions she didn’t know how to ask. So her search to capture something, anything that would bring closure to her unanswered cries for help came naturally to her as she set out to make sense of her life and its purpose. She sought out the peace of mind she so desperately craved and eventually found a faith that lead her straight to the folds of God’s love and mercy. The loss of her former husband Sidney, my father, and later on her son Hal impacted Ma to the core of her being. Later in life Ma learned to stand with grace and dignity and overcame the bitterness she had harbored for so many years in her mind, body and spirit. Her ability to forgive was a gift straight from the heart of Heaven and was a testament of her faith and trust in God.

Ma had clarity in her observation of interpersonal relationships, events, and ideals. She was known to speak her mind when others might have remained silent. Though her thoughts and feelings were not always met with any sort of appreciation, she never the less was respected for her insight and compassion. Ma left a mark on all who met her and in turn she held the memories of those who inspired her in the deepest regions of her heart.

While Ma lived in Boston with me she sought out the women from her high school sorority and made plans to have lunch with them. Ma showed up later on in the afternoon with an array of treasures her sorority sisters insisted she have. Little trinkets that had a meaning all on their own and could only be appreciated by one who had been a member of their sorority. It turned out that Ma was the youngest of the group and they had fawned all over her as if they had known her all their lives. I believe this experience was long overdue and helped her to recapture a piece of something that had meant so much to her as a senior in High School and one that she treasured until her passing.

Ma was a creative and industrious woman and her musical talents came naturally. She, without ever taking a music lesson could hear a song on the radio or stereo once and then play it note by note to the end on a piano or accordion. Ma taught me how to play chop sticks and 3 blind mice in just one seating. Her patience and determination helped me to experience and be a part of her joy and love of music. Though I never developed the rhythmic timing needed for playing the piano like my brother Hal had, I was none the less grateful for the opportunity to sit side by side with MA and enjoy her as only a daughter can.

Ma was also an incredible artisan. She was gifted with a passion for creativity and lucid imagination. She had a knack for making beautiful earrings and necklaces that one might find at a specialty shop on Newbury Street which is the life’s blood of Boston Proper. And she did. They loved her creations so much that they often hounded her due to the demands made upon them by patrons who wanted more.

Another gift of Ma’s creative endeavors was her ability to stretch her imagination and create beautiful greeting cards out of what others might consider rubbish. She had the ability to see the beauty and possibility of what could be crafted out of used and unwanted items and made into picturesque works of art. With her creative flare and her determination to create something beautiful out of what others discarded is in essence the story of her life. She was handed a difficult set of circumstances without any sense of security or belonging and eventually she found a way to overcome adversities and metaphorically make lemon aid out of lemons.  

This old family verse seems to say it all:

Isn’t it strange that princes and kings and clowns that caper in sawdust rings and common folks like you and me, are makers of eternity. To each is given a bag of tools a shapeless mass and a book of rules and each must build err life has flown a stumbling block or a stepping stone.

Please feel free to contact me, her daughter Mona at 774-249-9547 for information regarding her Memorial Service. And if you feel so inclined to do so please sign the guest book, and share any experience you had with My Mother that touched your heart.

Namaste, Amen, and Blessed Be