Where do we begin! What do you say about a woman who meant so much to so many? A lot!! She was a daughter, a sister, a wife, an aunt, a god mother, a cousin, a friend, but most of all a mom.....OUR MOM!! And an absolutely amazing one at that! Being a mom is something that came natural to her. Being one of six children(oldest daughter), she was ALWAYS there to help care for her siblings. The same goes for cousins. She was like the “second mom” I guess you could say. When my brother and I came into the picture, we became her number one priority. Everything she did was for her family. As we got a little older, we would be playing with friends and she would always join in. Whether it was hopscotch, jump rope (double Dutch was her fave), red light green light, stoop ball, riding bikes...and the list goes on, she was always there front and center. There were a few episodes with school situations where she ALWAYS stood her ground. Whether it was to protect us or just some other classmate. There were times of bullying, physical altercations and verbal, she always fixed it. From the time we were kids and now being grown adults, she continued to stand up for her kids, her family. Our friends always liked to visit with her and talk about anything and everything. Back then we never really understood why being she was a parent. But now we get it. She was a great listener, gave great advice and spoke from the heart. She was a COOL MOM! The life of the party, always making people laugh. She has been this way her entire life. She was who she was and we loved her. A woman we have always been proud to call MOM.... a woman we will continue to love with all our hearts! When we were out of school, mom and dad decided to make the move to Florida. It didn’t take too long for us to follow. It was all about being close to our parents. Family was everything to us. Between our work and friends, mom started meeting more people. There was something about her that drew people in. She was a social butterfly. When I got married, she always said she gained another son. She always wanted to be a part of everything and we loved that. We loved sharing all of life’s milestones with her. There are NO words to describe how she felt when she became a Grandma! She was over the moon!! Her grandkids became her life, her reason! She was always there to guide us and taught me how to be a great mom. She was an important role model in my children’s lives. They looked to her for advice, approval, reassurance or just a thumbs up! Her grandsons loved to make her laugh constantly. Loved to play jokes on her. No matter the mood, when she was with them she was always smiling. Her granddaughter enjoyed long talks and stories of Moms childhood. She would tell her Grandma EVERYTHING!! What these kids felt for her is unable to be put into words. She was the light in their life, as they were in hers. The love and respect that had and showed to her, again no words!! Through the smiles, the laughter, occasional tears and everything in between she was ALWAYS a strong woman. Greatly admired by so many. Her heart overflowed with love, compassion and kindness. A woman who gave so much of herself, that no matter what you gave back....it never seemed like it was enough. So, as we continue this journey called life, Mom’s spirit, her love, her laugh, and her beautiful smile will remain in our hearts and minds. And she will continue to guide us as she has ALWAYS done. WE LOVE YOU ALWAYS AND FOREVER MOM!!! Now reunited with Dad....will you both continue to watch over us and rest in eternal everlasting PEACE!!