My mom, Sandy, passed away on October 2 at her nursing home in Shelton, CT.  It was unexpected, although these last few weeks there were signs that she was heading for a tough winter.  Thankfully she died in her sleep quietly and peacefully, and did not suffer.  She was a resident at a wonderful nursing home in Connecticut for the last 8 years and touched the lives of many of the people there.  She has been at Bishop Wicke Health Center after a bought with blood cancer in 2004; the last three years she was on dialysis three times a week to support her kidney function, which had deteriorated from diabetes.  She was very active socially at Wicke up to the very end, and never lost her sharp mind or sense of humor.  I visited her several times a year and took her out for luncheons and we explored the different towns of south-central Connecticut, including museums and other cultural institutions.  She was able to travel into New York City with me on two occasions on her birthday to see broadway musicals, the cream of which was seeing The Lion King last year on her 79th birthday.
She spent most of her life in the Malvern (PA) area, so her service was held there this past Tuesday at her choir’s church, Good Samaritan in Paoli. Because she had a home at Wicke for the last 8 years, people were very fond of her there and a service was held Thursday for her at the home. Each was a lovely gathering, but the service at the home was so warmhearted – informal, lots of remembrances from staff and residents.  They loved seeing the picture board my sister made of Mom’s transit through life.
 

Notices appeared in the PA Daily Local News, Connecticut Post, and Philadelphia Inquirer.

It’s been quite a year.