Eulogy's

Bob's Eulogy for Kathie:

Kathie was “the best thing that ever happened to me”. I told her this many times over our 39-1/2 years of married life together. I always toasted Kathie with these words on our anniversary.

She was a friend, lover, advisor, artist, designer, dedicated wife, mother and playful grandmother.

She was a strong believer that the gift of life was priceless and defended that gift from its earliest stage to the latest. Those who knew her knew that she was a “strong willed woman” and she often showed it in support of others:

-An advocate extradonaire for the Right to Life

-A help to pregnant mothers who needed it – no matter race, creed or economic status

-no matter the time of day or night

-A support to those babies after birth through Matrix Life Line

-A loving godmother to a Down’s Syndrome child of friends

-A helping hand that arranged assistance for the aged widow or widower through St Lawrence friends and neighbors group.

-A house designer who used her skills to assist Habitat for Humanity

-One of the leaders of funeral lunch groups who served the grieving of St Lawrence parish

-A friend who “adopted” a widow and helped with many issues until her death

-A person who was concerned with others needs much more than her own

Kathie was “the best thing that ever happened to me” and to many others

She was a dedicated mother who would stay up all night with our children to finish a project and “do it right”. Many times, I didn’t witness this personally as I traveled on business. However, I have heard numerous additional examples from my children in the past few weeks as we gathered around to share Kathie’s last days. She could never say no to one of their pleas for help – even into college.

She was “the best thing that ever happened to me”

Kathie supported me throughout my life and career. When we had a 1-1/2 year old son and she was near a birth date for our 1^st daughter, I asked her if she would like to move to Europe shortly after the birth. She said “why not”. So five weeks after the birth of our daughter, we left for France and she spent a year doing pantomime with French pediatricians and “fractured” the French language at every turn.

She was “the best thing that ever happened to me”

She loved to travel and gathered new friends on a daily basis. She maintained those friendships over years and many moves to different places. I often said that she couldn’t walk 50 ft without meeting a new “best friend”. She had friends of a few weeks and of 54 years duration. She was fearless in trying new things, whether it was a drive to friends a state away during a snow storm or a trip to Italy by herself for the wedding of the son of a close friend, when I couldn’t join her.

She was a very intelligent person who loved a good game of chess or bridge and enjoyed doing Suduko as “relaxation”. She enjoyed challenges to the mind. She went back to school between children and studied so she could be a house designer.

She designed and managed the building of our retirement home in NC. On one day, a member of the construction crew said that there was nothing scarier than a woman with a tape measure who knew what she was talking about. She finished the house despite the fact that she was undergoing chemotherapy for the last 8 months of the project. She did this despite the need to travel often to Houston for treatment follow ups and 10 hour drives from Lafayette to NC.

She was the “best thing that ever happened to me”.

In her last days, we discussed how she would be leaving behind as a testimony to the value of her life: 4 children each full of integrity and love for their fellow man, who are passing these lessons on to their children. You could see her lessons acted out in the last few weeks of her life, as her children cared tenderly for her in her time of need. No better legacy than these children, could there be from a life of helping others. She was a woman who lived her life well and fully and who loved every moment of it to the end.

She was the “best thing that ever happened to me”

On a more personal note, being without Kathie will be like being without oxygen for me. We have known each other since we were sixteen years old. I was a “child groom” when at 20 years of age, I married the “older woman”-she was 21. In the most recent years, after the children had all left our home, we spent much more time together as she was able to travel with me at times. While I worked, she helped whatever local economy we were at thrive – especially the shoe stores.

We had looked forward to many more years together seeing the grandchildren grow and enjoying this experience that she so loved in the house that she designed. That is not to be for her. In a way, we were lucky in that we had 10 months from the shock of her diagnosis until she died, to say all the things to each other that we all sometimes forget to say during the rush of our daily lives. As I said to Father Dan, I know she is in heaven praying for us because if she isn’t there, then there is no hope for the rest of us. God bless and keep you in his bosom Kathie. I always have and always will love you.

You were “the best thing that ever happened to me”

The Kids Eulogy for Kathie: (**Eddie changed some of this before reading it, but this is the gist.)

Kathie entered motherhood in 1972 and life would never be the same.

Eddie seemed such a pleasant baby so docile and tame.

Kathie and Bob thought this was easy and wanted another bundle of joy.

Bob crossed his fingers and hoped for another boy.

1974 brought Lynette who needed assurance

To continue with their big family, they now had deterrence.

Kathie was ready to show the world that she had guts.

But taking 2 babies to France may have just been nuts.

But Kathie proved all nay-sayers wrong.

She showed she had the will of the strong.

After a few more years of “organized” chaos under her belt,

Every time she saw a newborn, her heart began to melt.

By that time, it didn’t take too much insistin

And pretty soon after, along came Christen.

Though they had set their limit at 3,

God had other plans that they would soon see.

Lauren proved to be a delightful surprise,

And now their family was to six in size.

Now with four kids, Kathie did what it took to be a good mom,

Whether it meant driving carpool in slippers or making dresses for prom.

Although Mary Kathleen Bryant was the name given at birth

She responded to many other names while here on this earth:

Mom, madre, and mama looch all rung a bell,

Where they originated no one could tell.

Kathie held too many roles to name in her life,

Be it doctor, cook, therapist, nurse or wife.

We remember the mom who got us all through school:

Was actually doing our projects against the rule?

Who could forget those ridiculously bad, yet well placed puns?

You know those that made you laugh and cringe, those were the ones!

She would look at you with a twinkle in her eye that grabbed your attention,

Then she would tell you, “I have the greatest idea, a new invention.”

Sure, most of them had already been created,

But she would still get so excited, so elated.

Her love of popcorn was more than famous,

And her outfits sometimes a little outrageous.

Ballet, soccer, speech, and basketball,

She frequently attended or coached them all.

Sewing, editing, painting, and drawing too

It seemed that there was nothing this woman couldn’t do

Mom always adopted all of our friends,

And sped along the process in making amends.

She was so loving, helpful, caring and fun.

All the good she started is not yet close to done.

In us she planted a seed of compassion,

Leaving four of us to continue her action.

To say she was supportive is greatly understated

There were so many people for which she advocated.

Though our time with her was abbreviated,

Our memories of her will never be faded.

You will be missed, mom. We love you.

Posted by Lauren