Thank you.

Thank you to all who joined us last week for Michele’s service.

As shiva (the Jewish custom of mourning for the week following a funeral) comes to a close, my family has reflected on the past week and our hearts have been warmed by the tremendous outpouring of love & support.

While our hearts have been warmed, they undoubtedly continue to feel heavy while bearing the brunt of a large hole.

But those holes are filled with stories, memories, and lessons shared, taught, and instilled in us by my mom.

Many of you have expressed interest in the speeches and remarks that were made at my mom’s service last week.

Below is primarily just the audio of my speech:

 

Words written by Bradley and read by Rabbi Paley:

Simply put, my mom was an amazing woman. She was tenacious. Her

love for her family is what drove her to be the person she was.

Day or night, my mom was there for me. We did not always see eye

to eye on things, but everything she ever said or did was based

solely on the unconditional love she held for me.

She constantly sacrificed herself to make sure everyone else was

cared for. Family is what made her tick, it’s all she ever cared

about. It didn’t matter if you were next door or 1000 miles away,

distance never stopped my mom from showing her love. There were

care packages, constant phone calls to check in, she made it her

mission in life to ensure this family and close friends stuck

together.

I am going to miss those conversations, the phone calls, the random

texts to check in. She would always answer the phone with an

emphatic “Hey B!” and while I will never hear those words in

person again, they are forever engrained in my memory along with

thousands of other incredible moments in my life. Mom taught me

how to love, she showed me how to care, so much of her is forever

engrained in Zach and I that we will carry on her legacy for

years to come.

 

Words written by Scott and read by Rabbi Paley:

To Michele my wife, lover, best friend and mother,

The world has lost the physical presence of a person that was:

A woman who was beautiful inside and out

A woman who cared more about others than herself

A woman who put family before everything else

A woman who was the best friend to me, Bradley and Zach and others

A woman that was respected by all

A woman who was compassionate and always helping with all her heart

A woman who never hesitated in sharing her thoughts about any topic

A woman who kept teaching/pushing to do the right thing

Although the world has lost Michele, everyone she touched now has a part of her in them and will be a better person for that

We have laughed, loved, cried and a few times argued in our 30+ years together and during that time she has taught me so much about life. This will be within me for my lifetime and I hope I can pass this along as she has done.

Michele I love you so much and wish I had expressed this more. I will forever miss your physical being but I will always ask – what would Michele say/do?

All my love to a beautiful person – rest in peace – God I will miss you!