First, on behalf of Bernie’s family, I would like to thank everyone present here today as well as those unable to attend for the out pouring of love, support and prayers. It has been…in a word—overwhelming.

Special acknowledgements go out to Pamela, Bonnie and Michelle from Home Instead for taking such great care of mom these last two years so she could stay at home. Entrusting the care of one’s beloved mother to someone is no easy task. You were all exemplary;

Mary Dierich from HealthPartners Home Health Care for her loving support, guidance and, above all, truth and sage wisdom. She is a true earth angel;

 Lisa, Leslie, Pastor Phil, Dawn and Michelle from HealthPartners Hospice & Palliative Care Team 3 for the most compassionate care and support ever imagined;

Best friend Mary Lavorato for decades of love, friendship, the most amazing baked goods ever, spaghetti and meatballs, and countless of other treats as well as being guardian of the spritz cookie recipe;

Orange Avenue neighbors Sandy and Rick Balfanz. Thank you for your friendship, for helping mom with yard work, for those enjoyable coffee breaks, and for always keeping a close eye on her so we never worried. You were saints;

And, lastly, all of the co-workers and friends throughout HealthPartners, especially Frank Muller, without whose support, flexibility, understanding and compassion, this two-year journey would not have been possible.

Mom wore many hats during her time on earth—Daughter, Sister, Cousin, Wife, Mother, Grandmother, Aunt, Friend, Co-worker, Volunteer, but, most importantly, a devout Catholic with a very special devotion to our Blessed Mother Mary.

When Father asked Ed and me if someone would be reading a eulogy, he received a quick response of ‘No.’ How could one even begin to find the words that would beautifully sum up mom’s life?

No, it was too overwhelming, too insurmountable—too impossible to even try.  It nagged at me for days and I found myself pushing it away for even more days.

And then, on the eve of our Lord’s birth, as though angels were whispering in my ear, 1 Corinthians 13 kept playing in my head, “love is patient, love is kind, love is patient, love is kind” over and over and over again.

So I finally pulled it up on the computer, and read:

Love is patient,

love is kind;

love is not envious

or boastful

or arrogant

or rude;

it does not rejoice in wrongdoing,

but rejoices in the truth.

It bears all things,

believes all things,

hopes all things,

endures all things.

Love

never ends.

And there it is, the perfect summation…

LOVE.