On June 26th, God called my Gammy home to Heaven. While we will never understand why it was on that day, she will forever be missed by all who knew and loved her. Gammy was laid to rest on what would have been her 95th birthday, July 5th. Below are the remarks of remembrance I gave at her funeral mass. She was wonderful.
On behalf of my parents, my brothers, my sisters-in-law, my husband, and myself we would like to thank you all for coming to celebrate the life of Joan Elizabeth McDevitt, affectionately known to her grandchildren as “Gammy”. It is an honor and a privilege to give the remarks of remembrance about my grandmother and my brothers and I consider ourselves so lucky to have Gammy for 94 almost 95 years.
When reminiscing about Gammy some of the wonderful memories that came to mind were: weekend sleepovers in Reading that included back to school shopping, miniature golf at Shell’s, bowling at Laurel Lanes, trips to Major Magic and of course BINGO all with her partner in crime, Aunt Pearl, by her side.
We remember fondly playing Michigan Rummy, Rummy 500, and Gin Rummy for hours, lunches at the Charcoal Chef that always included milkshakes served in a boot, her presence at every event from First Holy Communions, Confirmations, graduations, weddings, and until about 8 years ago every Christmas at 3640 Spear Street. Gammy was so good about mailing cards to let us know she was thinking about us but more importantly to let us know how proud she was of us.
When we remember Gammy we will always think about her love of the Phillies, her falling asleep to Harry Kallas doing to the play by play on the radio, her applesauce, wooden spoons, working part-time at Thrift Drug, trips to the Pagota and the way her hallway at the Episcopal House was so perfectly decorated for each holiday and the joy she found in doing that.
Although the last several years her mind grew weak her heart was strong and her love for my mother and our family was ever present. An example of this love was when Dad, Brian, and I went to visit her to tell her that mom was diagnosed with breast cancer and Gammy cried and said “It should be me, it should be me. Your mom shouldn’t have to go through this, I should.”-What love, Mom-she loved you so much.
When we think about Gammy we think about her strength and her faith. Gammy was one of the strongest women I’ve known. When the love of her life, Pop-Pop Joe died in 1973, she could have crumbled, but she did not. She helped my mom and all of us the best she knew how and always reminded us of how proud Pop-Pop Joe would be of all of us. His memory is alive in each one of us because of her.
Gammy was a very devout Catholic. When she lived in the Episcopal House she would walk to St. Paul’s and attend daily mass and after mass she prayed the rosary. Towards the end of her life she frequently asked my mom “Why am I still here?” and my mom would say “You are so good at praying for all of us and we still need your prayers” and Gammy just smiled and complied. We were always taken care of and now we have her bending God’s ear, so what more could we ask for?
Our very last memory with Gammy took place this past April when we all got together and met at Gracedale and had a family picture taken. Although Gammy was asleep she was so peaceful. It is known that hearing is the last sense to go so Gammy’s last memory of us is hearing all her grandchildren and great-grandchildren telling her they love her and how much she means to them. For me, she heard my son’s name and he got to meet her which is something I will treasure forever.
I would like to end with two final tributes to Gammy: The first is a quote from the children’s book titled “On the Night You Were Born” by Nancy Tillman, how fitting for today, it goes like this:
“On the night you were born, the moon smiled with such wonder that the stars peeked in to see you and the night wind whispered, ‘Life will never be the same’ because there had never been anyone like you..ever in the world”-Gammy, our
lives are better because you were a part of them.
The second tribute is a Polish poem that is usually song or read on someone’s birthday. The English translation is this: good luck, good cheer, may you live 100 years, good luck, good cheer may you live 100 years, 100 years:
Sto-lat, sto-lat, niech zyje, zyje nam,
Sto-lat, sto-lat, niech zyje, zyje nam,
Jeszcze raz, jescze raz, niech zyje, zyje nam,
Niech zyje nam”
Happy birthday Gammy! Enjoy your day with Pop-Pop Joe and bask in this celebration. We love and we will miss you.
On behalf of my parents, my brothers, my sisters-in-law, my husband, and myself we would like to thank you all for coming to celebrate the life of Joan Elizabeth McDevitt, affectionately known to her grandchildren as “Gammy”. It is an honor and a privilege to give the remarks of remembrance about my grandmother and my brothers and I consider ourselves so lucky to have Gammy for 94 almost 95 years.
When reminiscing about Gammy some of the wonderful memories that came to mind were: weekend sleepovers in Reading that included back to school shopping, miniature golf at Shell’s, bowling at Laurel Lanes, trips to Major Magic and of course BINGO all with her partner in crime, Aunt Pearl, by her side.
We remember fondly playing Michigan Rummy, Rummy 500, and Gin Rummy for hours, lunches at the Charcoal Chef that always included milkshakes served in a boot, her presence at every event from First Holy Communions, Confirmations, graduations, weddings, and until about 8 years ago every Christmas at 3640 Spear Street. Gammy was so good about mailing cards to let us know she was thinking about us but more importantly to let us know how proud she was of us.
When we remember Gammy we will always think about her love of the Phillies, her falling asleep to Harry Kallas doing to the play by play on the radio, her applesauce, wooden spoons, working part-time at Thrift Drug, trips to the Pagota and the way her hallway at the Episcopal House was so perfectly decorated for each holiday and the joy she found in doing that.
Although the last several years her mind grew weak her heart was strong and her love for my mother and our family was ever present. An example of this love was when Dad, Brian, and I went to visit her to tell her that mom was diagnosed with breast cancer and Gammy cried and said “It should be me, it should be me. Your mom shouldn’t have to go through this, I should.”-What love, Mom-she loved you so much.
When we think about Gammy we think about her strength and her faith. Gammy was one of the strongest women I’ve known. When the love of her life, Pop-Pop Joe died in 1973, she could have crumbled, but she did not. She helped my mom and all of us the best she knew how and always reminded us of how proud Pop-Pop Joe would be of all of us. His memory is alive in each one of us because of her.
Gammy was a very devout Catholic. When she lived in the Episcopal House she would walk to St. Paul’s and attend daily mass and after mass she prayed the rosary. Towards the end of her life she frequently asked my mom “Why am I still here?” and my mom would say “You are so good at praying for all of us and we still need your prayers” and Gammy just smiled and complied. We were always taken care of and now we have her bending God’s ear, so what more could we ask for?
Our very last memory with Gammy took place this past April when we all got together and met at Gracedale and had a family picture taken. Although Gammy was asleep she was so peaceful. It is known that hearing is the last sense to go so Gammy’s last memory of us is hearing all her grandchildren and great-grandchildren telling her they love her and how much she means to them. For me, she heard my son’s name and he got to meet her which is something I will treasure forever.
I would like to end with two final tributes to Gammy: The first is a quote from the children’s book titled “On the Night You Were Born” by Nancy Tillman, how fitting for today, it goes like this:
“On the night you were born, the moon smiled with such wonder that the stars peeked in to see you and the night wind whispered, ‘Life will never be the same’ because there had never been anyone like you..ever in the world”-Gammy, our
lives are better because you were a part of them.
The second tribute is a Polish poem that is usually song or read on someone’s birthday. The English translation is this: good luck, good cheer, may you live 100 years, good luck, good cheer may you live 100 years, 100 years:
Sto-lat, sto-lat, niech zyje, zyje nam,
Sto-lat, sto-lat, niech zyje, zyje nam,
Jeszcze raz, jescze raz, niech zyje, zyje nam,
Niech zyje nam”
Happy birthday Gammy! Enjoy your day with Pop-Pop Joe and bask in this celebration. We love and we will miss you.
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