Dennis Malloy on his mother’s life: Saying goodbye forever is never easy

My mother passed away this weekend at the age of 91. She went quietly Sunday morning after battling dementia and ongoing physical problems. Her health started to deteriorate after the passing of my dad three years ago.

They were together for 71 years and married for 69 of those wonderful, loving, happy years. I remember them having an argument only once when we were growing up.

Mom was beloved by everyone she came in contact with. She was caring, giving, loving, and had a very keen sense of humor. She loved to cook and take care of the family. That was her whole life.

Everybody in the neighborhood or at her church knew and loved Dolores. She spent most of her life as a devoted wife, mother, and homemaker. Later in life, she took jobs as a teacher's aide and a CCD instructor.

She was famous in the family and our circle for her amazing cooking. It wasn't that she was an incredible chef, it was more the love and care she put into everything she made. And she made lots of it.

When we were growing up in South Philadelphia, she was one of the only women who drove a car. Yes, it was like that then. She was the favorite aunt of all of our cousins because she was so warm and affable.

Mom was the youngest of eight children of Sicilian immigrant parents. Her mother gave birth to her in a bedroom of their row home at the age of 49. Yes, it was like that then. The family would get on a farm labor bus on the weekends and pick vegetables on farms in South Jersey.

My parents met at a party for my mom's sixteenth birthday at her house. Her friend invited some boys, and my dad was one of the bunch. He took an instant liking to my mom and copied her phone number off her parent's phone on the wall.

He called the next day and over the next 71 years produced four kids, nine grandchildren, and a few great-grandkids. They made an awesome couple and in their later years would have servers at their local diners melting over how adorable they were.

Mom kept her spicy sense of humor after dad passed but could never get over life without him. When we would take her to visit dad's grave at the local cemetery, she would look up at his headstone and talk with him for about 15 minutes. She would always end with, "I know you're up there flirting with the angels, but that's ok, I'll be there with you soon."

She joined him this past Sunday, a day they always spent together at church, then the diner, then with family at home. Now they're together for an eternity of Sundays and evermore.

We were tremendously lucky to have them both for as long as we did and can only hope that as many people as possible could have the kind of love and support that they gave to us and so many others.

Opinions expressed in the post above are those of New Jersey 101.5 talk show host Dennis Malloy only.

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