In honor of what would have been my grandmother’s 92 birthday earlier this month, I’ve decided to publish this person document, the eulogy I gave at her funeral almost exactly eight years ago. Has it really been that long? The more I reflect on her life, and the more I remember the happy times with her and the better I understand things about her, the more I miss her. I always will. I’ll never forget her, not ever.
A thick Brooklyn accent, red lipstick and fingernail polish. White Shoulders perfume and Aquanet Hairspray. Peds, Tab Soda and huge pocketbooks with countless compartments that held 20 dollar bills she would sneak to us with a wink and a whisper “Don’t tell your grandfather”. An always present pearl necklace and an assorted selection of aprons. Hankies shoved in sleeves and an endless supply of candy. These are the things that came rushing into my mind when I sat down to write about my Grandmother, or “Grammy” as we all call her.
Her right index finger was amputated just above the knuckle when she was a very young lady. Grammy’s “Stubby”. We all watched as children for the rare appearance of “the little lady”, a character drawn onto Stubby, a mouth, nose and eyes that did dances and sang little songs. It always seemed like she was just getting warmed up when Grammy would proclaim, “She’s getting tired. Its time for her to go home” at which point she would go home, right into Grammy’s nose. It never failed to get hysterical laughter out of the most cranky child.
Frances Veronica Pipito Deliso. Who was she? She was a wife, mother, grandmother and great grandmother. She worked at Cherry & Webb forever. She loved her home at the beach. She loved to sit on the porch and look out at the ocean water, always with a set of binoculars close at hand to inspect the birds and boats. She loved to watch TV. It seemed so funny that she loved to watch boxing and wrestling, the “fights” she called them. She loved watching NASCAR, the “races” She was Emeril’s biggest fan and from time to time she would laugh as she shared the latest crazy story she had heard about watching Jerry Springer.
She had a sense of humor that seemed unintentional, but I really think that she loved to see people laugh and her humor was more intentional than she let on. She had a sharp tongue and no one ever doubted where they stood in her graces. She was brutally honest and never, ever minced words. She enjoyed visitors, but was never too sorry to see them go. After all, she might be missing Emeril or Jerry Springer.
When remembering Grammy, it occurred to me I really didn’t know much about her childhood. I know she came from Brooklyn. I know she lived in an orphanage, she called it ‘the home’, it was run by nuns and she lived there until she was 18. I know she had some siblings, at least two, a brother and a sister. She didn’t talk too much about her early life and from time to time I’ve wondered why. Now the answer seems incredibly clear to me. It’s because her life began when she met my Grandpa Mike, “Daddy” she called him.
He took care of her. Always walking a few steps behind her walker, carrying her heavy multi compartment pocketbook that contained who knows what. He drove her crazy, and she drove him crazy. She would huff her breath and roll her eyes. But not long ago, Grampy found a note that read “To my Mike. I will love you forever and ever. Love, Frances Pipito Deliso”. Like I said, she never minced words or left you guessing where you stood with her.
Well, the little lady is tired and its time for her to go home. Goodbye Grammy. We will all love you forever and ever.
