Back in May we lost my Aunt Maggie to cancer. By the time she realized what was wrong, there was not much treatment they could do other than try to keep her comfortable. She went downhill pretty quickly and unfortunately I didn't make it up to see her before she passed.
A few weeks ago we all finally gathered to celebrate her life. This was the first time I had flown since COVID so was extra cautious and very nervous.
David and his parents held down the fort while I was away. I hated not to bring the whole crew, but with it being a funeral and on a boat I was a little worried what the twins might do lol.
We chartered a boat and invited close friends and family of Mags to help us share stories and celebrate her life. We deposited her ashes into the Connecticut River and it was a very peaceful experience.
It was hard saying goodbye. But I really enjoyed hearing all about Maggie from friends and family.
She was quick witted, highly entertaining, and the fiercest female competitor I have ever known. She also hated driving and worked hard as a nurse and later in life as a hospital case worker and patient advocate.
We wore angel necklaces that my grandmother taught us to make to honor them both.
I was in charge of putting together a slideshow of photos from her life. I really enjoyed digging through old family photos.
Here's our boat crew.
The rest of the weekend was spent at my other aunt Chantal's beautiful house right on the water.
These views never get old!
What could have been a sad, depressing weekend, ended up being a wonderful time with family sharing stories, laughing, and remembering everything we loved about Maggie.
The Dorrances - Pete, Chantal, Lew Jack, and my dad.
Me and my siblings.
Our fancy Lobster dinner.
My favorite Aunt Maggie.
Here is what I shared at her funeral:
-
All of my memories of Maggie are happy ones. She
was always incredibly entertaining to be around. And fiercely competitive in
any family games.
- When I was younger she invented a game called
“crash your face” where you would dive head first into a pile of pillows. This
enjoyable game has been passed down to my son Finley and is now played with my
two youngest, Hunter and Jackson.
- Maggie loved to joke and make the best of any
situation…years ago when she came down for Christmas after our family had
recently acquired a new puppy “Hannah”.
Hannah still being house trained peed on Maggie when she walked in the
door because she was so excited! Instead of getting mad the rest of the visit
Maggie would bow down to Hannah and say “Yes Hannah! Here I am! I am yours”
since Hannah had marked her as property.
-
Maggie was also notorious for not contributing
much in the kitchen during these holiday gatherings. She would often joke about
it herself. One time while my sister and I were doing dishes in the kitchen.
Maggie waltzed in, picked up a pan, said quick take a picture, as she pretended
to wash dishes and then after the photo was taken threw the pan into the sink
and told us jokingly and lovingly to get back to work. She could always put a
smile on my face.
-
On a more serious note…there were several
occasions when my mom was in the hospital fighting for her life and I was
scared as hell. During these times I spoke with Maggie on the phone on multiple
occasions. She listened to my fears, told me questions to ask, and taught me
how to be an advocate for my mom while she was in the hospital. When things
were very dicey Maggie offered to jump on a plane and come be by my side. She
cried with me on the phone. She was there for me and for our family. And in a
heartbeat she was ready to step in and help in any way that she could. I am so
grateful for her during those trying times, for her love and support when I
felt so scared and alone.
