ON BEHALF OF AL, JASON, BECKIE, RYAN, EVELYN AND SEAN, THANK YOU FOR JOINING US THIS MORNING TO CELEBRATE THE LIFE OF MY DEAR COUSIN AND FRIEND, DONNA.  HER UNTIMELY DEATH CASE AS A TREMENDOUS SHOCK TO US ALL, AND WE WILL BE GRIEVING HER LOSS FOR SOME TIME TO COME.

DONNA WAS A WOMAN OF GREAT FAITH, GREAT LOVE,A ND GREAT TALENT.  SHE BROUGHT US IMMEASURABLE JOY, LOADS OF LAUGHTER, AND SHOWED US ALL THROUGH HER QUIET WAY HOW TO WALK THROUGH THIS WORLD SURROUDED BY ANGELS.  SHE WAS GENUINELY ONE OF THE KINDEST, MOST CARING PEOPLE YOU WOULD EVER HAVE THE GOOD FORTUNE TO MEET.

DONNA REALLY HAD NO IDEA JUST HOW SPECIAL SHE WAS.  SHE HAD A CATCHING SMILE, AN ENGAGING LAUGH, AND NOT A MEAN BONE IN HER BODY.  MY EARLIEST MEMORIES OF HER ARE OF SITTING AT OUR DINING ROOM TABLE DRINKING TEA WITH MILK AND SUGAR WITH OUR MOTHERS, KATE AND DOTSY, EATING SOCIAL TEA BISCUITS AND TALKING ABOUT ABSOLUTELY NOTHING.  OR OF GOING IN THE SUMMERS TO THEIR HOUSE IN HOPELAWN AND WANDERING THROUGH THE NEIGHBOR LEE'S GARDEN, PICKING TOMATOES FROM THE VINE, LOADING THEM WITH SALT AND EATING THEM WITHOUT WASHING THE DIRT OFF.  WE WENT TO THE METUCHEN CHRISTMAS PARADE TOGETHER EVERY YEAR – IT WAS AT NIGHT AND WE WOULD SIT BUNDLED IN BLANKETS ON THE CURB UNDER THE LIGHTS ACROSS MAIN STREET AND WATCH ALL THE PAGENTRY.

CHRISTMAS WAS ALWAYS A BIG THING FOR THE CANARY CLAN, AND WE WOULD ALL GATHER ON MCARTHUR DRIVE AND SHARE A MEAL AND GIFTS.  UNCLE JERRY WOULD DRESS UP LIKE SANTA – TRULY A CRAZY CHRISTMAS ELF - AND DISTRIBUTE THE PRESENTS, EXCEPT FOR THE YEAR THAT HE HAD A LITTLE TOO MUCH CHRISTMAS CHEER.  THAT YEAR THE CHRISTMAS ELF DECIDED TO MAKE A GRAND ENTRANCE FROM THE SECOND FLOOR BATHROOM WINDOW – IT GAVE NEW MEANING TO THE CHRISTMAS POEM LINE OF  "WHEN OUT FROM THE LAWN THERE AROSE SUCH A CLATTER" -  YOU CAN ONLY IMAGINE OUR SURPRISE TO SEE HIM FLAT ON HIS BACK IN THE MIDDLE OF THE FRONT YARD.  WE IMAGINED THAT THE REINDEER HAD LIKELY PULLED HIM DOWN, NAUGHTY THINGS THAT THEY WERE, BUT I CAN STILL REMEMBER GIGGLING UNCONTROLLABLY WITH HER, EVEN THOUGH SHE WAS 6 YEARS OLDER THAN ME.  SHE NEVER MADE ME FEEL LIKE THE BRATTY PAIN IN THENECK THAT I AM SURE I WAS.

DONNA ALWAYS HAD A TALENT FOR MAKING THOSE AROUND HER FEEL WELCOMED AND SPECIAL.  SHE WAS AN  INCREDIBLY GIFTED ARTIST, AND PASSED THIS ON TO BOTH BECKIE AND JASON.  BUT EVEN THOSE OF US WHO DID NOT HAVE SUCH A GIFT WERE MADE TO FEEL SPECIAL.  SHE AND I WENT TO A CLASS ON MAKING UKRANIAN EGGS ONE SPRING.  DONNA'S EGG WAS STUNNING.  MINE LOOKED LIKE SOMEONE VOMITED ON IT – AND SHE DID HER BEST TO MAKE ME FEEL LIKE I HAD TRIED AND SUCCEEDED BECAUSE OF THE EFFORT.

DONNA'S HANDWORK WAS A TRUE GIFT FROM GOD, AND SHE WOULD RELISH MAKING HOMEMADE GIFTS FOR THOSE SHE CARED FOR.  SHE TOLD ME WITH GREAT PRIDE OF THE AMERICAN GIRL DOLL GIFTS SHE MADE FOR EVELYN LAST YEAR.  I STILL HAVE BABY BLANKETS SHE MADE FOR ME, AND MY SONS STILL HAVE THE AFGANS SHE CROCHETED FOR THEM WHEN THEY WERE HEADED OFF TO COLLEGE.  CASEY SHARED WITH ME LAST EVENING THAT SHE STILL USES THE BLANKET THAT DONNA MADE FOR HER WHEN SHE GRADUATED FROM HIGH SCHOOL, ESPECIALLY NOW AS SHE WORKS ON HER MASTERS DEGREE.  SHE MADE A RAGGEDY ANN DOLL FOR MY COLLEGE ROOMMATE WHEN SHE BECAME PREGNANT WITH HER FIRST CHILD – LISA TO THIS DAY REFUSES TO BELIEVE THAT I DIDN'T PURCHASE THAT DOLL IN A HIGH END STORE.

DONNA'S GREATEST GIFT THOUGH AND HER MOST PRIZED JOB WAS THAT OF BEING A WIFE AND MOTHER.  SHE AND AL MET WHEN SHE WAS A SENIOR IN HIGH SCHOOL THROUGH A MUTUAL FRIEND.  AL WAS A COLLEGE STUDENT – A MUSIC MAJOR - AND HE WAS TELLING DEE AND I LAST NIGHT ABOUT THEIR FIRST DATE – TO AN ICE CREAM PARLOR IN UNION.  THEY SAT OUTSIDE THE STORE FOR SEVERAL HOURS TALKING AS THEY THOUGHT IT WAS CLOSED, ONLY TO DISCOVER IT HAD BEEN OPENED ALL ALONG.  BUT THAT WAS THE KIND OF DATE DONNA WAS – ALWAYS THINKING OF THE OTHER PERSON, WANTING TO KNOW ABOUT THEM, WANTING TO BE A GOOD AND KIND FRIEND.

AL WAS DONNA'S MATCH MADE IN HEAVEN – AND SHE TOOK HER ROLE AS WIFE QUTE SERIOUSLY.  THAT IS, UNTIL SHE BECAME A MOTHER, AND THEN ALL BETS WERE OFF.   DONNA WAS PREGNANT AT MY SISTER KAREN'S WEDDING – VERY PREGNANT – AND DANCED THE NIGHT AWAY MUCH TO EVERYONE ELSE'S DISMAY.  HER JOY WAS UNBRIDLED AND A FEW DAYS LATER, JASON ARRIVED.   I REMEMBER GOING TO THEIR HOUSE AFTER JASON WAS BORN AND BEING SO EXCITED TO SEE THE SIGN OUT FRONT WELCOMING HOME JASON SCOTT – I HAD REPEATEDLY TOLD HER THAT THIS NAME WAS BEYOND FABULOUS, AND I SWORE ON A STACK OF BIBLES THAT HIS NAME WAS TOTALLY MY DOING – SHE NEVER TOLD ME I WAS NUTS.  DONNA WAS PREGNANT WITH BECKIE AT MY WEDDING – NOT QUITE AS FAR ALONG, BUT STILL FAR ENOUGH ALONG THAT PEOPLE WERE WORRIED ABOUT HER DANCING.  AND AGAIN, THAT UNBRIDLED JOY SHOWED ITSELF FOR EVERYONE TO WATCH AND BE IN AWE OF.

DONNA'S COMMITMENT TO HER FAMILY IS UNPARALLELED.  SHE FULLY AGREED WITH JACKIE KENNEDY, WHO FAMOUSLY COMMENTED THAT MOTHER HOOD IS THE MOST IMMPORTANT JOB A WOMAN WILL EVER HOLD – BECAUSE IF YOU DON'T DO THIS RIGHT, NOTHING ELSE REALLY MATTERS.

THE ONLY THING THAT COULD MAKE HER LOVE FOR HER CHILDREN APPEAR ANY LESS IMPORTANT WAS HER LOVE FOR HER GRANDCHILDREN, EVELYN AND SEAN.  THE SUN ROSE AND SET ON THEM, AND SHE WOULD GO OUT OF HER WAY TO FIND WAYS TO MAKE THEM FEEL HER LOVE.  TO HEAR HER SPEAK ABOUT THEM WAS TO AGAIN WATCH THAT UNBRIDLED JOY.

DONNA WAS ALSO A WOMAN OF GREAT FAITH.  A LAY EUCHARISTIC MINISTER FOR YEARS AT OUR LADY OF PEACE, SHE NEVER OPENLY SPOKE OF HER WORK OR COMMITMENT – IT WAS A MINISTRY SHE DID QUIETLY, PEACEFULLY, AND WITH GREAT RESPECT.  SHE TRULY BELIEVED IN THE POWER OF ANGELS.  WHEN BECKIE GOT HER DRIVERS LICENSE, DONNA GAVE HER A CLIP FOR HER SUN VISOR WITH AN ANGEL ON IT THAT SAID "DON'T DRIVE FASTER THAN YOUR GUARDIAN ANGEL CAN FLY."  THAT ANGEL CLIP IS STILL IN BECKIE'S CAR – IT FELL OFF HER VISOR AND INTO HER LAP THE DAY SHE GOT THE CALL ABOUT DONNA'S PASSING.  COINCIDENCE?  I THINK NOT.

WHEN MY HUSBAND COMMITTED SUICIDE 6 YEARS AGO, DONNA GAVE ME AN ANGEL.  SHE PRESSED IT INTO MY HAND AND REMINDED ME THAT I WOULD NEVER BE ALONE.  I HAVE THAT ANGEL WITH ME TODAY, AND I AM NOW PASSING THIS ON TO EVELYN – KNOW THAT YOUR GRANDMOTHER IS ALWAYS WITH YOU, ALWAYS WATCHING OVER YOU, ALWAYS LOVING YOU.  THERE IS NOTHING THAT CAN EVER SEPARATE YOU FROM THAT LOVE.

WHILE WE MOURN THE LOSS OF OUR BELOVED DONNA, WE ALSO KNOW THAT SHE IS IN A BETTER PLACE.  WE WILL MISS HER MORE THAN ANY OF US COULD EVER PUT INTO WORDS.  TO HONOR HER, TAKE A PAGE FROM HER BOOK.  LIVE LIFE WITH UNBRIDLED JOY.  DANCE LIKE THERE'S NO END TO THE MUSIC, ESPECIALLY IF IT'S SIR PAUL MCCARTNEY.  LOVE YOUR FAMILY TO THE ENDS OF THE EARTH WITHOUT JUDGEMENT OR FEAR.  AND HAVE FAITH IN A GOD WHO PROMISES US UNENDING LIFE.

I LEAVE YOU WITH THIS IRISH BLESSING.

MAY THE ROAD RISE TO MEET YOU

MAY THE WIND BE ALWAYS AT YOUR BACK

MAY THE SUN SHINE WARM UPON YOUR FACE

MAY THE RAINS FALL SOFT UPON YOUR FIELDS

AND UNTIL WE MEET AGAIN MY FRIEND, MAY GOD HOLD YOU IN THE HOLLOW OF HIS HAND.