Lisa13Q Legacy Thread

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HonorMoms
HonorMoms Member Posts: 2
in Ovarian Cancer #1
Barbara53 here, proudly hosting this legacy thread for all the sisters who are holding Lisa13Q close in their hearts, and want to join in celebrating her mother's full and beautiful life. The photo here was one of Joan's favorites. Her obituary is posted below. Feel the joy.

Mrs. Joan Levering Jack, of Palm Beach, Florida, died Friday morning May 27th in Darien, CT. Born In Greenwich, CT, February 11, 1933, to Walter B. Levering and Elizabeth Gerard Levering, Joan was a tireless advocate for children’s rights, a gifted teach and an avid gardener. She received her Associates Degree in Early Childhood Development from Bennett College in 1954.

Joan began her career at Manhattan’s Children’s’ Home Society, and ultimately brought her experience to Westchester county. She was co-founder of the “Kids to Kids” program in Rye, NY, which was dedicated to outreach and substance abuse prevention for adolescents throughout Westchester County. She was a board member of the Westchester Children’s Association and played a pivotal role in fund raising and program development. She also enjoyed her years tutoring at Rye Country Day School.

As a member of the Four Arts Society in Palm Beach, Joan greatly enjoyed the lecture series every season and, over the years, she could be found on the tennis courts and by the pool at The Beach Club.

Joan loved spending her summers in Greenwich, CT, where she created beautiful landscaping and gardening designs for her children and friends. She loved the American Yacht Club, and recounted wonderful hours watching the yachts race across Long Island Sound, after she retired from being a club champion tennis player. Fondly referred to by many as JJ, she will be remembered for her great sense of fun and limitless energy.

Joan is survived by her son, David Morris Jack, her daughters Lisa Elizabeth Jack and Wendy Jack Piazza; her four grandchildren Emily Ann Jack, Olivia Jack Piazza, Gregory Taylor Jack, and Jack Piazza.

The memorial service will be held at 4:00pm on Thursday June 9, 2011 at the Noroton Presbyterian Church in Darien, CT. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations can be made In Joan’s name to:

Yale Discovery to Cure
Yale School of Medicine Development
P.O. Box 7611
New Haven, CT 06519
Attn: Joy J Carrigan

Or

Memorial Sloane Kettering Ovarian Cancer Research

Comments

  • Lisa13Q
    Lisa13Q Member Posts: 677
    #2
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    Thank you for posting this.....
    I will get the slideshow out shortly.....Mom was beautiful wasn't she?
    PS. Is it normal to eat gobs and gobs of raw chocolate chip cookie dough? I think I might need an alka seltzer....it seemed to me to be the only thing that appealled....but now I have a bit of a stomach ache.....this grief stuff sucks....even chocolate chip cookie dough isn't going down well....what's next? Spaghetti Sauce Soup......nope, that's my sister....Peace to you all.....
  • Cindy Bear
    Cindy Bear Member Posts: 569
    #3
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    Yes Lisa
    She was beautiful. And what an accomplished lady. Her legacy will live on with you and your family and friends. After the dust settles, you should seriously consider writing a blog or a book about your journey. You are so talented. The week after my mom passed, I lived on Sara Lee frozen cheesecake and lunchmeat.. things I hadn't eaten since I was a kid... like dutch loaf and pickled pimento.. I would cook for my husband but I would only eat ...well cr*p.. but it was comforting... so don't deny yourself ice cream or cheesecake or anything you want, have it, life is short.
    Hugs,
    Cindy
  • kayandok
    kayandok Member Posts: 1,202 Member
    #4
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    Wow!
    This is beautiful. She was amazing, just like I thought! Thanks, Barbara, for posting this.
    kathleen
  • Hissy_Fitz
    Hissy_Fitz Member Posts: 1,834
    #5
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    Lisa13Q said:

    Thank you for posting this.....
    I will get the slideshow out shortly.....Mom was beautiful wasn't she?
    PS. Is it normal to eat gobs and gobs of raw chocolate chip cookie dough? I think I might need an alka seltzer....it seemed to me to be the only thing that appealled....but now I have a bit of a stomach ache.....this grief stuff sucks....even chocolate chip cookie dough isn't going down well....what's next? Spaghetti Sauce Soup......nope, that's my sister....Peace to you all.....

    Lisa....your mom absolutely
    Lisa....your mom absolutely GLOWED. You were so blessed to have her in your life. Just think, how passive the whole process is. You could have been anyone's child, but you were hers. You will always have that. You will always have the memories and the love. What a fortunate woman you are. I know she didn't live to be 100, as you so hoped she would, but a shorter time with someone like your mom is ever so much better than an eternity with anyone else.

    Carlene
  • BrittanyC
    BrittanyC Member Posts: 100
    #6
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    kayandok said:

    Wow!
    This is beautiful. She was amazing, just like I thought! Thanks, Barbara, for posting this.
    kathleen

    Amazing.. your mother loved
    Amazing.. your mother loved children so much, even so, more her own children. I smiled reading this :) What a great honor to your mother, Lisa.

    BTW, I ate a lot too after losing my mom...
  • srwruns
    srwruns Member Posts: 343
    #7
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    beautiful read.

    beautiful read.
  • kikz
    kikz Member Posts: 1,345 Member
    #8
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    Lisa13Q said:

    Thank you for posting this.....
    I will get the slideshow out shortly.....Mom was beautiful wasn't she?
    PS. Is it normal to eat gobs and gobs of raw chocolate chip cookie dough? I think I might need an alka seltzer....it seemed to me to be the only thing that appealled....but now I have a bit of a stomach ache.....this grief stuff sucks....even chocolate chip cookie dough isn't going down well....what's next? Spaghetti Sauce Soup......nope, that's my sister....Peace to you all.....

    Yes Lisa
    your mom was beautiful and what a glowing smile. Looking forward to the slide show.

    Karen
  • Millie2011
    Millie2011 Member Posts: 28
    #9
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    srwruns said:

    beautiful read.

    beautiful read.

    I am soon to be you
    Hi Lisa!
    Your mum is beautiful and I want to be as supportive as you were to my mum who is suffering from ppc stage IV and in a bad condition. I presume I will soon be where you are at this point but I will not let hope go!
    Could you advice me on some things you and your mum did for collecting memories or talk about "in the end"? I refuse to let her go before we had time to love each other even more..
    My love and thoughts to you.

    Millie
  • carolenk
    carolenk Member Posts: 907 Member
    #10
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    Millie2011 said:

    I am soon to be you
    Hi Lisa!
    Your mum is beautiful and I want to be as supportive as you were to my mum who is suffering from ppc stage IV and in a bad condition. I presume I will soon be where you are at this point but I will not let hope go!
    Could you advice me on some things you and your mum did for collecting memories or talk about "in the end"? I refuse to let her go before we had time to love each other even more..
    My love and thoughts to you.

    Millie

    Thank you
    Thank you for posting information on Joan. What a lovely tribute. I know there is so much more to her and she was truly blessed with such a loving family.

    Carolen
  • Barbara53
    Barbara53 Member Posts: 652
    #11
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    Millie2011 said:

    I am soon to be you
    Hi Lisa!
    Your mum is beautiful and I want to be as supportive as you were to my mum who is suffering from ppc stage IV and in a bad condition. I presume I will soon be where you are at this point but I will not let hope go!
    Could you advice me on some things you and your mum did for collecting memories or talk about "in the end"? I refuse to let her go before we had time to love each other even more..
    My love and thoughts to you.

    Millie

    lots of listening
    Hi Millie,

    My 80 year old mother is pretty far down the road, not quite hospice but getting close. We talk about all sorts of things. A few days ago she wanted to discuss her funeral, and we started a file for her ideas. Going through old pictures was fun, too, though I must warn you that it can turn out to be a lot of work for the archivist.

    My mom LOVES her home, and I think it's helped her to go around and tell me who she wanted to get what in terms of stuff. We chilluns don't care, but she does. I think that's the important thing -- find out what your mother really cares about, and help her settle her own details. After two and a half years, I've done lots of listening. Now I'm trying not to miss a word.
  • Mwee
    Mwee Member Posts: 1,338
    #12
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    A smile that could light up the room
    Yes, beautiful and you can tell she was beautiful on the inside as well. I'm looking forward to seeing the slide show.
    (((HUGS))) Maria
  • Lisa13Q
    Lisa13Q Member Posts: 677
    #13
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    Millie2011 said:

    I am soon to be you
    Hi Lisa!
    Your mum is beautiful and I want to be as supportive as you were to my mum who is suffering from ppc stage IV and in a bad condition. I presume I will soon be where you are at this point but I will not let hope go!
    Could you advice me on some things you and your mum did for collecting memories or talk about "in the end"? I refuse to let her go before we had time to love each other even more..
    My love and thoughts to you.

    Millie

    Letting Go
    Dear Millie,

    I am happy to talk to you in person or in CSN e-mail as well....."collecting memories"....talking in "the end"......we really didn't do it like that...we just hung out together....a lot...and we created our memories that way.....if she wanted to talk about the cancer we did......if she didn't we didn't.....I think we both just followed our hearts....if I had any concerns or issues in my head, i brought them up....we addressed them and moved on....in the back of my mind, i always thought, "I want no regrets"...."is there anything else I need to say?"......and in the end, i have to say i was the most calm of her kids...because I knew mom and I were "clean"....as far as being ready to let go....unfortunately, i was more ready to let Mom go than she was to go...she fought to the end....truly....that was not fun to watch....but again, it was her choice....and that was always in my head as well....this is Mom's journey....i am just walking by her side.....so ultimately I would say just "be" with your Mom....in a weird way, nothing changes because of the cancer in your relationship even though everything changes.....i know that sounds weird, but it's true.....we watched "dancing with the Stars" just like normal.....and ate mini-oreos at 10pm just like normal.....that's how we created memories.....hope this is helpful.....
  • poopergirl14052
    poopergirl14052 Member Posts: 1,183 Member
    #14
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    Mwee said:

    A smile that could light up the room
    Yes, beautiful and you can tell she was beautiful on the inside as well. I'm looking forward to seeing the slide show.
    (((HUGS))) Maria

    what a wonderful post
    thank you for the picture, what a beautiful lday inside and out....val
  • LaundryQueen
    LaundryQueen Member Posts: 676
    #15
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    poopergirl14052 said:

    what a wonderful post
    thank you for the picture, what a beautiful lday inside and out....val

    Wow!
    What a neat lady JJ was! She made a difference in so many lives. Thanks, Barbara53 for posting the obituary so we could get to know her better.

    LQ
  • djinco
    djinco Member Posts: 87
    #16
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    Thank you for the post...
    What a beautiful tribute to a wonderful lady.

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