It is sad when any mother dies - sad for the loss of her presence, the loss of that special love only a mother gives, and for the loss of connection to her generation and extended family.
I am sad that I will never be able to ask my mother any more questions... questions that would link me and my children to her past. I now become the "last link" for my children to their legacy. Whatever she gave me, will have to be enough now.
The best memories I have of my mother are all linked to music and the songs she would sing - The Three Little Kittens, Lord Randall, Little Miss Muffet and many Stephen Foster songs. As a child she read to me from the children's collections of Eugene Fields and Robert Louis Stevenson, challenging me to memorize My Shadow and Little Boy Blue.
I learned from my mother to see the other dimension in music and literature that is not visible to the five senses... particularly the ephemeral, magical moments we experience hearing music, poetry, and good stories.
This is a worthy gift to impart to a child, for it creates a unique, shared bond between child and teacher - a bond that thrives long after the teacher departs, and offers a means of comfort when the ache of the teacher's absence tugs at us.
I hope my mother will be remembered for the things she could see beyond the visible world, and that those things are real and alive to her now.
Mindie Burgoyne
4-21-08
Elizabeth Anne Garrison
On July 9, 1929 the second child of Luis and Anne Granados was born in Riverdale, Maryland. They named her Elizabeth Anne after her aunt, but she was nicknamed "Anita" by her Spanish father.Anita attended Holy Redeemer School in Berwyn Heights and St. Cecelia's High School in Washington, DC. In 1947 she married Preston Garrison, a Navy veteran and fire-fighter for the District of Columbia. They settled in Greenbelt and had three children - Richard Preston, Kathleen Marie and Michael Joseph. Sadly, in 1955 Preston was killed in the line of duty, leaving Anita a young widow. Shortly after his death, she moved her family back to Riverdale to a newly constructed home. It was in this home she spent most of her life, raised her children as a single parent, and remained for more than forty years.
Anita worked full time as a bookkeeper for Potomac Iron Works and Art Display Company in Washington, DC. She was a talented musician, active in the choir at St. Bernard's church in Riverdale, serving both as an organist and vocalist. Once she retired, she took great pleasure in traveling and spending time with her grandchildren.
She is remembered by her great sense of humor. She loved to laugh, sing, and tell stories, especially funny stories about people she knew. She was also a generous giver of gifts, never forgetting to mark each birthday or Christmas with something special she chose for her loved ones.
In 1998, after suffering injuries from a fall, Anita moved out of her split level home Riverdale to a one level condominium in Columbia, Maryland. By 2002 her health was deteriorating, and she relocated to Holy Cross Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Burtonsville, Maryland.
On Monday, April 14, 2008, after a long illness, Anita died at Holy Cross. She will be missed by many, especially her five children, John Kernan (Dianne) of San Diego, CA, Richard Garrison (Debra) of Phoenix, AZ, Kathleen Buckley (Mark) of Columbia, MD, Michael Garrison (Juanita) of Dagsboro, DE, and Mindie Burgoyne (Dan) of Marion Station, MD.
Additionally, Anita leaves behind fourteen grandchildren - Amy, Preston, Rachel, Sarah, Meghan, Tara, Kelly, Spencer, Bonnie, Ginger, Fletcher, Dominic, Daniel and Lara - and twelve great-grandchildren - Preston, Isabella, Richard, Alexander, Tate, Annabelle, Trent, Mia, Ava, Daniel, Grace, and Mia.
Anita was predeceased by her husband, Preston, her parents, Luis Granados and Anne Waters Granados, and most recently by her brother Robert "Bob" Granados, of Huntingtown, Maryland who passed away December 22, 2007.
Many lives have been touched and changed by Anita. She is part of a large family with over 500 living relatives, and has made many friends at her workplaces, at church, and in the communities where she lived. She is remembered as loving mother, sister, grandmother, great-grandmother and friend, who faced difficult obstacles in her life but managed to provide for her family, instill good values in her children, and still find time to laugh and have fun.
2 comments:
Anita left a great legacy in her children, grandchildren and greatgrandchildren. As God holds her in his loving arms, may He also comfort each and every family member she left behind.
With love, Carol,Rich&Colleen Tucci
Pat and I really didn't know you Mom. We only met her once or twice. We do remember the anecdotes -- usually accompanied with a little eye-rolling -- told at choir practice and other gatherings.
We also know that children are a reflection of their parents and while we didn't know your Mom very well we know your heart. She is undoubtedly singing in the choir again.
Our prayers are with you and your family. Love you, Pat and Dan
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