Eulogy For Lorraine Beauvais
We have gathered together in this house, not to mourn the death of a very special person whom we loved so dearly. Rather, we have come to celebrate the long, joyful and fruitful life that she enjoyed on this earth.
I have been chosen by the family to tell you a little about Lorraine Beauvais age 69 born in Worchester Massachusetts, to a large family of 11 brothers and sisters and affectionately known as “Mim” a loving wife, mother, grandmother, and friend.
Mim was a caring soul…She made a difference in our lives, by showing us the value of human kindness. Through simple little gestures like - leaving cold drinks and snacks in the mailbox for the postman to always being the first to volunteer to bake for special charities or taking food to new neighbors and being the first to welcome them to the neighborhood.
She loved unconditionally and was very compassionate about the things she valued like playing bingo, cards with papa, cutting coupons, reading and cooking. The first thing she would say when you came to her home was “Are you hungry?” Or “Danny, there's donuts in the freezer.” knowing, that he was not supposed to have them.
Some of her most cherished memories were of her 16 years cooking lunch at Howell's café in Springtown, she often would reminisce about the friends she made there, her dear friend Dorothy (the owner) and her New England lunch specials, sometimes, it was as if in her mind, she never left.
After retirement, coupon cutting and refund redemption consumed a large amount of her time; she had her file cabinets organized and full. The family had become accustomed to using items with a patch of duct tape covering the area where the bar codes had once resided.
Above all else she will be remembered for her dedication to her Family and her husband Bernie. For 50 years they would teach and learn from each other, raise 2 children together, and most of all love together in the way we all dream love should be. Their chemistry, so powerful at the beginning, only got stronger as the years went on.
She was most proud of her children Alan and Michele; she would often talk about the times she would take long walks with them to the library across town and family vacations that they took to Salisbury Beach in Massachusetts. Mim gave her children the most precious gift any parent can bestow - every moment of her time that she could. It goes without saying that she took great pleasure in the many accomplishments of her children, encouraging them in all they attempted, and rejoicing in their success, as well as that of her grandchildren.
She taught her family, how to give all of yourself, to one's children, how to laugh, how to care for animals, how to do the hokey pokey and play old maid, marbles, scrabble, and poker with double bubble chewing gum and you never left her home empty handed.
Mim always made a big deal out of holidays and loved parties. She would enlist the help of any child or adult available to make and decorate Christmas cookies “BY THE 100's” or when she and papa made their famous ravioli and sauce it became a family affair. She was very attached to her large collection of kitchen pans and bowls and believe me, she never forgot if you had one of her treasured dishes and she would hunt you down!
Once she became more homebound and could not see well enough to continue her coupon redemptions or reading her harlequin romance and mystery novels, she became more reliant on watching T.V. and releasing her frustrations with her addiction to popping bubble wrap.
I believe that being able to watch The Guiding Light during her machine time is what got her through the many years of dialysis. Oh yes and the fact that one of her doctors looked like George Clooney!
Watching cooking shows, CMT and movies turned into her new pastime, through the last 5 years she was limited in her ability to enjoy life to its fullest, which was difficult for her at times, however she did not let the illness and the pain stop her from relishing in every moment that she could with her grandchildren and great grandchildren.
They all meant the world to her, once her 10 year old great granddaughter Alicia made her a necklace and put it on her neck. She treasured that necklace so much that she never took it off and wore it everywhere she went for more than a year until it broke.
It was the simple little things in life that made Mim happy; she was easy to please and accepted everyone. As her grandchildren got older and parents placed judgment on boyfriends and girlfriends she would be the one to accept them for who they were.
We are sad that her grandchildren and great grandchildren will forevermore miss, all that this amazing and wonderful woman had to offer. We will miss her eyes, full of love and compassion; we will miss her joy over a great bargain, the daily voice at the other end of the phone saying “what are you doing?”
I am sure that we all have fond memories thinking of the last time we saw or talked with her, now is the time to remember the good, throw away the rest. The great mystery of death has embraced her, leaving us longing for her smile, her laugh, and her special love but her spirit will always live on. Mim we love you so...you're with the angels now...
Show them how to fly!
