Last night my grandmother passed away, leaving me without one of my biggest fans. I take plenty of comfort in knowing that she was surrounded by her loved ones in her final days and that her last words to me were, “I love you, too.” Still, I don’t think I’ll ever stop missing her words of encouragement and the praise she gave me every step of the way throughout my life. Sure, she was a bit of a “pip,” as my mom would say, but nevertheless a fantastically loving woman. Probably my strongest memory of her will always be the day she called the cops on me because I was five minutes late coming home for dinner. She’ll always love me, and that’s all you can ask for, right? For those who would like to know more about her, read the “obituary” below that my dad (Charles Passy) wrote. I couldn’t have painted a more beautiful and accurate picture of her myself. Beverly Passy (June 11, 1930 – May 16, 2014): Beloved wife of Victor for the past 58 years, and beloved mother (a true Jewish mother, if ever there was one) of Charles and grandmother of Jacob and Emma. Cared for family above all (among her last requests was to make sure her cousin Roslyn got a spot in the cemetery next to her). Demanded excellence and expected success from her progeny, but also made sure that they never lost sight of the beauty in the world (another of her last requests – that her son publish a book of his poetry). Had lots of ideas and opinions about the world and wasn’t afraid to share them (as her beloved daughter-in-law Leslie would say, “She’s a pip”). Devoted friend of Bertel (she never missed one of their Monday morning phone calls), Margot and the late Marilyn and Ruth, among others. Liked to make a make a good physical impression – and liked to see others do so as well. Smart, smart woman (she graduated from the City College of New York, back when it was the Harvard of the New York middle class) who became a schoolteacher for a while. Gifted artist who attended Cooper Union (her paintings grace her NYC apartment of the past half-century). Theatergoer and reader extraordinaire. Could do a mean crossword puzzle. Loved to save a dollar (or even a dime) and therefore loved to shop at Jack’s and comb through the weekly supermarket circular. Not as good a cook as she probably thought she was, but could make a mean plate of matzo meal pancakes mean and a respectable loaf of French bread. Observed her Jewish faith (she kept a kosher home – except for Chinese takeout and a few other things), but seemingly never spent too much time thinking about what God thought. Worried incessantly, but almost in a comical way (yes, she really did call the cops on her grandson when he was once late for dinner). Loved the family members who predeceased her – her mother Frances (she cared for her until her dying day), her father Louis and her sister Ina. In short, she’ll be missed.
Posted on: Sat, 17 May 2014 15:23:00 +0000
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