Babe passed away early yesterday morning. February 10, 2008 at about 3AM EST. She had just turned 47 years old. Mom was sleeping on the sofa next to her bed at the Hospice facility. The nurse came in to check on her and found she had passed. Mom called me a few minutes later. I let her son and daughter know and then woke my dad. He and I went to the Hospice to be with mom and say goodbye to Babe one last time. Before I left Saturday night I was pretty sure it was the last time I’d see her with us. I kissed her head and said goodbye to her and told her I’d see her on the other side when I got there. It was funny. When we went back to the Hospice facility and I saw my sister once more it was so obvious to me that she was gone. This was not her. But I could feel like she was still there… inside us. It’s hard to explain. Anyway we said our last goodbyes and left, thanking the Hospice workers. They’re all so wonderful. The had already lit a series of candles at the nurses station with her name written underneath. My sisters first name was really Elizabeth. Everyone called her Betty. When I was a small child I am told I could not say ‘baby’ so I would just call her ‘The Babe’. That name stuck not just with me but our entire family. Her ex-husband even called her Babe. Her best friends when she was growing up in Pitman even called her Babe. I think her other classmates just called her Betty though. Recently – after she moved from Utah to Florida and started a new job as a contruction foreman building highway bridges – she introduced herself as Liz. This is the name everyone in Florida – all her pool shooting buddies, friends and co-workers – knew her as. Here are some recent photos of Babe.
 This is her with her friends Mary & Michelle. It was taken after she found out she had cancer but before she relocated to St. Pete.


Here is Babe & her daddy. This picture was taken at Babe’s daughters (Reanna) graduation from college in Chicago.

This is Babe a couple years ago with dad, her daughter (Reanna), her son (David) and Davids old girlfriend.

Here is Babe with dad and her daughter Reanna.


You saw the picture of Dad, Babe & Me together. Here is one of Babe and her mom.

Here is Babe, Reanna and Mom.

Again, here is dad, Babe & I.

Most of the ‘recent’ pictures were taken at Thanksgiving 2007. Our last Thanksgiving together. It’s nice to have pictures like this to remember it.
Oh yeah, here is a picture of Babe & I one Easter I presume. Standing in front of the apple tree in the backyard of the little house we grew up in in Clayton, NJ.

And this is us with our second cousin – and good friend – Maureen when she was just a baby.

This is a picture of Babe & I on Easter, 1962.

I hope they have internet in Heaven so Babe can check out my blog. :) I’m gonna miss you Babe. I’ll see you when I get there! Love your brother, Billy