Tuesday, June 9, 2009

I would like to take a minute to let everyone who reads this that we have experienced a very sad day today. Our beloved Grammie Mary passed away this morning after battling Alzheimer's for the last seven years.

Mary Fonda Lalli was a wonderful wife, mother, grandmother, and nurse. Her family meant the world to her and she will be missed by so many people, especially her husband of almost 63 years, Peter.

Mark and I saw her last in Washington, while he was at Walter Reed Army Medical Center. Even though she was in the later stages of Alzheimer's and her memory had failed terribly, she again became a nurse the moment she walked into Mark's ICU room. She read the monitors and questioned the nurses and tended to Mark by sitting with him and holding his hand which eased his anxiety and agitation. Once we would leave the room, she would ask why we were there. As soon as we would return, the nurse and grandma came back as well and she took care of her boy. Mark doesn't remember those episodes because they are too far back in his recovery, but he enjoyed hearing the story again today as we reminisced about Grandma and the fun we had with her. One of Mark and Peter's fondest memories was that Grammie let them eat cold pasta for breakfast, because she did too!

Grammie, you will always be in our hearts because of the memories we have there. You will never be forgotten. We love you.