Devout Catholic, mother of six children — Betty, Joseph Jr., Peter, Helen, Gerard (d. 1982) and John — wife of Joseph Kuchinski (d. 2000), Marguerite Kuchinski has passed away this evening, July 30th, 2008, at around 8:30 PM EDT, of congestive heart failure.
Born May 28th, 1923, she was 85 years old.
I love you, grandma. Thanks for being there.
Here’s the eulogy for Marguerite Kuchinski written by Helen Solomon:
Thank you all for being here and I’d especially like to thank John, Chris, Matthew and Joshua for driving from their Florida vacation including a 20 hour drive in one day arriving just this morning.
Many eulogizers take a broad brush to paint a picture that can be seen from afar. A big picture hopefully capturing the essence of the loved one’s life. I wanted to say something brief and true - something to capture the effect of my mother’s life on this world. . .but considering the complexity of her life it seemed not possible.
There’s so much I know about Marguerite but my thoughts kept settling on moments, scenes composed over the years that like poetry describe her with both brevity and truth.
-I remember our school clothes (six children!) were starched and ironed - and in those days there was no spray starch, just a time consuming and messy process using powdered starch and water.
-I remember six birthday parties a year with delicious cake and frosting made from scratch and delightful lily pad flower-shaped cups made from colorful napkins that were filled with Hershey’s kisses and M&Ms for each party guest.
-I remember praise over good grades that encouraged each of us to excel in school
-I remember my friend Miriam confiding in me that my mother talked to the turtles that Gerard brought home from the pond that we kept in the kitchen for a week or so. I thought that was okay – people talk to their pets – but then Miriam continued. . . and. . she said the turtles talked back to her by blowing bubbles. My mother was the first Turtle Whisperer.
-I remember her picking bunches of concord grapes from our yard and turning the kitchen into a grape jelly factory – what a gorgeous smell!
-I remember when Byron was little my mother kept a little plastic shoe-shaped piggy bank on the mantle in the kitchen of her house in Whitman that she and my father would fill with coins. Each time Byron came over he would go to the kitchen, climb on a chair, empty the bank then put it back. Every time he came over the bank was full, waiting for Byron and my mother’s delight at Byron happily collecting the coins.
-I remember her taking care of my children so Robbie and I could spend time together – I turned a blind eye to the sugary cereals she fed Sam when I wasn’t around after I found out - when Sam learned to talk – he was saying Apple Jacks, not apples.
-I remember when she was babysitting and the washing machine hose broke and water spilled all over the first floor. She told me that Sam, age 4, told her “My mother’s not going to like this.” She loved that.
These are just a few of my memories and I know that you have your own that convey what you love about her.
- I know that Frannie Brodie used to get cards with bingo numbers written inside (B41, I 50) as part of the message – I don’t know what that meant, but Frannie always laughs to tell that story.
-I know Frank Hayes can tell you about the spooky picture of Babe Ruth she had in her window when the Red Sox broke the curse
-I know that she was very active in the church and led rosary in the last several years with a group of people who self organized and kept things running smoothly
I hope you will share your memories of Marguerite with me and each other. I know she would love to see us all here, gathered to acknowledge that she was loved and I know that she loved us.
