Remembering Beverly This is the poem that Margot Eckert, sister of Beverly wrote and delivered an at Beverly's memorial service on 2/21/09: Strong Woman My little girl sister     could out bike, out dodge ball, and out hide and seek the     neighborhood gang,     fort building, tree climbing, cowboy hat and Cisco Kidding,     mouseketeering, red wagoneering     jump roping, hop scotching, Playground pal, was my little girl sister. My Teenager sister     granny glasses, peasant dresses,     Buffalo Academy of Sacred Heart classes,     one act plays,     hot uniforms all day     spit curls, bangs, CYO     basketball games,     transistor radio     Canisius dances, Sean Rooney romances     waitressing and babysitting, Beatlemaniac, was my teenage sister. Art woman, my sister     portrait painting     sketches, drawing     pottery making from shapeless slabs of heavy clay     up the stairs dragging, across the floors sagging     sitting on her stool, wheel spinning, iron fingers shaping,     kiln firing Talent abounds in my AllenTown Arts Festival sister. Music woman, my sister     piano and guitar playing     Bach loving, Ella Fitzgerald adoring     tap dancing     voice singing     harmonies humming     birthday lyrics composing Clapping and performing from my music sister. Fun woman, my sister     kayaking     tubing     sailing     swimming     snorkeling     skiing     hiking     biking     watch out! - roller blading     mountain climbing     book clubbing     niece and nephew trip taking     Neverland Island hopping     world traveling- Paris, Italy, London, Mexico, Morocco     Disney World     the theatre world     to concerts     and restaurants     Cove Beach picnics On the go fun, with my motion sister. Kitchen woman, my sister     big wooden table, guests surrounding     chopping, slicing, mixing, spicing,     broiling, baking, pasta rolling,     feasting, laughing, drinking,     toasting to family, friends and neighbors, Soul nourishing... making meals with my kitchen sister. Garden woman, my sister     lush lawn, stone walks,     clematis run amok     dinosaur sized Rhododendrons,     hydrangea heaven     grass mower, leaf raker,     dirt shoveler, ground shaper Landscapes sculpted by my garden sister. Builder woman, my sister     renovations big and small     fixing ceilings     pipes     walls     wires     stucco and stone steps     windows and doors, hardware stores,     Eggertsville, Breckenridge, Enfield, Easton, Elizabeth, then     Stamford     her home…Katrina homes… Habitat homes…into our homes, Always feel at home with my builder sister. Strong woman, my sister     asking questions     getting answers     pushing governments     prodding presidents     speaking justice     lobbying, persuading     impatient staring, locked gaze, glaring     reading, researching, pondering, believing     tenacious - when tired     nonsense not tolerated     email queen     determined, never mean The Infomatrix... don't mess with my sister. Strong woman, my sister     Now your sister too     World's sister     Body stilled     Spirit NOT killed ...of this good sister     Spirit now STRONGER… pay it forward much longer With us... within us... our sister lives still. © M. Eckert 2/16/09