My Sister the Cat. A Eulogy

With a broken heart, I will share with you a Eulogy for my sister Diane. She passed on April 24, 2022. In my sorrow, my fingers couldn’t type these words until today. Not a minute of time goes by when she is on my mind and in my heart. Though 15 years apart in age, Diane and I shared souls, somehow unexplainable.

Today and every day I feel part of me is missing and I know it is Diane.

A Eulogy for my sister Diane:

Good morning, I want to share a few thoughts about my sister Diane. She meant the world to me. I am as close to her today as I was as a child. We had an interesting relationship. My husband Daniel said to me we were like two different sides to the same coin. Interestingly my father used to describe us in the same way. There was always one thing that held us together which was the brother-sister love.

This is a bible verse I would share with Diane from time to time when she felt like giving up as her health became poor over the past few years. If you kept tabs on Diane, she struggled with her health to the point of near death many times in this decade.

Philippians 1:19

Yes, and I will continue to rejoice, for I know that through your prayers and God’s provision of the Spirit of Jesus Christ what has happened to me will turn out for my deliverance. 20 I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether in life or by death. 21 For me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. 22 If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me. Yet what shall I choose? I do not know! 23 I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far; 24 but it is more necessary for you that I remain in the body. 25 Convinced of this, I know that I will remain, and I will continue with all of you for your progress and joy in the faith, 26 so that through my being with you again your boasting in Christ Jesus will abound account of me.

Sometimes the pain and suffering she endured were simply too much. It would have been for any of us. But she chose to fight, do another treatment or round of rehab. Although each of her hospitalizations gave us all a near-death scare, she rebounded, embraced her burden, and lived as happily as she could.

If you read my Facebook post in April of this year, I signed it “My Sister the Cat,” something I always said to her each time she awoke after a brush with death. She would always say; “Oh well you are stuck with me.” I responded that is just fine with me, we will figure it out. I am not ready for you to go, I would say. She responded repeatedly, I am afraid you never will be dear brother. She was right.

One afternoon we were chatting up for a few hours as we would often do whether in person or on the phone. She said, “I hope people remember me for all the good times we had and not how I am today.” She said, “I loved my family, my friends, Aunts, Uncles, and Cousins. All the fun we had together made such good memories. “

Diane has had a joy-filled life in this world. Now in heaven that joy is abundant for eternal life. No more pain, suffering, wounds, struggles with breathing, hospitals, tubes, or rehab centers.

After high school at St. Joseph, she graduated from Gateway Technical College as a Licensed Practical Nurse in 1969. Later she graduated as a Register Nurse. Diane loved being a nurse, she was loving, kind, and empathetic to all those under her care.  She spent her career as a nurse at Southern Wisconsin Center for individuals with physical and developmental disabilities. After 38 years of service to her patients and the State of Wisconsin, she retired.

Diane loved to have fun with family and friends. She shared countless memories with everyone and they were always filled with laughter. She was a lovely lady with a huge generous heart. Her love language was giving gifts to everyone for any and no reason at all.

A simple gal, who loved a day at the mall with Mom and an afternoon of chatting over margaritas and nachos.

Today I see Diane with Tom next to Jesus in Heaven. Though she has left us, the joy she left us remains in our hearts, until we see her again.

Farewell Lovely Lady