Growing up in Chatham, NJ I have fond memories of my Aunt Bea and Uncle Jim. They lived in the same town in an apartment that overlooked Main Street in Chatham. I still remember walking up the staircase to their apartment that had chocolate colored painted walls in the hallway. Their apartment had a kitchen, dining room/den, a living room and bedroom and a bathroom. It was small but then again it was for 2 people. I remember walking into her apartment and she would always say "Come over here and kiss your Aunt Bea!" I would also take out her garbage which would become a common thing when I visited and a family joke! In all the years I have known my Aunt I actually never thought of her as being blind. As crazy as this sounds she would actually babysit my brother Mike and I and was quite good at it. One memory I always cherish is after her firstborn Jay was born, my family was invited over to meet our new cousin. I still remember walking into Aunt Bea's room and saw her holding her newborn and telling my brother and I, "Come over here David and Michael and come meet your new cousin." Two years later they would welcome their second child, Glen. Mike and I have great memories of playing with our little cousins especially over our house on North Hillside Ave. In 1973 my family moved away from Chatham, NJ to Smithtown, NY when I was 9. Moving away was very hard for me but the thought of leaving my friends and family was rough. I believe it was a year after we moved that my Aunt Bea & Uncle Jim purchased their first home in Chatham, NJ. This meant we could come visit and you bet we did! In fact as kids whenever we left Aunt Bea's house (sorry Uncle Jim! As kids that's what we called your home) we spent 2 hours in the car crying because we hated leaving Chatham! My Dad took a stand against our trips back then and they became less frequent. I think my Dad did that so that my brother, sister and I could adjust to our new lives in Smithtown and not think so much about Chatham. As a child I hated that decision but as an adult almost 50 years later I understand.
I always had fond memories of my Aunt and her family whenever they visited us on Long Island and when we visited them as well through the years. The visits to Long Island were not as frequent since my Uncle Jim owned a Getty Service Station and had to find coverage if he and his family were to visit. At one point around 1976 my father was laid off from his job and we had plans of moving back to NJ which meant we would live closer to Aunt Bea, Uncle Jim and their family. God had other plans as He shut that door and my father eventually found employment on Long Island at Frequency Electronics. Our family was always close to Aunt Bea. I would have to say besides my Mom, my Aunt Bea was a woman of faith and a prayer warrior. When she said she was praying for you she meant it! She loved her family and she was the Mom to 6 kids! Aunt Bea never allowed her disability to affect her one bit. She was a fighter, a tough lady and no one could ever tell her "No, you can't do that!" She would prove them wrong always! Not only did she write a book which she in fact typed herself called "I walk by faith, not by sight" that was published in 2019, she also had a job working for AAA as a customer service rep to help support her family. My Aunt was an amazing housewife and her house was always spotless. I was always amazed looking in her pantry that all her canned goods were in braille. The other thing that amazed me about my Aunt was that whenever she spoke to you she would always look at you even though she could not see you. She was and is a remarkable lady!
After I graduated high school I went to Northeastern Bible College in Essex Fells, NJ. My college was maybe a 20 minute drive to my aunts house so on occasion during my freshman year, my Uncle Jim would picked me up and I stayed overnight to spend time with my Aunt, Uncle and my cousins. As the years went by and school got harder and busier I had less time. From my college years, my ministry years, my married years and my post SGT years, I did not get to see Aunt Bea a whole lot. Life was busy and my responsibilities grew. I was able to attend 4 weddings of my cousins and special "get together's." My Grandparents funerals did not count in that "special" category but it was always great to see my "New Jersey" Family! In the picture above, that photo was taken on Sunday, August 10, 1997 when I was ordained for ministry at my church. Aunt Bea and Uncle always made it a point to show their support!
When I was driving a limo as one of my many jobs, I had one run for about a month where I picked up a woman at her home in Island Park, NY and drove her to Morristown, NJ to her company. One day I had a long layover between jobs so I called Aunt Bea and asked if could hang out at their house between jobs. Of course she said "yes" and I enjoyed a few hours relaxing at their kitchen table taking and drinking coffee. As we were talking I couldn't help but think how every time I spoke to my Aunt & Uncle it feel like all we did was just continue our last conversation. For the last 10 years of her life I did not see a whole lot of my Aunt due to the fact I was working so much. On occasion when I was at my Mom's I would talk to her on the phone and say "Hello," Very rarely did she ever call me "Dave" it was mostly "David."
I am going to miss Aunt Bea! For several years she battled illness! The last time I saw her, it was November 25, 2022. She was laying in bed and the family was told she did not have much time to live. We all gathered around her bed to pray for her and I know that meant a lot to her. My heart breaks for my 6 cousins Jay, Glen, Mark, Steven, Gayle and Jean along with Aunt Bea's 11 grandchildren. My heart also breaks for my Uncle Jim who I know is hurting. They were inseparable and she was the love of his life. My heart also breaks for my Mom as well. I do know one thing! The very first person Aunt Bea got to see was her Lord and savior Jesus Christ. There is no doubt in my mind!
Rest in Peace, Aunt Bea! We all know you are worshiping your Lord and having a great time in heaven!!
HAVE A BLESSED DAY EVERYONE!!!
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