Today I heard from Mickey Finnerty, Bernadine's brother and he wanted to add his comments to Bernadine's "In Memory" page.
My sister passed away on January 5, 2005 from ovarian cancer. She had battled the cancer for two and one half years having surgery and experimental chemotherapy, but by the time it was diagnosed, the cancer was at stage four. Through this entire ordeal, she never complained and always remained positive and upbeat.
She had so much tragedy in her life, I don't know how she managed to survive it all and still find joy and happiness in life. She had several miscarriages and finally carried a baby full term only to have a still birth baby boy. She had two sons, Kevin and Scott and in 1998 Scott committed suicide according to the police report. To this day we still can't believe the report. During this horofic time her husband, David, had Alzheimer's disease and was already in a hospital and couldn't recognize Bernadine or didn't know he had a son. Since David was not working he had no health insurance (not old enough for medicare) so his care wiped out their entire financial resources.
My sister was the most wonderful, caring and compassionate person who ever lived! Her "signature" throughout life was to write notes or send cards. Thank You notes, get well cards or just a how are you doing note was something she continued throughout her life. If one word could describe the life she led it would be "kindness!"
Throughout life's sorrows Bernadine remained her positive "happy go lucky" self who loved life at 100 mph!
Her working career was mostly spent in the carpet industry workingin management for Queen Carpet and Shaw Industries. She thoroughly enjoyed her job and the people she worked with. If you knew Bernadine, you knew she was a people person. She was a perfect for the companies she worked for and they were so lucky to have her as an employee.
The legacy Bernadine left us was that of kindness. Just before she passed away, she looked up at us and said "be kind to one another."
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