June 26 2017: SCALISE, Mary C.

MARY C. SCALISE

Mary C. Scalise (Age 92) of Rockville MD and Richmond VA, peacefully passed on Friday, June 23, 2017. Beloved wife of the late Julius C. “Jay” Scalise; mother of Diane Dunville, Maria Scalise, and the late Linda Scalise;  grandmother of Julia Dunville. Preceded by parents Lena and Vito Cardinale and brothers Adam and Orlando Cardinale. Relatives and friends may call at Collins Funeral Home, 500 University Boulevard West, Silver Spring, MD, (Valet Parking), on Thursday, June 29 from 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 pm.  Mass of Christian Burial at Shrine of St. Jude, 12701 Veirs Mill Road, Rockville, MD, on Friday, June 30 at 11:00 am. Interment Gate of Heaven Cemetery. Refer to Collins Funeral Home website for detailed obituary. Memorial contributions may be made to the Franciscan Monastery of Washington DC.

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Eulogy for my mom, Mary C. Scalise                                                      

   June 30^th, 2017

This is very hard for me, but my mom always said that you need to be strong and she represented just that,… so hopefully she will give me the strength and carry me through this honor to her.

It is with a very heavy heart that I speak to you today.  We have all lost an amazing mother, relative, and friend.  You see,…Mary C. Scalise was born in Washington, D.C. on March 29, 1925 to Vito and Lena Cardinale, and the middle daughter of two brothers, Adam and Orlando Cardinale.  Their family and ethnically connected neighborhood ties were intricately woven.  Their social gatherings were festive and delicious.

A large role was that of a caretaker for my mom at a very early age having to help take care of her own mom who needed her emotional and physical support.

Through family and friends she met our dad, Jay, and they married in 1947 sharing 63 beautiful years together.  Having chosen the most challenging caretaking of all, our parents had 3 daughters of whom they loved dearly.  Mom nurtured us with decadent Italian dishes surpassed by no other and embraced us with love and pride.

What and honor I have had to not only be brought into this world by one of the greatest caretakers, but to have a mother who became my wisest counselor, most tender nurturer, and most precious friend.  My mom became one of my greatest teachers of peace and forgiveness.  A worldly purpose at that!  Her sense of humor touched others by leaps and bounds, her smile melted many a heart, and her light simply grew brighter and brighter!

Moving my mother to Richmond, VA in 2014, was one of the hardest and most precious decisions that I could have made in this lifetime.  The only problem was that it was for only 3 short years.  The beautiful part is that it opened my heart wider then no other.

 Often I have wondered what my purpose is to be?  One of my favorite movies is the classic,…It’s A Wonderful Life with Jimmy Stewart.  This movie has 2 powerful messages.  The first clarifies how one life touches and influences so many others.  Just think what would have happened to that family member, friend or stranger if you hadn’t helped them or if God and the angels hadn’t sent you here?  Some of life’s most amazing turn of events would not have happened if it wasn’t for you!  The second message is that a person’s wealth is not judged by their financial gains, but rather by the number of friends that love them.  As you can see,…my mother is a very wealthy person!  Even at 92yrs of age she invested in a new friend everyday with her adorable smile and sense of humor.  What a blessing.

So if my purpose has been to help carry my mom thru some very difficult times with the reward of seeing her thrive and be happy,… then I accept.  This has been one of the greatest teachings of my life!  Thru helping my mom,…I helped myself most of all!.  My mother was my gift as she was to so many, and I was hopefully hers.  This journey has opened my heart like no other.  Don’t be afraid to help one another.  Now I really understand what my mom meant when she always said to me,…”Your Reward Will Be Great”!

Thank you mom,… from the bottom of my heart.  I love you deeply.

Your daughter – Maria