Cinderella – I found the original poem today – what I had included is a mildly-abbreviated version, and I think the original s

Remembering Ann Baudo Wallace

We come together today to pay tribute and to celebrate the life of Ann Baudo Wallac= e. Ann was one of six children of Vincenzo and Guissepina “Pepina” Baudo. She was the youngest of the four Baudo sisters; herself, Mary, Josie and Jane – the Beautiful Baudo Girls - as they w= ere known. She had an older brother Mimi and a baby brother, her beloved Sam.

&= nbsp; There are twelve of us who were blessed to have grown up as Ann’s nieces and nephews. Each of us can speak to the ways in which Aunt Ann was our second mother, and our children can speak to the ways Aunt Ann was a second “Nana” to them. Ann was the sister of my mother, Mary. I have f= ond memories of being a young boy watching my dad and Uncle Pee Wee play soccer= at Fairgrounds Park. Aunt Ann never missed a game, always excitedly cheering Pee Wee and the team on. I remember her coming even on freezing cold days and grabbing me and holding my arm, cuddling to keep warm in the cold as we cheered together. I= t is this kindness and warmth that she gave to others that we all remember.

&= nbsp; My sister Maria remembers Aunt Ann’s thoughtfulness of others. Maria was= at Saint John’s Mercy Hospital in August of 1978 when her daughter Jessie was born. There was a knock on h= er room door and who were peaking their heads around the corner, but Aunt Ann = and Uncle Pee Wee. They just had = to come by to see the new baby. = The most touching part of this visit was that Ann and Pee Wee were on their way= to admit Pee Wee to the hospital. He never came home again from that hospitalization, so that last minute visit = to meet Jessie has always meant so much to Maria.

My sister Stephanie remembers the love that Aunt Ann had for life. She recalls that Ann would always say, “Love life, engage in it, give it all you’ve got. Love it wit= h a passion, because life truly is a gift and does give back, many times over w= hat you put into it.” She a= lso remembers that Aunt Ann would tell us that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel. That’s our Aunt Ann…she always made you feel that you were the most important person in her life. Stephanie would like everyone here to consider that you can shed tears that= Ann is gone, or you can smile because you know she would want you to because Ann has lived and generously shared her life with each of us.=

&= nbsp; Bridget’s mother, Jane, was one of Ann sisters. Bridget remembers a childhood story t= hat shows how what a wonderful influence Aunt Ann was in her life. Bridget was terrified of Ann & PeeWee’s German Sheppard, Dutchie. With Bridget being a frequent visitor, Pee Wee was tired of putting the dog in the basem= ent each time she came. So the next time Ann picked Bridget up in the little wh= ite Comet to come for a visit, Ann told Bridget how worried she was about the d= og - how Dutchie’s tail had not once wagged since Bridget’s last vis= it. So, of course, when they arrived at the house, Dutchie’s tail was a-wagging away and Aunt Annie thanked a beaming Bridget for curing Dutchie! Bridget wasn’t afraid any more and the dog never= had to go downstairs again. A happy ending, compliments of clever Aunt Ann, who really cared about others.

&= nbsp; Bridget’s brother Danny is Ann’s Godson. While he may not remember it, Danny we= nt home with Aunt Ann as a newborn when Aunt Jane had to stay in the hospital after he was born. She helped= care for him as if he were her own. There was a special bond between them ever since.

&= nbsp; Cindy, Ann’s sister Jo’s daughter, grew up next door to Aunt Ann = and Uncle Peewee on Cheshire L= ane. What a wonderful gift for two sisters to have homes next door to each other. Cindy recalls Aunt Ann planning a trip to Europe for years, with Ann thinking Uncle PeeWee would go with her. He kept telling Ann, “I’m not going back there.” Thinking she could change his mind (like she always did) Aunt Ann continued saving and planning for the trip. Little did Ann know that Uncle PeeWee kept telling Cindy she could t= ake his place. When it came time to finalize the plans, Ann was disappointed th= at again PeeWee said he did not want to go and that she should take the “Baby” instead. Yes, Cindy was 17 years old and Uncle PeeWee st= ill called her the baby. So Aunt Ann & Cindy went to Europe together! It was a great trip= . The only problem was that Aunt Ann was such a picky eater that all they ate was bread and cheese until they got to Italy and then Aunt Ann could add “Genoa” salami to the meal! Cindy says the greatest gifts Aunt = Ann gave to her, and there were many, were her examples of unconditional love a= nd faith in God.

To talk about Aunt Annie and not mention love & romance would be a shame…Ann Wallace loved to love! Without naming names, Ann dated her share of young men on the Hi= ll; but all that came to a screeching halt when Ann met the love of her life, F= rank Wallace. Theirs is a love story that makes us all smile. They made a handso= me couple, and in our mind’s eye, seeing the two of them together means seeing Ann kissing him! Their love story was cut short by PeeWee’s illness. Ann aced the test of their marriage vows -- in sick= ness and in health -- while faithfully caring for him before he died. It is hard= to believe that he has been gone 31 years. That is a long time to be apart from the love of your life, and we are absolutely thrilled at the thought of the= two of them together again!

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There were hobbies Ann loved that kept her hands busy. Playing “Come Back t= o Sorrento” on= the piano or accordion was a favorite – remember those holidays when she played for us all. She loved pulling slot machine handles in Vegas, playing cards with her sisters on Friday nights, baking Christmas cookies by the batchful, putting markers on bingo cards and of, course, knitting a lifetim= e of memories for us – afghans, scarves, ponchos, and hats. The women in my family tell me the= re was always a collective sigh when Aunt Annie’s gift was opened at a baby = or wedding shower.

&= nbsp; Aunt Ann had many friendships from many different walks of life. Her dear and lasting friendships were with the “Kittens” and “Wildcats” -- the clubs she and Uncle PeeWee belonged to all th= eir lives. The club members were = always together. If not on the soccer field and sidelines, they were at Joe Numi’s Bar or getting together at each others’ homes. But her dearest friends, her= two best, life long friends – literally, sit here with us today, Josie Castello and Sam Baudo. The f= act that they were her big sister and little brother was a bonus to their friendship. We know they will= miss their sister (and best friend) most of all. Their grief is heavy but we know their faith is strong.

&= nbsp; Quite a few of us gathered at Cindy and Steve’s for Christmas E= ve. Aunt Ann was sitting smilingly at the head of the table critiquing the X-mas cookies Cindy and Bridgette had made, and in a quiet moment telling us that= she was putting the balance of her life in God’s hands. We all remarked t= hat she seemed sad, happy, resigned and peaceful all at the same time, no small trick. We will be forever gra= teful for that special time with her. In recent weeks, Aunt Ann’s body beca= me tired, but her smile didn’t fade. In her prayers, she told God she was ready when He was ready for her. She told us she missed her love, Pee Wee, = and her family that had gone ahead of her. Ann wanted to go “Home.”=

During her last days we realized there was nothing we could do any longer for our = dear Aunt Ann. She so kindly reminded us we have other family members to care fo= r. You can close your eyes and pray that she’ll come back, or you can open y= our eyes and see all she has given us. That’s what she wants us to do = 230; remember and care for all our family and friends.

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Annie, please give a kiss and a hug to Pepina and Vincenzo, Pee Wee, Mary and Leo,= Mimie, Sammy, Marie, Vince and Jane and tell them we love them and miss them still= .

* = * * * * * * * *

We will end with a poem, a tale of= dying and immortality in which we are grateful to believe….

I am standing upon the seashore. =

A ship at my side spreads her white sa= ils to the morning breeze and starts for the blue ocean. She is an object of be= auty and strength.

I stand and watch her until at length she hangs like a speck of white cloud just where the sea and sky mingle with each other.

Then someone at my side says "There, she is gone."

"Gone where?"

"Gone from my sight. That is all."

She is just as large in mast and hull as when she left my side and she is j= ust as able to bear her load of living freight to her destined port.
Her diminished size is in me, not in her.

(..Emphasis = on this last paragraph…)

And just at that moment when someone s= ays "There,= she is gone"

There are other eyes watching her c= oming, and other voices ready to take up the glad shout =

– “HERE = SHE COMES!”

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* * * *=

After Mass, you are all invited to= join us at Favazzas for lunch to continue sharing cherished memories of Ann.