For everyones information Ceal and Lisa (her daughter, my cousin) are the two people responsible for this website--thank you both so much!!
Now for the funny stories--listen up Lisa they are funny. Ceal was our babysitter in addition to our aunt. She would babysit us very often. She would put Frank to bed early so she and I could stay up and talk. Ha Ha he never knew this. Sorry Frank!! Well as Frank got older, he also got wiser and of course he learned to tell time. That was a bad thing. But as usual Ceal knew what to do. She would move the clock ahead. Oh yes she did this. Really she did!!! It was 7pm and she moved the clock to 9pm and Frank went to bed. He never knew about this. Oh well Boog I guess the cats out of the bag now. But see as Ceal explains, "I was just saving him from extra cuts and bruises because all he wanted to do was climb from the dresser to the bed and jump". See there was a reason. I also remember that Frank was always bad when she babysat for us. Now I was always good!!! She use to threaten him with the wooden spoons--of course she never used them but they were scary. I think Frank knew that she would never use it so he continued to be bad. But when my mother came home and asked how eveything went, Ceal would always say "He was very good tonight". Oh my god what a fib!!!! She loved Frank--we all did. We always called Aunt Ceal "Boog" don't ask--it's a family thing!!
I also can recall Frank's birthday at Nellie Bly (do you guys know what Nellie Bly is??-it is a small amusement park in Brooklyn). Anyway at Nellie Bly when you had a birthday, Mickey Mouse would come. Well this year Mickey was sick or something so not to disappoint Frank guess who played Mickey??? Yep, good old Aunt Boog. Of course she did a great job but never thought Frank would recognize her ring on her finger!!! He said "that's Boog". Now lets admit it, you have to really love someone to dress up like Mickey at the age of about 14!!!!
Oh what a special person I am going to write about. Frank now lives with her in his "Castle in the Sky". Our Grandmother, our father's mother, my very special friend. Oh she was perfect, beautiful and full of life. I miss her-she has been gone 8 years already. I never understood her death until now. Now I know she needed to go help make a special place for Frank. She didn't want him to be alone and scared. I thank her for that. Frank loved her too. When he was little, he liked to say "bad words" and she would yell at him. Whenever Frank needed to say something bad, he would just say "mother Urker" ( I will leave the real saying to your imagination). When Frank would "hang out" with his friends, my Grandmother would always be looking out the window and he would say "she is spying on me again". Frank and his friends called her "hawk eye". I could also remember when we were little and she babysat for us(I guess Aunt Boog was busy or something), Frank wanted her to sit on his sit and spin(if you remember sit and spin is all the way down on the floor) well she couldn't get back up. She sat on the sit and spin until my Mom and Dad came home--oh my God that was so funny!!!! She was a good sport as you can see. Nanny would always try to get information from Frank and myself. she was good at it and it usually worked. I know she is taking good care of her "dude" and for that and so much more in my life--I thank you, I love you and I miss you!!!!
-"poopie" Eileen
What can I say about Michele?? I am glad we got to be friends and that she shared in Frank's life. She made him happy--well sometimes!!! They sure knew how to argue!! What can I say about their relationship??--well it sure was funny, very funny. Full of arguments and lots of laughter. They were two peas in a pod. There are many stories I know in a very short time. I became closer to Michele when Frank got sick because together we all spent alot of time. We did alot of shopping and alot of laughing. Of course there is the "Target" story but I will not even begin with that story. Michele and Jimmy and my cousin Joey will be laughing as they read it. Well will Michele be laughing--I am not so sure!! Anyway it was memorable. One thing I do recall is when Nicholas dribble on Frank and he threw the dribble at michele. she said "yuk" or something like that and Frank had a fit--he said"oh you sceeve(I have no idea how to spell that word or if it is a word) my nephew--don't ever let me see you touch him"--he was laughing of course. You just had to be there--I wish I was there again!! Now when Nicholas won't talk to Michele she says"Frank is telling him not to talk to me".
Another comical story when when Michele and Frank got their new Nextel cell phones. oh my god is this funny!! They were new phones so Michele didn't know how to use them. Frank couldn't understand why she didn't read the entire manual in one night. He had read the manual already. Well Frank and myself were in the oncologist's office and he called her. She wasn't loud enough for him(of course he blamed her not the fact that he had nerve deafness in one ear and usually had trouble hearing!!) anyway, he told her to talk louder because he couldn't hear. Well when she started to speak louder(now remeber Nextel phones are like walkie talkies also so she was on a speaker) she spoke so loud that the entire doctor's office heard her. He began to tell her how could she be speaking so loud didn't she know he was in the doctor's office!! Oh my god she put up siht alot!!! He would always call her "this girl" he would say "when is this girl coming??' Could you check on "this girl's" car?? Michele was always late--she still is!!
He would get so mad at that. A few times she was stuck in traffic on th SI expressway (she lives in Brooklyn) and she would call him and tell him there was traffic and he would tell her she started out late that's why there was traffic and to turn around and go home. She never listened though she always continued to come to the house and usually they went to Applebees for a steak!!! The fights never lasted too long. Well at this time Michele remains in our lives a year later--a year after that horrible December day!! She buys lots of gifts for my kids and tries to help them to remember Frank also--I thank her very much for that and for her continued friendship. I want her to be happy one day again--she deserves it!!
We love you Michele!
Well, let me think there are so many memories of Aunt Honey. She was more like a Grandmother than an aunt. She raised my Mother. Boy she was a great person. She too shares in Frank's "Castle in the Sky". Her death also was so painful to me that I couldn't understand until now--Frank needed her there with my Grandmother. Aunt Honey and my Grandmother were also close to eachother. Well all Frank did was torment Aunt Honey--I guess they all did!!!(notice I didn't mention myself--I never tormented her).
I can remember Frank tormenting me by saying "Aunt Honey is old" he knew that would bug me. remember "the family picture "story??--well those pictures were for Aunt Honey. Good old Aunt Honey as eveyone would call her. Frank did no wrong according to Aunt Honey. She loved him very much. I can remember being so young and going shopping on 5th avenue in Brooklyn with Aunt Honey and taking the "yellow cab"--oh boy that was fun. Frank would always have to "push the button " to try to make the light turn green so we could get across the street. She always let him think he was changing the light. This little thing made him very happy. Well knowing he is there with her is a big comfort--I wish to thank her for taking care of him and I am sure she is making him tacos and his Thanksgiving dinner.
I love and miss you very much!!!! your "pussycat" Eileen
Wow Rita is our father's sister that makes her our "Aunt" well as kids no one would believe that since she is 9 months younger than me!!! So we just would call eachother "cousins" and that name stuck forever!!! Now Rita is also my sister in law--yep married to my brother in law!! Told you "strange family". Don't ask it would never make any sense. Well I can remember(well actually Rita reminded me of this-so I better give her some credit-haha)--Frank use to call us "UT" and "BOT"--No I don't know what that meant--it was just his nicknames for us and no he was not a baby when he called us these name. He was at least 12 years old and he kept calling us these names for as long as I can remeber. One day he was making himself a bologna sandwich (Frank's favorite cold cut-but the skin needed to come off-Jimmy would always say"bologna doesn't have any skin" but Frank always managed to peel something off the bologna) anyway , with the sueeze mustard he wrote "UT" on one side of the bread and "BOT" on the other and them smashed the two pieces of bread together. I don't know the meaning behind that I never did--but to us it was funny!! We use to sing silly songs to Frank and he would dance to them One time he started to dance and slide across the floor to "take out the papers and the trash" from "Risky Business". If I remember correctly, I think he also had on the black sunglasses!!!
He always went up rits's house(of course he was suppose to be in school) and Rita would make him kraft macaroni and cheese. It had to be kraft because Frank only had the "BEST". Well Rita and myself had this "secret language" I guess you could it that. No one understood it but us. Anyway Frank would get so angry when we would talk like that. We also use to talk in "W's" that is when you put a W in front of every syllable--I think?? So she would call Frank--"WANKWIE WY WEPHEW" and that meant "Frankie my nephew"--I told you strange family!!! Well Rita continued to show her love for Frank when she gave him one of his last pleasures in life--a godson!! Jason was born in April 2001. Frank christened him only one month before he passed away--thank you Rita and I guess I need to thank my brother in law too!!! Thank you guys it was great to see Frank smile that day. Now we say that I am Jason's godfather because I needed to take over in Frank's absence. I hope I do a good job for you Frank!!
I know they miss Frank--Frank was like their Big brother. You know how you always have one person who you find is "way cool" and stuff like that?? Well I think to them this was Frank. I know his death has taken a toll on them and all of us--it leaves such a void in our lives--an unfillable void. No one can take his place and we know that. Anyway they went shopping together and laughed and laughed. It seemed all you did with Frank was laugh. He found humor in all he did. They use to play video games on the TV together. they would laugh and laugh. that was all you heard when Frank was around--laughter. well Joey knows the "Target" story--you should have seen his face. I will give people a clue Joe--Michele and Frank was fighting!!! I wanted to drive Joey home in my car but Frank wouldn't hear of it--he said "he'll be ok with me'
All I thought the whole way home was--Aunt Debbie will kill me--please get them home safely!! well everything was fine. Of course I was a nervous wreck and then I find out the three of them(Frank, Michele and Joey) went to the SI mall to get Michele boots!!! And here I am worried!!! I remember when Bobby was small--he followed Frank around and loved to be with him. Now Nicholas does the same thing to both of them. Bobby and Joey both wore Frank's communion outfit. It is funny because they all look alike!! Beautiful, handsome boys!!! By the way their father Uncle Bobby is Frank's godfather!!! Well I'm sure the boys have alot of great memories and since that is what we have left--let's cherish them.
I love the both of you very much and your mom and dad too!!!
They were close-very close. Talked about everything-understood eachother. I may even have been jealous sometimes. There relationship is one that I can only wish to have with my son someday. He was her "Dude", her only son. Dude did no wrong in her eyes. I know she was thrilled with him as a baby and she stayed with him his whole short life. She would have done anything in the world to help him. I know she felt so helpless when he became sick. How can a mother not be able to save her child?? Those are thoughts that go through too many mothers minds. Life is so unfair sometimes. Frank always lived at home. When we moved from Brooklyn to Staten Island, I know Frank was unhappy at first but still he stayed. My mom told him he could get his own place if he wanted to-- I mean he was alreay 24 years old, but Frank stayed and I am glad he did. Frank has always needed her and she needed him--she still needs him. Things are so different now-it's hard to make her smile. Except for Amanda and Nicholas, they make her smile. When Frank became sick, my mom did everything for him and she wanted to. She slept with him at the hospital and at home too. She held him when he cried after he found out he had cancer just as she did when he was a baby who wanted his milk or the child who was afraid of the dark. She held him and they cried the whole night. It was only the beginning of her tears for him. How does a parent loose a child and continue with life?? I really don't know other than to say I thank God everyday that my mom survived and I try to do my best to help her along the way because I too love her very much and we need her here with us right now. Frank is in good hands for now. Frank will always hold a special place in her heart that no one else can ever enter and that's ok because he deserves that place. He was a very special person. May God bless and keep my mother safe and try to help her understand what has happened.
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