In Loving Memory of Lorraine D. Garcia March 25, 1941 - July 28, 2004     About My Mom My mom's name is Lorraine Beverly Day, re-married in 1982, became Garcia. She used Lorraine D. Garcia on all her legals. For as long as I can remember my mom was always there for me & my best friend. She was more than just a mother. When I was about four years old, we lived in Ohio where my mom owned a beauty parlor & a boutique. She was beautiful, she was a licensed beautician, and she was well liked too. A WONDERFUL MOTHER GOD made a wonderful mother, A mother who never grows old; He made her smile of the sunshine, And He molded her heart of pure gold; In her eyes He placed bright shining stars, In her cheeks, fair roses you see; God made a wonderful mother, And He gave that dear mother to me. ~Pat O'Reilly~ My mom & my dad in the 60's. Both are angels now, sigh.   On the left, My mom, her mother and grandmother. On the right, my mom and her mother. She is with her now. MOTHER... Mother You filled my days with rainbow lights, fairytales and sweet dream nights, A kiss to wipe away my tears, Gingerbread to ease my fears. You gave the gift of life to me, And then in love, you set me free. I thank you for your tender care, for deep warm hugs and being there. I hope that when you think of me, A part of you, you'll always see. ~Author Unknown~ My mom in the 70's. These are two beautiful and loving gifts for Angel Lorraine from my dear friend, Carol, mom to Angel Michael. A MOTHER'S LOVE A Mother's love is something that no one can explain, It is made of deep devotion and of sacrifice and pain, It is endless and unselfish and enduring come what may For nothing can destroy it or take that love away . . . It is patient and forgiving when all others are forsaking, And it never fails or falters even though the heart is breaking . . . It believes beyond believing when the world around condemns, And it glows with all the beauty of the rarest, brightest gems . . . It is far beyond defining, it defies all explanation, And it still remains a secret like the mysteries of creation . . . A many splendoured miracle man cannot understand And another wondrous evidence of God's tender guiding hand. ~Helen Steiner Rice~ When I was about the age of 4 my mom & dad divorced, and we went on our own. I remember bits and pieces, & in 1976 we moved to Florida. My aunt had an apartment building with 26 apartments on Miami Beach. My mom opened a beauty salon in Bay Harbor. Her best friend Reeny moved down with us and did manicures and pedicures until one summer my mom was sick and hospitalized, then she got better & things were back to normal for a while. Then as I got older - about 2nd grade - my aunt passed, and we were forced to live in government housing for years. It was an awful part of life I would not wish on anyone. People broke in to our house, they threw bottles at my mom, someone even tried to kidnap my sister one time. Mom in 1971 on the left, and Mom with Hope in the 70's. Carla, Mom & Reeny Finally, in the 1980's, a good friend of my mom's came to see us and moved us to Kendal and a huge house. He had a room, my mom had a room, & my sister Hope & I shared a room together. We were extremely the best friends two sisters could ever be from early ages, until we got older, we drifted a little. In 1980, me, my mom & my sister Hope. As the years passed, my mom obtained a job with Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines, which at the time was Poseiden LTD. It was the food & beverage department, before Royal Caribbean became so big. I remember going there on weekends to sort mail for the crew members & help my mom with filing. My mom helped so many people in other countries - especially Jamaica - come here for jobs on the ships. June 15, 1982 - My mom marries Henry. In 1982 my mom remarried - Guilermo Garcia, one of the wine stewards that worked on the ship. They had met on a cruise. At that time, we lived in North Miami. We then moved into Pembroke Pines, Fl, where we lived for over 12 years. It is where I lived while I went to high school and a trade school. My 13th birthday - me, mom & Hope. In 1992, my step father left & never returned, other than letters every now and then. My sister Hope was married with two girls & pregnant with my nephew in 1994 when my mom bought her house in Hollywood Hills, Fl, where she also passed away. It was her dream house, on a corner with a pool. She loved the sun, she loved to plant and cut the grass, clean her own pool, she enjoyed doing puzzles, she was the best.... Tiffany, my mom's first grandchild. In 1995 I came to live with my mom and help with her grandkids - Tiffany, Melissa & Dillon - as my sister had become unable to care for them due to her addictions. In 1998 in court my mom & I were awarded custody of the three through the state of Florida. In 1999 I had twins, and one lived and one died - my precious Antonio - what a sad time for my family. I can remember my mom being there for me, taking me back and forth from one hospital home, then the other one, and picking me up, & when the school called and someone had to leave work, she would pick up the kids if I could not. ( we were a team ) This picture is from 1999 - Tiffany, my mom holding Braidon, Melissa and Dillon. This is just to say how much she is missed right now today, & her support. As the years went by, my mom continued to show her love and support, through the birth of my second son & my sister's fourth child - she practically raised my nephew Braidon until he was 5. She died 3 days after his 5th birthday. I helped but she gave him so much special love & attention. In 2003, December 29th, my mom was at work, & a computer board fell on her left foot. It was swollen like a huge balloon & a lot of pain, so we went from workman comp Dr's to Orthopedics in February. On the 18th, when we went to the orthopedic, my mom said to him, "My right hip is hurting," and he said, "Get me a referral, and I will look at it." My mom felt Dr's were someone who wrote a book, and she did not read. As the weeks passed, the pain got worse, so finally she called her insurance, found out who her primary Dr was, & went to him that day. She called me after and told me how he sent her to get a chest x-ray, and she came for her right hip... what one thing had to do with the other, and this is why she does not see Dr's. Anyhow, she was rescheduled for that Wednesday to get the results. He told us there was fold in the lung, but he could not be certain what was wrong without a Catscan. So Friday we went for a Catscan. On Wednesday, April 24th, 2004, we returned as I was pregnant with my youngest son. We arrived, and the nurse put us in a room. When his partner opened the door with the chart, she said, "They put you in the wrong room, may I ask you to move across the hall? Dr Kazdan will see you shortly." We approached the room, and in my mom's kidding voice, she said, "I am probably dying," and I said, "Don't say that!" as she laughed and chuckled. He came in & told us my mom had cancer; it spread from the lungs to the rib cage, kidney, and possibly the bones, she & I both held in our tears. We were oh so fortunate Dr Kazdan would be with us right through the entire process, what a dedicated Dr. The following week we saw the orthopedic. He did an x-ray & advised there was a mass in the hip, knee and mid-thigh. He wanted to do therapy after he did surgery. Then we went to a oncologist who told my mom she would not live through the weekend. All I think about and see is the two of us crying every time we looked at each other. It seems we did that for weeks & days. My mom was such a strong woman; she wanted to make sure when the time came I would be ok with the kids. The following Friday we went to the court house, my mom took care of her car, her will. The following week, she quick claimed her house to me, then she made sure I was the beneficiary on everything. For those 13 weeks from diagnosis until last 4 weeks, we shopped every Wednesday & Friday, just for a few hours in a wheelchair for furniture. She remodeled the inside of her home telling me it was so she could enjoy her house as long as she was alive. I really believe she did it for me because when the furniture arived, she could not even get out of bed to leave her room, she was in too much pain. It was a very hard situation, & she was so brave the entire time. She had hospice in 24 hours for the last 6-8 weeks of her life. What a blessing they were to have, she did not want to go to heaven, or die. She told me the hardest thing about dying was saying good bye to those she loved, & she used that word love - I love you - as often as she could, so there would never be a doubt. My Uncle, her only brother, came to see her before she got real sick, & they enjoyed the pool, old pictures and memories of the past. All her co-workers and crew members from all over the world came to see my mom. She was so loved by so many for all the kind things she did in her life time, she could never be forgotten. I will keep her memory alive! It's funny, her favorite place in the entire world was the beach; I am so thankful I took her there in her last few months of life. She told me I was an angel for giving her such a wonderful day. I miss her so much every day that goes by there is not a song that plays, or a thought of a conversation we had, or a memory of our life that ever goes away. I just wanted to share this with those who knew her & those who did not. She was the greatest mom any one could ever ask for in one life time. I feel lucky that I had her; the sacrifices & the friendship we shared, the memories will always be right here in my heart forever. Love her daughter Maureen November 19, 1994. My wedding: my sister Hope, my mom, Melissa & Tiffany. My mom was born on March 25th 1941 she died on July 28th 2004 at 7:30 pm at home. She was diagnosed on April 29th, she lived 13 weeks from diagnosis. My son Antonio lived 13 days... wow that number 13! I made my marriage work for 13 years. I am loving 13; I guess that is my number. March 19, 2003. My mom holding my son Mario for the first time, along with Dillon. If we had one lifetime wish, One dream that could come true We'd pray to God so hard For yesterday and you. They say memories are golden Well, maybe that is true But we never wanted memories, We only wanted you. If teardrops were a stairway And heartaches a lane, We'd walk a path to heaven And bring you back again. A thousand times we've needed you A thousand times we cried...... If love could have saved you, You would have never died ~ Author Unknown My mom and her only brother William (Uncle Bill). She has one older brother, my Uncle Bill who is still alive, & my three cousins I have found, and one of them has a daughter. Everyone else in her side of the family has passed away. But, I want this page to be positive for all the friends/ co-workers that my mom had, as well as for my family. I found a cousin of mine last year, she came to see me and now her brother too. They were my mom's mom's sisters's kids, and now we found each other again. I am so glad I made this beginning to healing and to allowing others who miss her to remember the good days not the sad. My mom worked on her job for over 25 years and was loved by so many. She went over and beyond to help everyone she could, and the crew members used to bring her gifts from all over the world. These were some of the most important people in my mom's life, there were many more too. But this is some of them from my wedding, November 19, 1994. Kathy and Paul, who were co-workers of mom's; Lena, my mother-in-law; Barry, my husband; Adolpho and wife; my mom to my left; Mr Biancaneu and wife, he was my mom's boss for 26 years. My mom collected Angels. She was crazy about Angels. I Felt an Angel I felt an angel near today, Through one I can not see. I felt an angel, oh so close, Sent to comfort me. I felt an angel�s gentle kiss, Soft upon my cheek, And Oh, without a single word Of caring it did speak. I felt an angel�s loving touch, Soft upon my heart, And with that touch, I felt the pain And hurt within depart. I felt an angel's tempid tears, Fall softly next to mine. And knew that as those tears did dry, A new day would be mine. I felt an angel's silken wings, Enfold me with pure love, And felt a strength within me grow, A strength sent from above. I felt an angel, Oh so close, Though I could not see, I felt an angel near today, Sent to comfort me. ~ Author Unknown My mom and Reeny in the 70's, in Jamaica, her favorite island. A more recent picture of my mom and Reeny, her best friend. This was also taken on my wedding day, November 19, 1994. Reeny is my only support today. My mom loved the beach, that was her favorite place. That's where we went all the time as kids, my sister & I. She was a single mom since I was in first grade; most of all she was fun. This was my mom and her friend Laura from Hudson, FL. It was taken on our last vacation together. That is when we came to see Maria when she was visiting her Nanna who lives in Clearwater, FL. The Greatest Memory of All I send this special message to you, Mom; Hoping you can hear what I say. I always thought you would be with me. Helping me to grow day by day. I never once dreamed I'd say good-bye. Nothing seems fair in this tragedy. I wanted you to hold my grandchildren ... Give them the love that you gave me. I think about you with every passing hour. Only God knows how I miss you. It's just a bond between a Mom & daughter ... A bond that can never be torn in two. I feel that you're watching me from above. Seeing the things that I do here. That seems to help me survive each day, Mom; Just knowing that you're always near. I watch other women with their Moms. And I sure long to be in their place. But there is a beauty that only we share. And it shines on your loving face. And, now as I think back over the years, there are incidents that I recall. But loving you & you loving me, Mom ... That's the greatest memory of all. ~Author~ Kaye Des'Ormeaux Melissa and Tiffany holding Nevaeh Lorraine, who obviously was named after my mom. For my Precious Mother My precious Mom how I miss you so, You were always there for me, When my heart and soul were burdened, It was you who helped me see. While today I sit with muddy thoughts, And wishing you were here, I need to talk with you again, How I long to feel you near. Remember the days I would visit you, And before I had a chance to speak, You always knew from the look on my face, The troubles I had buried deep. You always said it showed in my eyes, They told you that something was wrong, You would sit and listen intently, Like you were listening to a favourite song. Even as I write my eyes fill up, With tears from missing you so, I miss so much the talks we had, More than you could ever know. I remember the drives in the country, And our walks through Harrison Park, How we stood and watched the waterfalls, From mid afternoon till dark. I will always be grateful for the love you gave, For none has ever compared, Unconditional and forever unbroken, And for me you were always there. You never asked for anything in return, Nor did you complain while you were dying in pain, Good Lord above how I miss her so, Please let me talk to her again. I LOVE YOU MOM ~valentyne~ � Benjiman's Site Map Dear Maureen and Your ANGEL Mom Stars are the Windows To HEAVEN Where ANGEL'S PEEK THROUGH One of those Windows Belongs to your ANGEL Mom Open your HEART Maureen And LOOK UP, She is there She will give you a soft wave Of her hand And that gentle smile Of her's She is with you All the time Watches and protects you But most of all SHE STILL LOVES YOU ALL HAVE FAITH Written By Sue-Anne Aguilera~~~Lee'sMom MY FONDEST LOVE MAUREEN In Loving Memory of Lee Henry Aguilera Click on the Next button below to learn more about Maureen's Angel Antonio. You can email Maureen by clicking on the Email button below.   A friend can hear a tear drop. This webpage is created In Loving Memory of Lorraine Garciaon January 30, 2007 Last updated: July 30, 2009 � 2000 - 2009 Visit Maria's pages for her little Christopher at Maria's Tribute to Christopher Angel Christopher My Tribute to a Very Special Boy