Thank You! Thank You! Thank You!

For your many prayers, thoughts, and kind deeds. There are so many people that contributed to the successful implementation of my mother's final wishes. For that, all of us are grateful.

For the folks that are nearby, there seemed to be no end of tasks being completed. You brought food and drinks, hugs and warm thoughts. You spared your time to help with mundane tasks like yard work and shopping. Many of you joined us in celebration of Christine's life.

For those of you that could not physically be with us in St. Louis, you helped us by your caring phone calls, memories of times gone by, flowers, cards, and donations. Feel free to re-visit our blog if a story or memory returns. We love to hear the stories and words of wisdom that Christine so generously sprinkled around.

Eulogy

Written Very Kindly by Karen Petruska, Cousin to Christine M. Kelly Smith

If you look around you today, you will see the friends and family of Christine Kelly Smith wearing bright colors and striking outfits. From this you will learn that the Kelly women know how to dress. But you will also learn how Christine wanted us to think about her death. She wanted this service to be a celebration. A celebration of her life. Her love. And her legacy.

Celebrating the loss of someone as full of life as Christine is not easy. For those of us left behind, there’s just less laughter in the world. Christine wasn’t a silly comedian. Rather, she always called it like she saw it. I read several comments on the marvelous blog entitled “Celebrating Christine” that Bridget and Chris’ kids set up that mention Christine’s colorful language. But an even better way to describe her is that Chris always said what she thought. In meeting Christine, you met a truly genuine human being—a woman who was honest and straightforward and made no apologies for her thoughts or her wisdom.

And Christine had wisdom. Perhaps this is why she was so good with children. Chris started babysitting for the O’Sullivan family when she was only 15, though the O’Sullivans did not know she was so young. By the time the O’Sulilvan’s discovered how young Chris was chronologically, they had learned to value how smart she was emotionally. Many years later, Chris planned fun outings with the many children of her youngest siblings, and I’m talking about at least eight young children. Despite commanding this army of kids, Chris never had to yell and she never had to frown. Chris was firm—as Warren says, “you don’t mess with the big C”—but she conveyed her authority with a smile. She practiced what she preached, too, encouraging her own children to visit the peace chair any time they argued—her kids had to stare at each other until they resolved their dispute. Chris and Michael raised three kind and fun children—June, Elizabeth, and Warren are our constant reminders of Christine’s friendliness and her charisma.


Yet Christine did not limit her nurturing to children. Again and again, friends that visited Chris and her family at the hospice house commented that Chris helped them during their own trying times. Her family shared with me one story about how Chris wanted to help a friend that was stressed out with family troubles. Chris knew that her friend wanted to learn how to make jam, so she grabbed her sister Nina and she taught her friend how to make jam. But they didn’t just make some jam. They made a lot of jam. Cases of it. Of multiple flavors, peach and blueberry. They handed jam out as Christmas presents. But despite its yumminess, the jam was actually beside the point. What Christine gave her friend was her time and her compassion. And she helped her friend think about something else besides her troubles.

Chris relished life. She did not just vacation. She took her children on month-long retreats in Minnesota. She always found the time to visit St. Louis, packing her kids into the car and driving any distance to spend time with her St. Louis family. She drew people to her through her humor and her unforgettable laugh.

This laugh is how I choose to remember Christine. She made me laugh, sometimes until my sides hurt. As her daughter Elizabeth says, Chris was just a lotta fun. We will all miss her terribly, but I hope that today I am starting a tradition of how to remember Chris—as a caring, compassionate, and hilarious woman.

Perhaps that is why Chris wanted today to be a celebration. She wants all of us to stop for a moment and try to forget the ache. The hole that is deep in our chests, echoing with the loss of her. Because loss and sadness are not the emotions that anyone would ever associate with Christine. At the party to honor Christine today, share your own stories of your time with her. Keep her vitality inside you and let her strength reinforce your own. And when in doubt, do what Christine did—and laugh.

Celebration of Life Plans

Thank you for all of your love, support, and prayers for Christine Marion Kelly Smith.
If you have a story to share or a comment to post, please do so by clicking here.

A Celebration of Christine Marion Kelly Smith's Life Will be Held Saturday August 9th at Noon at St. Peters Catholic Church, 243 W Argone, Kirkwood, MO 63122

Pre-Service Visitation with the family with start at 10:30 am.

Please know that Mom wanted this to be a celebration, so she asked that people NOT wear black but instead something colorful.

WHAT CAN I DO?

Please do not send flowers, instead Chris has requested a donation be made to the Wellness Community of Greater St. Louis. For 15 years The Wellness Community of Greater St. Louis has been assisting cancer patients and those who support them with free programming that includes stress management, nutrition, education, restorative exercise designed for anyone regardless of where they are in their treatment, art, support groups and most of all.............. hope. (Be sure to click the box that says ‘Tribute Gift’ and fill in Christine Kelly Smith.)

To donate online, click here.
If you would like to print out a form & mail it in, please click here. Mailing Address:
1058 Old Des Peres Rd, St. Louis, MO 63131, (T): 314-238-2000, (F): 314-909-9900

If you would like to send a card, our home mailing address is:
364 A S Harrison, Kirkwood, MO 63122

If you have pictures of Chris that we can include in our slide show, please email them here. If your pictures are not in a digital format, you may drop them off at 2514 Louis Ave, Brentwood, MO, 63144.

Our Beloved Christine has passed away tonight.

Dear all~

Christine's suffering ended tonight~She passed at about 10:25. Loved ones were all around her today and she was aware. She was amazing these last few days and I know she is blanketing us with her love and comfort.

With love,

Bridget and All

Goodbye Christine...

After over a year of fighting, my mother Christine lost the battle and peacefully passed on to the other side this evening. While this is a very sad occasion for all of us, I can find comfort knowing that Mom will no longer be suffering and is able to join her mother Joann, sister Mary, and niece Emily, along with many others who have gone before her. Please know that Mom truly and honestly did not want this to be a sad occasion, she wanted everyone to celebrate her life. We intend to do this. As we are still making arragement, the plans are: Friday evening a wake, and Saturday will be the funeral, more information to come later. As I know many people will want to help, please continue to check the blog as we will post information about what we will need. Mom also asked that instead of flowers, donations could be made to the Wellness Community, a place that brought her such great joy and comfort during her tough times over the past year.

Monday, August 4 1:56 pm

I was home during the afternoon and became increasingly crabby--shocker. I realized it was more than nicotine fits as my sneaky escapes to the side of the house did nothing to appease me. I left my family to prepare the first Sunday chicken this vegetarian house (self-excluding) has seen, without me. Chris was happy about the chicken, by the way. She told my husband it was good to let Liam choose, which Dave had already decided to do. Consequently, Liam did not eat the chicken...

A long time, dear friend of Bridge and I, Nate Clark had asked if he could come see Christine. I was surprised, but should not have been. As it turns out, he had developed his own friendship with her. He said she always went out of her way to talk to him. I met him there, but Chris was no longer responsive. However, I believe she is aware of the many people who have been touched by her and I was comforted that he'd come and held her hand.

Earlier in the evening, the nurse told us Chris wouldn't make it through the night. Kathy and I put out the many calls, again. Collen, Nina, Robert & Bridget filed in. I assume Pete was driving like a bat out of hell to get there, but arrived safely later in the evening. His boys were already with us (Nino, peacefully snoring in quarantine.) Danny was already there and Chuck comes in tomorrow. Being continuously full of surprises, Christine held through the night. The doctors and nurses say her heart and lungs are just so strong--they are amazed she has held on this long. Elizabeth said, 'Is anyone surprised that Mom's heart is so strong?' To which Laura O'Sullivan replied, 'Her lungs, too, if you think about it...' Touche, from an O'Sullivan!

It seems there is always an O'Sullivan on the way in or out. They have been an amazing family to Christine, another family to her. We are all grateful for their support of our sister through the years, especially now.

Auntie M (Aunt Margaret) is another, constantly present (whether we see her or not) and suffering the tortures of the damned facing the loss of the incredible bond they have shared.

Monday, August 4th

10:20am

Chris was peaceful overnight for the most part. Robbie slept in the room. Mags and I, Pete and his boys~Nino and Giussepie~ all slept in the lounge. (Nino snores like an elephant...I think Pete does too, but I sleep heavily....) Kathleen sat bedside throughout the night and broke her promise to wake us so we could each do one hour shifts. Chris has felt very comforted by all of us of course, but she seems to be particularly comforted by Kathleen's presence and command~as am I.

We believe and hope that she will join Mary, Mother and Lil' Emily soon. According to the staff around here, she is in her final phase. It is time for her suffering to end and every once in awhile we tell her it's okay and she should let go and not worry about us.

Love to all,

Bridget