My mom and dad have had the longest lasting marriage that I know of --
they had been together till the end -- my dad passed away in 2014. The
two of them almost always got along and enjoyed each other's company.
They had a socially enlightened proactive kind of relationship. They
both like the Grand Canyon and they did several hikes over the years
there and knew its features by heart.

As a mother my mom always wanted good education and health for me --
she was diligent in arguing for better treatment for me in school from
my teachers and would request that I be given more challenging
coursework. At the same time she always found me to be a handful and
would use the phrase 'One is enough!' -- I had no brothers or sisters.
My mom, Catherine, always called herself a homemaker by profession and
she kept up with everything in the household, the grounds, and the
house itself. She was fastidious in keeping everything clean and the
house pulled together at all times.

The grounds of the house -- the front yard, north side strip between
the bungalows, and the back yard, were the talk of passersby and Mom
would often get compliments for her gardening showcase every summer,
as she toiled away on the ground. Even well after the cessation of her
efforts the flowers and plants bloom vigorously year-in and year-out.

From early on she was into weaving and knitting and she demonstrated
traditional weaving at the city's annual Folk Fair at Navy Pier, in
full Lithuanian dress. She continued to actively do weaving at the
Balzekas Museum Of Lithuanian Culture and at park district facilities.
She would also regularly knit small items and give them away to
friends. Catherine used graph paper to design her own patterns, then
knitted a new garment, like a scarf, exactly according to her design.
She also did latch hooking and did her own designs for small rugs.

Catherine had her own business as both a yoga instructor and later as
a water exercise instructor, and even did outreach and advertising
with her own materials. She was always organized and ready to do her
best for her students, with knowledge and firmness. She researched and
read to stay knowledgeable and comprehensive with what she taught.
Within her side of the family she was the family historian, keeping in
touch with family members throughout the years. She knew family
history by heart, kept photos, kept track of past events in the family
and would talk about them. Through her teaching she had a social
circle of friends who she would visit and attend events for, finding a
personal interest in her students and their personal lives. In her
later years of living she taught water exercise at various indoor pool
facilities on the north side.

Even after my father's passing in 2014 she remained her own person,
very strong and independent. The advent of her bouts of falling,
around 2018, were surprising and unexpected, but she soldiered through
them until they got the better of her and she eventually had to be
hospitalized. That hospitalization in December of 2020 brought me back
to Chicago from my traveling on the road in a van, and I've looked
after her since, two years with her steady decline at the house, and
then 2 years of her being in skilled nursing care at Beacon in Uptown,
until recently, January 6th, when she passed away just after being
recommended for hospice care. She was generally alert, conscious, and
herself, though profoundly withdrawn, at Beacon during my twice-a-week
visits there from the house. I would bring her a small coffee from the
nearby cafe and she would willfully bring her hands awkwardly upward
to grab at the cup even though her rough movements would cause the
coffee to spill. She took the smallest sips and the coffee would cause
her to cough, but in a good way, clearing out her lungs somewhat each
time. I'd say that she was 'there' until a month or two before her
passing, and would respond 'yes' whenever I asked her if she was doing
okay at Beacon.

Her health complications put her in the E.R. at Illinois Masonic, from
Beacon, and the E.R. doctor had a long conversation with me on the
phone to let me know that the harsh medical interventions were causing
her stress, and would be recurring and very uncomfortable for her. I
agreed with the doctor's recommendation for hospice care, but I got
the call 3 days later from the hospital saying that she passed away.
She will be missed.