Jeanie

I met my friend Jeanie Gorman freshman year in our homeroom class. I was the first kid in my family to go to high school and awkward and shy to boot. I remember that first day, looking at Jean, several rows over and how her smile took in the entire classroom. She laughed and joked, and everyone was in on it. "This," I thought, "is someone I want to be friends with." And, lucky me, I was for the rest of my life.

Our high school years were fun, but when I really got to know Jeanie was after I graduated from college and returned to Peoria. We were roommates for seven years and during that time, I got to appreciate the full impact of Jean's gifts, one being her love of singing. She had a beautiful voice and sang at many weddings and funerals. She seemed to know the words to every song ever written. It was an amazing talent and with her lovely propensity to break out into song at any moment--"Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens,"-- living with her was like being in a musical. 

There were St. Patrick's Day celebrations, multiple trips to Tybee Island near Savanah where her sister's family lived, and even a vacation to Hawaii. Our friend group--Christy, Peggy, Mary, Bernadette--got together for birthdays and other times to have fun.

Jean and I both got married later in life. She and her beloved Greg had their son Stephen, and John and I adopted Luke from Haiti. Both boys attended the pre-K at the Immaculate Conception Convent. A couple years after this, the teacher, Sister Elaine, had knee replacement surgery. She needed some help with the pre-K and asked Jean and I to be aides. I wondered to Jean what we should have the kids call us, thinking along the lines of Mrs. Carroll or Miss Maria. But Jean had different ideas. "Let's have them call us, Foxy Lady." 

It was fun for us that our boys got to be friends when they both attended St. Mark's Grade School. Here is a photo of them several years ago getting ready to serve Mass.

When we were roommates, Jean tolerated my slovenly ways with no complaints. This was typical as despite her many crosses in life, she did not complain. The retinitis pigmentosa she had for decades nearly rendered her blind, but she made jokes about it, telling her doctor in Iowa City that they should have fundraising tee-shirts with pigs on them. She had a tumor on her heart which required open heart surgery. Again, no complaining. In 2023, she was diagnosed with stage-4 lung cancer. There were many tears by Jean and all who loved her, but the last year of her life was full of good times--an extended family trip to Ireland, our annual Christmas dinner (best meal of the year) at Christy's, Stephen's graduation, and as many lunches and get togethers as we could squeeze in. Both the cancer and the treatment took their toll, and at the end, Jeanie was ready to go. She decided she wanted to go to the hospice home and that is where she went to heaven on October 28, 2024.

I can't convey the vibrancy of Jean or her sparkle and aliveness in words. Her passing has left such a void among her family and friends. 

One day when Jean and I were living together on Margaret Street in Peoria, she was scheduled to sing at a wedding. She often enjoyed a Diet Pepsi beforehand, so as she was leaving to go to the wedding, she grabbed a can from the refrigerator. In the car, she popped the top and took a swig only to discover that she had grabbed a can of Bud Lite! Jean could tell you a million funny stories like this.

At the end of her funeral, we all sang, "I Can See Clearly Now," by Johnny Nash. I heard the song on the radio the night of her funeral and then a couple of times since then. We, or at least me, are always looking for signs from those who have gone on. I thought about it a little bit, but not too much because I don't really wonder where Jeanie is.

Last week, I got up and went to the refrigerator to grab one of my Pineapple Coconut Bai's. It's my morning coffee. I took the cylindrical bottle out of the frig, twisted off the top and as I put the bottle to my lips, I inhaled a pungent, garlicky scent. Jerking the container away I looked to see that it wasn't Bai but a bottle of poppyseed salad dressing. l'll take it. Thanks Jeanie, for everything.

From left to right, Bernadette, me, Christy, Jean Mary, Peggy, and Chris