Saturday, December 5, 2020
Trude was a rock; the voice of reason; the one with unshakeable, clear values who truly "walked the walk". She was consistent in living her high standards. She was humorous, hard working, capable, smart, 100% reliable, and just plain fun. She epitomized integrity. She had a positive attitude. I never heard her complain. If she couldn’t change an unwanted situation, she accepted it…usually with humor….as she did even in joking with her doctors and nurses while Covid 19 ravaged her body.
Trude was all about sense: Good sense, common sense, sense of humor, sense of style in what she wore and how she decorated her home. And sensibilities. She was disciplined with a strong sense of what was right….backed up by altruism and selflessness. She lived by Shakespeare’s words: "Be true to yourself, then you cannot be false to anyone.” She spoke her truth and also listened carefully.
Trude had a good soul and a big heart. She was ultra generous, freely spending her time, effort, gifts, and what extra money she had wherever she could help. She spent years as a volunteer comforting patients and families who had a loved one in Hospice. She was a champion of the underdog both literally and figuratively rescuing untold numbers of unwanted dogs and either finding them forever homes, or giving them hers with unconditional love and acceptance. Last year, she even chose her two rescues over herself when a neighbor continuously complained about them. Rather than give them away, she sold her much loved new home of less than a year at Heather Gardens and moved, at considerable cost and stress, for the second time in a year. With her positive, can-do enthusiasm and exuberance for life, she was excited to have made plans with Jill, Greg, and her grandsons to move in together to a new home designed with her own living space.
Trude is no longer just a phone call away with her calm voice, honest, pragmatic view of life and genuine concern. She leaves us to face the future without her youthful spirit, her humor, and even her strong opinions that challenged us to question and encouraged us to think critically. Our memories of cherished time with her will always exist, but those of us who knew her and loved her dearly yearn for her to still be with us here and now. Who can we call today when the one person who could help us cope with this kind of devastating loss was Trude herself?
Trude knew when to “hold ‘em, to fold ‘em and when to walk away” even when it was painful, to turn toward new, bright vistas. She looked to the future with excitement and anticipation. Hers was a life well lived. She was a petite dynamo whose size 5 shoes are big ones to be filled by her adored children and grandchildren.... the beautiful, lasting, living legacies of an extraordinary woman. I miss her now and always.
~~~~Linda Carney
