Thanks everyone for your kind thoughts and words. We brought my mom out to Colorado in March, 2000, because she was in poor health and had suffered a number of falls. She needed to be watched 24 hours a day. She had broken her knees 3 times over the past 20 years and was very unsteady on her feet even with a walker.

My mom was older than most parents. In fact, she was the same age as I am now (43) when she had me. She was born in 1916 in Ireland, emigrated to England as a teenager and lived there for 17 years before coming to the United States in 1953.

We'll be flying her back to Pennsylvania for the funeral and to be buried beside my dad and sister. We were lucky to have spent time with her over the past few years, although it was very difficult to see her gradually lose her physical strength and mental awareness. She had been confined to a wheelchair for about the past 18 months. She was very small and light so I was able to pick her up and take her out and have her over for weekend visits. I had put together an online photo album of her that I have been sharing with her many relatives scattered all over the US and in Ireland. We'll really miss her, but trust that she is in a peaceful place and in the company of many dear friends and family members.