Below is the eulogy written by Rose's daughter, Michelle, and her son-in-law, Daniel, after her passing. May our beautiful forever friend, Rose (Franciosa) Sisti rest in peace.
********************
Celebrating the Life of a Beautiful Rose -
Rose had a huge heart,
childlike wonder, a caring spirit, and a deep religious and spiritual core. But
don't think that tough persona wouldn't come charging out, especially when it
came to protecting her family and friends to which she was fiercely
loyal. No matter how many times she may have been hurt, she never stopped
believing in love because that is what life is all about. Rose had many
different chapters of her life and each one of us played a role in some way.
Although Rose had an
extremely tough exterior, that wasn’t who she truly was. She was sensitive and
delicate like a rose but she also had some thorns. Rose never hesitated to give
you her opinion whether you wanted it or not. She was sharp as a tack and would
spend hours researching information for anyone who had a health issue or just a
question they needed answers to. She would write letters to complain about bad
service but she would also write "kudos" letters for anyone who went
out of their way to do a good job.
Many years ago we spent the
weekend with Rose at the Von Trapp Family Lodge. The Lodge was literally
halfway to Heaven on the top of some mountain in Stowe, Vermont. We
decided to hike a bit and Rose had to sit down at the first bench we found.
“You kids go ahead” she said “I need to make some oxygen choices.” Coming back
down the hill we could see Rose sitting peacefully on a bench, looking down at
the most unbelievable view of the mountainous countryside we have ever seen. We
believe she will now be looking down on an even more beautiful view of all the
people she loved celebrating her life.
From times of crisis comes
the true test of one's spirit, of one's courage in adversity, of one's strength
in their faith. For her entire life and especially towards the end, our Mom
wanted to do things on her terms and would never hesitate to battle for
something she believed in. She fought her cancer with every fiber of her being
because she wasn't ready to go. At one point I think we all believed she could
actually pull this off, to get out of the hospital and kick cancer's ass. We
believed if anyone could do it, Rose could. But alas, that wasn't to
be.
The scriptures say that
suffering brings us closer to Christ and she exemplified that. The reward for
that suffering is no trophy or Super Bowl ring, but a reward she is enjoying
now being with her mom, her dad, some of her siblings, her husband, her
friends, angels, saints, Jesus and God. What a blessing to know she's now in
Heaven to watch over us and be our angel (she always looked so fabulous in
white!).
While
we are happy that she’s no longer in pain, her absence has left a void in our
lives that we will feel for the rest of our lives. To have known her is to have
experienced love, laughter, fun, strength, concern, support, positivity and a
great sense of belonging that can only happen when you are welcomed into a
relationship by someone like Rose. She is a bright light that continues to
shine in the lives of all who have been fortunate enough to be a part of her
life.
No
matter how far away she lived, she always kept in touch with everyone she loved
by writing newsletters and then changed with the times by writing her blogs and
e-mails. All the years she was living far away from her family and friends she
would say that her computer was her lifeline so it really wasn't much of a
surprise when her computer died the day before she did. She obviously wanted to
take her lifeline with her.
Her passing has left
this world a little less colorful and a lot less interesting. But even in
grief, we know we are so lucky to have had this loving woman in our lives and,
now, in our hearts forever. On behalf of our family, we want to thank you so
much for your prayers and support. Thank you for loving us. Thank you for
loving our Mom. She was an incredibly feisty, fierce and fabulous woman and we
hope you remember her with a smile on your face and love in your heart.
Blessings to all,
~Michelle and Jimmy
********************
I'm so glad we had this time together
Just to have a laugh or sing a song
Seems we just get started and before you know it
Comes the time we have to say "So long....."
~Rose (Franciosa) Sisti
1945-2015
Some of Rose's family members will be participating in the Breathe Deep Boston walk on October 31, 2015 to raise funds for lung cancer research. To check out the research that supporters like you could fund, visit www.lungevity.org/research.
If you would like to make a donation in Rose's memory, please make your check payable to "LUNGevity Foundation," and include Rose's name in the memo line on the check and mail the check to:
LUNGevity Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Your contribution is tax-deductible to the full extent of the law.
Just to have a laugh or sing a song
Seems we just get started and before you know it
Comes the time we have to say "So long....."
~Rose (Franciosa) Sisti
1945-2015
*******************
Here are
some surprising facts you may not know about lung cancer:
• One in 15 people in the US will be
diagnosed with lung cancer in their lifetime.
• More than 221,000 people in the US
will be diagnosed with lung cancer this year, with a new diagnosis every 2½
minutes.
• 60-65% of all new lung cancer
diagnoses are among people who have never smoked or are former smokers.
• Approximately 10-15% of lung cancer
cases are in never smokers.
Some of Rose's family members will be participating in the Breathe Deep Boston walk on October 31, 2015 to raise funds for lung cancer research. To check out the research that supporters like you could fund, visit www.lungevity.org/research.
If you would like to make a donation in Rose's memory, please make your check payable to "LUNGevity Foundation," and include Rose's name in the memo line on the check and mail the check to:
LUNGevity
Foundation
Attn:
Breathe Deep Boston
228 S.
Wabash Avenue, Suite 700
Chicago,
IL 60604
LUNGevity Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Your contribution is tax-deductible to the full extent of the law.
