Obituary of Karoline Widuta

Karoline O. (Davis) Widuta, a lifelong resident of Burlington, passed away at Children’s Hospital in Boston on Sunday, February 3, 2008. The wife of 6 months of Michael E. Widuta, she was 26 years old. Karoline was born in Winchester. She was raised and educated in Burlington. Karoline was a 1999 graduate of Burlington High School. After graduation she went on to attend Mt. Ida College and Bunker Hill Community College. She loved the fun and excitement of working at the Build-A-Bear store at the Burlington Mall. She enjoyed traveling and listening to country music. She loved animals. She valued her friendship with others and was one who always sent a special card or note to a family member or friend on a special occasion. She had a loving and caring relationship with her husband Michael since 1999. They were married on August 11, 2007 and had a wonderful honeymoon in Hawaii. Karoline will be sadly missed by her family and friends. Karoline was the beloved wife of Michael E. Widuta of Burlington. She was the loving daughter of Judith A. Spano-Davis of Burlington and the late Robert E. Davis. She was the sister of Michael Davis of Burlington and granddaughter of Anthony Spano of Pompano Beach, FL and the late Doris Spano and Madeline Casey. Karoline was also survived by many aunts, uncles, cousins and friends. Funeral from the Edward V. Sullivan Funeral Home, 43 Winn St., Burlington (Exit 34 off Rt. 128, Woburn side) on Thursday, Feb. 7 at 9 a.m. Followed by a Mass of Christian Burial in St. Eulalia’s Church, 50 Ridge St., Winchester, at 10 a.m. Visiting hours Wednesday 5-8 p.m. Interment in Pine Haven Cemetery, Burlington. Memorials in Karoline’s name may be made to Children’s Hospital Trust, One Autumn St., #731, Boston, MA 02215-5301. The Widuta and Davis Family wish to thank all of you for coming. I know as I stand here I am asking for the strength to talk about Karoline. And I know She will give me that strength . When Karoline was born she was not expected to live because of the rareity of her cardiac abnormalities. Being a girl, a Spano and an Olson, she did. And for 26 years Karoline enjoyed living Because Karoline had such a dry sense of humor and would come out with this humor at any time, we thought we would remember her with humor. The other night we sat around the table and told “Karoline” stories. We laughed, and cried and wanted you to know a little bit more about Karoline. When Karoline was 6years old she was the flower girl in Robin and Steve’s wedding. Her other cousins Tina, Mark and Bill were suppose to be taking good care of her because she was seated at their table. The wedding music had stopped playing and there was Karoline dancing on the floor by herself having a grand old time. Little did I know that her cousins had been letting her drink champagne with them. Another time we were at the Arsenault’s cottage on Cape Cod. Karoline was swinging from the hammock on a beautiful cape afternoon. We were all sitting around talking when the tree broke, the hammock fell to the ground with Karoline in it. If that wasn’t bad enough the bees that were in the tree decided to swarm poor Ka and sting her again and again. Bee stings and a bump on the head were not big events in Karoline’s life but she sure could create anxiety. Alison tells the story about Karoline in 1998 when she and Karoline were at our house and some how red nail polish got spilled after I threw her the bottle . Alison says I then told Ka that she wasn’t going anywhere . Karoline told Alison to “walk out the door and don’t look back” I was yelling for them to get back. Alison and Ka devised a plan to walk to the Burlington Mall . As they were about to turn the corner when Ka yelled”Take Cover She’s in the Arsenault’s Driveway” “We’re being followed” They back tracked down South Bedford Street jumpiong behind trash cans, trees, cars looking for “the van” When they finally got to the mall Alison called her Dad and he picked them up . Karoline did not want to go home that night . There were two conditions for her to stay: Pick up her medication and leave her mother a note. Teaching Karoline to drive was an experience. One time she wiped out the 2 mailboxes on StonyBrook Road. Her father once came home white as a ghost as said she nearly killed them both driving on route 128 and Uncle Jim took her driving in the cemetery and Karoline nearly took out the headstones. Speaking of driving, Mike, Karoline’s husband says Ka was known for her passenger side road rage. Mike says Karoline would reach across the seat bang on the horn, curse people who were slow, didn’t use their blinkers or drivers who cut them off. For those of you who don’t know Karoline and Mike met on the Internet. Back in the 90’s internet dating was new. Their first date was the senior prom. Mike came to Burlington accompanied by his Ant Kathy. Karoline and Mike looked beautiful that evening. It was however two evenings later that Karoline and Mike did not come home. Barbara and I were up all night waiting for a phone call . Finally at 4AM we called ANT Kathy to see if she knew where they were. When they finally came home I spared no words with either one of them. And Mike still came back to be with Karoline. Michael, Karoline’s brother remembers when he and his buddy Peter took Karoline out of the hospital in a wheelchair, hooked up to IV”S and went to the food court which is across the street from Children’s . They had told the nurses they were going to get her something to take back to the room and eat but they thought she need a change in atmosphere. When they got to the food court Peter and Michael made Karoline laugh by spitting spit balls onto the ceiling of one the restaurants. When they returned an hour later Ka was laughing and smiling. Then there was the time when Bob, Karoline and Michael went to Fenway Park. The two of them convinced Bob to let themhave a food eating contest. Whoever ate the most food won. Ka won but ended up sick for the entire night at home. Ann Arsenault tells the story of trying to find a Garth Brooks Poster for Karoline . Karoline was in the hospital and all she wanted was a poster of Garth Brooks. We were all trying to find her one. Auntie Sue was looking, Bob was calling everywhere, everyone at my school was on a search. Someone told Annie Newbury Comics had the poster. Annie went to dial 411 but dialed 911 by mistake. When the emergency phone call was answered Annie tried to explain that she was only looking for a poster and she was awfully sorry. But 911 does not work that way. Annie was told to stay on the line . One day after at least 10 trips by ambulance to the hospital, Annie who was there for them all, told Ka she should write a book about all of the craziness trying to get the ambulance drivers to understand her complicated medical conditions. Karoline quickly responded to Annie’s statement naming the book, “The patient, The Lunatic, and The Neighbor. To all of us Karoline was a strong, caring, sensitive young woman. She loved her country music, Food Network shows, those awful New York Yankees, but most of all she loved Mike, Michael her father, Bob, and me. Medical science kept her alive for 26 years and gave her a happy, normal fulfilling life . She is blessed with a wonderful family and wonderful friends. Her pain and suffering have ended, she is in heaven with her father and grandmothers and would not want us to suffer either. All of you have some memory of Karoline to take with you and smile when you talk to her. She’s listening. Ka, I love you !!!!