Obituary of Theresa Morales

Theresa Leonie Morales, age 78, was a loving, mother, sister, aunt, grandmother and friend, died peacefully surrounded by her family on Sunday June 15th at D’Youville Senior Care in Lowell. She was born in Kingston Jamaica. She made her home in Jamaica until 1980. She then chose to immigrate to the United States with her four children. She lived in Burlington for 6 years, Billerica for 16 years and finally settled in Chelmsford in 2002. She attended Business School and worked for Harvard Business School as an Administrative Assistant for 17 years. She loved music and shared her talent for many years as an organist at St. Malachy’s Church in Burlington. She enjoyed traveling and visiting family and friends in Florida, Canada, Vermont, and Jamaica. She enjoyed reading, shopping, and dining out. Theresa’s most significant legacy will be that of her family. She was a strong role model who endured through hard times, always keeping her family together. She opened her home and heart out to family and friends. She was there for her family in times of celebration and in times of need. She will be lovingly remembered as a loving, mother, sister, aunt, grandmother, and friend. Mrs. Morales is the widow of Ludlow A. Morales. She is survived by her daughter Deanne and husband Richard Benevento of Beverly, MA; son Paul and wife Carol Morales of Port Saint Lucie, Florida; daughter Cathy-Ann Morales and partner Dr. Nakela Cook of Malden MA; daughter Janice and husband Court C. Rideau of Chelmsford MA. She is remembered by her siblings; sister Marie and husband Harry Lewis of Old Bridge, NJ; brother Michael and wife Jean Richards of Randolph, MA; brother Joseph and wife Beverly Richards of Toronto, Canada; sisters Claire and Eunice Richards of Chelmsford MA. She will be sadly missed by her grandchildren, Dionne, Paul Jr, Matthew, Nicholas, Christopher, Nicole; great grandson Elijah and many nieces and nephews in the US, Canada and locally from Massachusetts, Simone Tigges, Warren Richards, Peta-Gaye Prinn and their respective spouses. Funeral from the Edward V. Sullivan Funeral Home, 43 Winn St., BURLINGTON (Exit 34 off Rt. 128, Woburn side) on Friday, June 20 at 9 a.m. Followed by a Mass of Christian Burial in St. Margaret’s Church, 111 Winn St., Burlington at 10 a.m. Visiting hours Thursday 4-8 p.m. Interment in Chestnut Hill Cemetery, Burlington. Memorial’s in Theresa’s memory may be made to D’Youville Foundation, 981 Varnum Avenue, Lowell 01854. Defining a Mother By Janice Grace-Rideau A female parent, someone who gives birth, who cares, nourishes and protects. Many women can identify with this definition, but there are only a few who embrace the title and fulfill it to the best of their potential. My mother was such an individual. In her years on this earth she raised four children and shared her life with her brothers, sisters, aunts and uncles, nieces’ nephews, grandchildren and many many friends. Her day was not complete until everyone’s needs were met. At the age of 45 she lost her husband. The youngest of her children was ten and the oldest eighteen. I remember that she never cried at the funeral. Later when asked why, she said that she had to be strong for us, so she cried on the inside. I did not understand her thinking at the time; I later came to understand that it was just her way. There are many people here today who can reflect upon times when they came to her for support and each and everyone can say that it did not matter what else she had to do, she always found time to help. She always opened her home and her heart to family and friends in times of need. One might ask where she found the strength. That’s easy, her strength came from the courage, faith and determination that she possessed. Besides a career, she was active in the Church. She played for the Saturday and Sunday masses and insisted that we go as a family at 7:00 AM on Sunday morning. She participated in the Seminary and organized their fundraising barbeques and any other events that they needed her for. She played for weddings / funerals and seemed to always be rehearsing with Choir members who were doing solo’s. She planned our birthday’s parties and organized family vacations. She planned our schedules and managed to get us from place to place all without ever actually driving. For example, there were no school buses in Jamaica and we all went to private catholic schools. For a brief period of time after my Dad passed away, my sister Cathy and I, had the pastor of our church, father Bob as our chauffer to take us to and from school. Yes, she was inventive and came up with ways to make the best of any situation. I use to sit in the back seat of the car and cross my fingers that we would never get pulled over back in the day when it was required to have a big fluorescent orange “L” placed on the car of the person learning how to drive. If you were not nervous enough as the learner, you stuck out like a sore thumb. It was also required that an experienced driver sit with the individual who was learning. She assumed that role of the experienced driver without ever getting behind the wheel of a car, much less having a license. She sat beside my brother and together they completed his practice and remarkably he got his license. When I look back at her life, there are many things that she has done that make me proud, but there is one thing that stands out above all else. Many times I think about it and I wonder if I were in her shoes, would I have made the same decisions. In the early 70’s the government became corrupt and the economy took a nose dive. It was no longer safe to live on the island that we called home. She tried to stick it out at first; she later decided that she could no longer guarantee our safety and give us the life that she and my father wanted for us. She applied for residency in the United States. Once approved she packed us up one by one and over the course of three years, she found relatives and friends that we could stay with here in the US until she could join us. She had only a few rules that we were not to forget. She said: 1. Remember who you are and where you came from. 2. You don’t have to be the best but you must try your best. 3. You don’t have to succeed at everything but you must learn from your experiences. 4. Mind you manners, offer your help to whom-ever you are staying with. 5. Remember that I am always a phone call away. She left her life, familiar surroundings, her home and her career, to move to a new country to start over. Many people find it hard to believe that we could only leave Jamaica with $50.00 each. I have often been asked what could we do with so little money. Through her, I finally have that answer. She showed us that it gave us an opportunity. It taught us the meaning of love, perseverance, endurance and a true sense of family. Having learned these things we now joke often about the times when we all went to the Supermarket before having a car, so that we could each help by carrying a bag home. Or we labeled ourselves as the “immigrants” when we talk about taking the bus together from Harvard Square on our first Christmas Eve in the US after Christmas shopping at the 7-Eleven because we had no clue that the stores closed early. We tease each other about the roles and responsibilities we had as we tried to make it as a family in a new country. These are all things that are a part of one person. One person, who rose to the challenges in life and succeeded, She has raised her children, some of her nieces and nephews and welcomed their spouses into her life. She has been there for the birth of her grandchildren, grandnieces and nephews and even one great grandchild. She possessed inner strength and beauty and she did this all by doing what came naturally to her. She did it by being a mother …. She gave of herself and placed the needs of others above her own. She lived a full life, a long life and over the past twelve years she has suffered several strokes, each one taking more away from her than the prior. We all knew it was hard for her to rely on others for the most basic functions that we take for granted. At times she would get frustrated and if we made a fuss she would knit her brow and muster up the strength to say. “Just walk off”. That was her way of swearing. I tried to teach her the real words and told her to use it from time to time. That would make her laugh and in the end, although her body did not cooperate, her spirit prevailed. So today and everyday we should not be sad at her passing. Be happy that we had the opportunity to know her. Whether she was your friend, co-worker, sister, cousin, aunt, grandmother or most important of all; Mother. She was a role model for those who knew her and she will live in our memory forever. A few years ago while cleaning up in her room I found this note tucked away in her jewelry box. When I read it, I knew that she had left it there for us, her children. I am not sure if she ever got the chance to tell any of us, so I will read it now. “Life rushes by all too quickly, especially the wonderful times that we had together. Be smarter than your mother was. Don’t let a single moment slip away unsavored or unappreciated. These days are priceless and afford you the greatest opportunities for fulfillment. Never again will my heart be so full. With all my love, Mother”