Obituary of Rosalie Cavalier

Rosalie F. “Lee” (Foley) Cavalier, passed away at the Lahey Clinic Medical Center in Burlington on Sunday evening, June 20, 2010. The wife of Charles J. Cavalier for 61 years, she was 82 years old. Lee was born in Boston. She was one of 16 children born to the late Sidney & Florence Foley. She was raised and educated in the Hyde Park and a graduate of Hyde Park High School. After high school Lee went to work for Simmons College. Lee married Charles Cavalier on April 18, 1949. They moved to Burlington in 1955 where they raised their four children and became an active part of both the church and the community. Lee worked for a period of time in the offices of the Bank of Boston. However, her primary role in life was that of wife and mother. She supported her husband in his many activities and sports. She enjoyed being with her family and her extended family which included her brothers, sisters and their families. Lee was a volunteer at election polls for many years. She was the Secretary for the CCD Program at St. Margaret’s in Burlington and also worked on the weekly church bulletin. Lee & her husband were also members of the Mr. & Mrs. Club at St. Margaret’s. Lee and Charlie enjoyed traveling and after their retirement would spend their winters in Florida eventually settling in Ellenton Florida in 1992. She will be remembered as a warm and caring wife, mother, grandmother & great grandmother. Lee was the beloved wife of Charles J. Cavalier. She was the loving mother of Kathleen Wagner & her husband Bruce of North Yarmouth, ME, Stephen Cavalier & his wife Joan of Burlington, James Cavalier of Burlington, Christopher Cavalier & his wife Carol of Billerica. She was the sister of Louise Knight of Sun City, FL, Patricia O’Brien of Bradenton, FL, Maureen Foley of Westwood, Vincent Foley of East Bridgewater, Lucianne Bracchi of Stoughton, Sheila Foley of Williamsburg, VA ,the late Florence Wells, Margaret Robinson, Claire Rota, Joan McCarthy, Earl, Mary, Rita, Joseph, & John Foley. Lee was also deeply loved and survived by 8 grandchildren & 1 great grandchild. Funeral from the Edward V. Sullivan Funeral Home, 43 Winn St., (Exit 34 off Rt. 128, Woburn side) on Saturday, June 26 at 8:45 a.m. Followed by a Mass of Christian Burial in St. Theresa’s Church, 466 Boston Rd., Billerica at 10 a.m. Visiting hours Friday 1-3 & 6-8 p.m. Interment in Pine Haven Cemetery, Burlington. Memorials in Lee’s name may be made to The VNA of Middlesex East & Visiting Nurse Hospice, 607 North Ave., Suite 17, Wakefield, MA 01880. Remembering Grammy As Lee’s eight grandchildren and one great grandchild, we would like to share with all of you a little bit about our amazing grandmother. At first glance Grammy looked like the stereotypical grandmother. She enjoyed knitting and cross-stitch. She loved crossword puzzles. She would wear one of those clear pieces of plastic over her hair when it rained and she wasn’t a stranger to very colorful holiday sweaters. But, to us she was anything but typical. We were fortunate to have a grandmother who found joy in being present and active in our lives. She was there cheering us on during sporting events (basketball, swimming, hockey, volleyball, football, etc.) and other extracurricular activities (recitals, plays, reports and coin collecting). She and Gramps took us on special trips to the White Mountains, amusement parks, museums and the beach. She made sure that each of us had special moments with her; moments that would be unforgettable and uniquely ours. She played games with us like Dominos and Uno. She even would play games she didn’t necessarily enjoy like Operation. We loved to play that game with Grammy because she would scream every time the buzzer went off. You should have seen her jump when she failed to remove that bone! For us girls, there were the countless tea parties she would arrange for us “ladies”, hours of playing with dolls, letting us comb and put curlers in her hair, and playing dress up with her jewelry. And since those activities never quite appealed to the boys there were always video games, action figures to play with and books to read. The boys also could count on her to lecture them on how to properly clean a “dirty little boy”, wash their hands, stop biting their nails, and to keep their fingers out of their noses. But above all, she taught us with her words and actions what the important things in life are; Faith. Her devotion to the church and her love for God affected all of us so greatly. We all have memories of going to church with her and of course playing with those glow-in-the dark rosary beads next to her bed. Family. We all loved hearing her tell us stories about growing up with all of those brothers and sisters! We learned how important those relationships are. And most importantly there is “Grammy and Gramps”, to us, this is one word, one person. Their love for one another and their commitment to each other was so amazing to see. It is because of that love that all of us are here today. Love. Sometimes it was the little things; like being there to let us in when we forgot our keys or making us breakfast before school. But always it was her hugs and kisses, her caring touch, her genuine interest and devotion to us and our lives that showed us what love really is. We will miss our Grammy, but her lessons and her love will be with us always. Melissa, Nicole, Brendan, Lauren, Adam, Bryan, Colleen, Meghan & Jillian Family Remembrance- Chris Cavalier What I know On behalf of my Father, my sister and my brothers, I would like to thank everyone for joining us today as we celebrate my mother’s life. I have known my mother for 48 years, longer than I have ever known anyone. I want to share what I know about my mother. I know Mom hated to throw things away. I’m not talking about baby teeth and keepsakes. Everyone saves that stuff, but did she have to save the spoon she broke when she hit Stephen with it? I mean we still have the case to the 1960 Presto portable bonnet hair dryer, not the hair dryer, just the case.I always knew when she wasn’t quite thrilled with something you were planning and she gave the patented Foley “OH”. Not quite discouraging but certainly not a seal of approval. She was subtle that way. Actually she would be a bit more direct when it came to Dad’s wardrobe selections. “You’re not planning on wearing that?” Of course the classic subtly was reserved for when Kathy would be going out for the evening and Mom would always say, “Kathy, be a lady!” Sometimes it was clear to everyone what she thought, one look at her face and we all knew there was no way Jamie was keeping the giant snapping turtle he had just caught and dragged home. As we shared our stories and went thru pictures the last few days, I began to realize how little I do know about her. You see I only know her from the perspective of the baby of the family. I never knew her as a neighbor, or a co-worker or a friend. I never knew her as sister, or an aunt or a grandmother. I never knew her the way the only daughter knows her, or as the oldest and middle sons know their mother. I never knew her as a husband knows his wife. But what I do know is that my mother loved. I know she loved her sisters and brothers. They were a support to her she could always count on. She loved her countless nieces and nephews. Countless is the key word in that sentence. Mom loved her friends and knew how special and precious good friends are. I know she taught that to all of us. I know she adored her grandchildren and great grandchild. They brought joy and happiness to her. They made her feel young. I know she loved her children. Mom never stopped worrying about us, never stopped praying for us. All she wanted was for us to be happy. I know for certain Mom loved, cherished and was completely devoted to Dad. You are and always will be her prince. I also know she loved her faith. She relied on her faith to help her thru the difficult times in her life. She also relied on it to revel in the joyful times. Mom lived her life with a faith in the Lord that was unwavering. It is because of this faith, that I know she is with him now, watching over us, breathing easily again, and continuing to love us.