Renee Rudnick: 1928 - 2008

[alexr_rwx]

So yesterday afternoon, I got back from my trip to South Florida. I'd been at my dad's mother's funeral. She passed away this past Tuesday night; the funeral was on Friday.

Renee Rudnick, she was a really hip lady. She loved people; she loved her family. She loved the ocean, and the beach, and the sun. She loved the arts -- especially opera and modern art. Her house was full of prints of awesome strange things, and in her kitchen there was, of all things, a needlepoint version of a Klee painting. She played a whole lot of bridge. She loved to travel. She spent nearly a decade (the 80s), taking care of her husband after his debilitating stroke. Then she took care of her mother (another hip lady) until the middle of this decade. She told me she understood Yiddish -- her parents probably spoke it. And yes, she always wanted to feed you. (would you like some nice cut-up fruit? Oh, and there's nice challah from the deli!)

A year and a half ago, we thought she was going to die for sure. The lung cancer had been in remission for some time, and she crashed pretty hard in the summer of 2007. But she recovered, and was back up walking for a time. For her 80th birthday (July 3 2008) we went out to the beach, and had drinks by the pool. (and cookies.)

By this Thanksgiving, her health was slipping pretty quickly, but she got to meet JoJo, her first great-grandchild.

I think we can count her as having won.

Comments

[msbeanhead.livejournal.com]

Sounds like she had a full life. I think that's how I now feel about my grandfathers' passings these past few years.

[(Anonymous)]

Sorry to hear about your grandmother Alex, we do hope that shes in a better place now.

-Sonali

[deepdistraction.livejournal.com]

I wish I had known her. I'm sorry she has left us, but glad you have so many good memories. Thank you for remembering her to us.

[lindseykuper]

I got to meet Renee (everyone in the family, Renee included, has always pronounced her name "ree-knee") on her birthday in July. Alex told me about how long she'd spent taking care of her husband and her mother, and how wonderful it was to see her just relaxing. We sat by the pool and had mojitos and chocolate-chip cookies (which Alex and I made (the cookies, not the mojitos)), and I think it may have been the high point of her 2008. It was certainly a high point of mine.

[gtv42.livejournal.com]

An internet toast: May we all be so lucky.

My condolences.