Thank you very much for stopping by to say hello -- and good bye. I know my Mom would have appreciated you taking time out to leave a message. As you know, Marilyn was truly a one-of-a-kind person. She was just as comfortable walking barefoot to the brook in our ancestral homeland of Vermont -- as she was at a professional nursing facility managing her staff as a registered nurse. That is the thing. On one level, she was really a carefree country girl, happy just to sit in the sun and read one of her million mystery novels. On the other hand, she was a city girl, able to build a long career and a magnificent home with the love of her life, J.J. Rielly. What is one manifestation of that that city boy/country girl partnership? All four of their children graduated from college -- Tim, Mike (that's me), Tom and Kay -- with no loan debt. She was very, very proud of that, and she should be. It was an amazing gift. Some may think that not having some sort of official service is more than a bit unconventional. And it may well be. But what I believe is this -- it was another magnificent gift to all of us. I think she would be thrilled if you took the time that you would have spent going through some sort of preset schedule of events -- and used it to do something nice for a loved one. Maybe you have been meaning to pick up a gift for a spouse. Maybe a child needs a little extra practice -- or you just want to go out for dinner as a family. She would be honored if you used the time she has given us for something like that! Marilyn was quite the "foodie" -- before they even invented that name. She loved simple and wonderful foods like tomatoes just picked that day -- mayo, tomato, little salt, on toast. Awesome! She loved her fresh corn, picked that day. She loved the recipes of the Ukraine, which we would turn out in alarming proportions way back in the day at my Grandmother's home in Vermont. With Marilyn, J.J., and the kids - Tim & Sue, Mike, Tom & Liliana, Kay, Bobby Murray (a family friend), and Sally (our dog) -- and Dick Josselyn (her brother) and his wife Marion and their kids Pete, Dave, Joe, Matt and Angela (and their dog Nipper) -- plus the California contingent of her little Brother Max, his wife Sue, and the fruit of their love Anya and Basil -- and of course Gramma K, Grandpa D, and the Matriarch of the family, Big Gram, and anyone else who happened to be in the neighborhood -- every dinner was cooked for at least 25. 26? No problem! And the food! Holupchi (forgive my spelling) -- cabbage stuffed with hamburger and rice -- pitahia -- HUGE potato dumplings (think gnocchi on steroids) -- with a schmitonkah (a white sauce of sour cream and cottage cheesebuttermilk too?) -- with rubenskiah (onions drowned in butter in 20 lb black frying pan) -- and -- well -- you get the picture. We had amazing summers -- and even more amazing holiday seasons up there. Don't even get me started on Easter! Try about 100 lbs of meat on a table at 7 a.m. Wow! But then, true to her form, Marilyn could come back to the city, and put on her businesswoman hat. The empire she shrewdly built with J.J. encompassed something on the order of 30 apartments at one time. All that, in addition to four kids, a giant house, working 11 p.m-7 a.m -- and sending as much love and care as she could to her peeps up in Vermont. So while Marilyn loved to keep things simple on some levels -- she could go in and negotiate real estate deals with the best of them. Then, she could delight Dick and Marion Josselyn's grandkids (who are now having kids of their own) with simple gifts of magic tricks. She loved all the little ones! She also loved J.J.'s HUGE extended Irish family -- so big we would have to rent a hall for a Christmas Party for the "Cousin's Club." Funny how Santa always smelled like beer. Gosh, to tell the stories of J.J.'s side would take a few gigabytes!!! Please feel free to add in a few! J.J. knew the city like the back of his hand. I remember we would go over to Haymarket Square as a family, and haggle for the freshest fruit and vegetables in the city. Then, get a couple of Capone's HUGE pizzas to go and eat them on the back of the truck over at the Flower Exchange on the way home. Pizza never tasted so good! One simple pleasure I KNOW that made her bounce around with joy like a little kid was the Christmas tree that Uncle Joss (her bro) would scout out for her and hand cut every year. When that little piece of Vermont came into the cavernous front room at Roanoke, her smile was ear to ear! I was fortunate enough to spend some quality time with Mahhhhh (as I called her) recently, and she was the same as she ever was. Smart. Funny. Sharp. And hungry! And she LOVED to talk about the old times. I made her some eggplant parm, and she tried it and said, "It melts in your mouth, but it's no Eggplant Marilyn!" We both laughed because she was referring to her specialty -- two pans of eggplant parm that weighed about 20 lbs each. It was just about everyone's answer when she said "So what do you want for your birthday?" As we reminisced, I suddenly realized something. I said, "Hey Ma, did you ever notice, we never threw away ONE OUNCE of Eggplant Marilyn? I mean NEVER. You know how you make a big dish, and some goes bad before you can use it? It never happened ONCE with your eggplant!" We both laughed and laughed -- because it was true. When I told my sister Kate about it, she chimed in "Not only that, but then you scrape the cheese off the side of the pan." I replied "That was the best part." I am sure you all have your own remembrances of Marilyn Rielly -- uncomplicated country girl, talented nurse, sophisticated business woman, wonderful friend, loving Mom and so much more. Please feel free to add to the tapestry here. She would love that you took a moment to share a word or two about the time you spent with her. As you know, she loved a good story. All I can say is, she was quite a woman. And I just can't end without one more quick story. As my Uncle Joss hung over the edge of our above-ground pool one hot summer many years ago up in Vermont, my mom snuck up behind him and grabbed him by the legs, did a squat like a weight lifter, and there goes Joss, ass over teakettle into the pool! You never saw a woman move so fast -- I had no idea she could -- as she booked it up to the house. Joss was barely starting to wipe the water out of his eyes -- and out of his wallet -- and she hidden away. We laughed about that all summer -- for years after -- and we still do. My mother was a modest person who valued money but was willing to share. After J.J. passed away, she finally gave in and agreed to fly to Las Vegas, her first plane trip. She was a little concerned when we told her she had to lean forward during takeoffs! All the way there she vowed to limit herself to the 1 cent, nickel and dime slot machines. We knew we were in trouble when we left her on her own at 9:00 pm and didn't hear from her until her hotel room door closed at 3:00 am the next morning. We met up with her for breakfast where she showed us a can of quarters, half and dollar coins. The quarterly trips to the Indians casino started shortly after. Sue was her chauffer and confidant on the trips but wasn't allowed to site next to her because anyone on the next slot machine "brought bad luck". The trips always ended with a trip to the Galway or 3D's on Center Street for an exorbitant dinner of cheese sandwiches and fries, burgers and the occasional toasted almond. TR Liliana was an extraordinary addition to our family and became another daughter to my mother. We would talk on the phone weekly and she would tell me of the new Spanish phrases/words that she had learned from her. The last was the "jougerts", which mom immediately understood but confused me completely. Mom became the art critic for many of Liliana's works and she spent many calls describing to me the signs, t-shirts and artwork that Liliana had been working on. TR And we are all that much the better for having known her. For more information, please see her official Notice below -- some of you may have missed it in the paper. In lieu of cards or flowers, if you would like to do something for Marilyn, please consider a gift to MSPCA/Angell in Jamaica Plain ( www.mspca.org). That is her all over. Giving to the end, and beyond. In loving memory for me and for all those who knew her and loved her, Michael J. Rielly This is the sort of thing Mom loved -- just sitting down with some great food, and telling stories. Please feel to leave your favorite story for all of us to share and enjoy and thanks - Tim Rielly