Good evening. For those of you that don’t know me, my name is Bobby Cody and I am Jackie’s great-nephew. On behalf of my family, I want to thank you all for coming to this mass to celebrate the life of my Auntie Jackie.
My Auntie Jackie was a cheerful, fun-loving woman. She always had a smile on her face and could light up any room she walked into. She had a heart of gold, and always knew the right thing to say to put someone in a good mood. We are here today, not to mourn her death, but to celebrate her life and that we were all lucky enough to have known such a wonderful person during her life.
Auntie Jackie was born in Lowell and lived here all her life. She was in the naval reserves for 4 years and then went on to work at Courier Citizen for over 35 years before she retired. After retirement, Auntie Jackie volunteered for many years at Saints Medical Center. She was the mayor over at Saints meaning she knew everyone and everyone knew her.
In all her time, Auntie Jackie never had a driver’s license. She would walk everywhere. And I do mean everywhere. Auntie Jackie probably walked more miles than I’ll ever drive in my life. Many of you have had the same experience as I have where you would be driving through downtown and there was Auntie Jackie on her way back to Rogers Hall. I’d roll down my window and yell, “Hey lady, you want ride?” She’d look over with a stern glare, until she realized who it was which would bring out her smile and that laugh we all know. Sometimes she’d take the ride home, other times she’d decline, content with walking the rest of the way on a gorgeous day.
There are two memories that stand out most when I think of Auntie Jackie. The first were her answering machine messages. I used to love calling up and seeing what the latest message was. Sometimes I was upset when she actually picked up the phone! Just kidding. She was always so witty on the recording before she told you to leave the message at the beep.
The other thing I’ll always remember about Auntie Jackie were the cards. She always sent a card for birthdays, holidays, and special occasions. Christmas, Easter, 4th of July, Thanksgiving, graduations. I’m pretty sure she singlehandedly kept Hallmark in business for years. And the birthday cards always came exactly on your birthday. I’ll never knew how she did that. I’m pretty sure she slipped the mailman a $20 to make sure it was delivered on the right date. The card normally had a few dollars and a scratch ticket in it, but the best part was whatever she wrote to you in her perfect penmanship. The cards were always funny with some sort of joke or pun, but they were perfect because you knew she took the time to pick out the right one just for you.
She was one of the kindest people I have ever known, and was always there if you needed her. I’ll miss the Christmas Eve dinners, lunch dates at Elliot’s, and the phone calls just to shoot the breeze and catch up on things. I’m so lucky to have had such a wonderful soul in my life for so many years. She blessed me and I’m sure you as well with so many great memories. She may be gone in body, but her spirit lives on with us.