"Happiest Memories on Earth"

In Honor of My Mom

My family will be going to Disneyland this Saturday in honor of my mom. It is a place where we hold "the happiest memories on earth" with her...

Put to Rest

Disneyland, "The Happiest Place on Earth"... yet now my mom is in the Happiest Place... HEAVEN

Friends Forever... the FBC's last group picture

Eulogy

By Kathy Jablonski

Everyone that has ever met Marleen will smile when they hear her name.

I met Marleen in first grade at Mary Star of the Sea Elementary School in San Pedro. We quickly became friends with Phyllis D’Ambra and Kathy Brock. We continued with that friendship all the way through elementary school. There was only one Catholic girl’s high school in San Pedro and so we met our new friends Donna Hirn, Claudia Calandrino, Rose Mary Franklin, Corozon Barnett, and Annette Sickatich. We had many adventures in high school, but I am not going to talk about those adventures today. Just know that we had wonderful high school years.

We got busy getting our first two years of college out of the way and then we moved to San Jose to finish college. We all had full time jobs and took as many classes as we could get. These were the years that the servicemen were returning from Vietnam. Marleen wrote her own major at San Jose and it was a new idea at the time.

Marleen was meant to teach special education. Her first love was her family, but her second love was teaching. She had a lot of insight on what was important to teach. Donna and I would come home from work or school and the phone would ring. When we answered it there was just heavy breathing at the other end. Was it a stalker? No, it was one of Marleen’s special education students learning to use a phone for the first time.

When we graduated we went our separate ways for the first time. Marleen joined the peace corp, learned to speak Arabic and went to Morocco to teach classes for the Moroccan children.

When Marleen returned from the peace corp she decided to come to Susanville to figure out what she wanted to do with the rest of her life. She met my next door neighbor, the very handsome and recently returned from Vietnam vet, Joe Golonsky. About the same time I met someone in Susanville that I was really serious about, Tom Jablonski. We both got married in 1976 about five weeks apart. Do you know how much confusion there is in a small town when we changed our names from Marincovich and Schafer to Golonsky and Jablonski?

After Marleen and Joe’s oldest daughter, Dawn, was born, they moved to Lindsay where they had Matt, Andrew, Laura, and Ben. They would make the trip back to Susanville whenever they could because Joe’s dad still lived there.

When our children got a little older, we girls planned different trips over long weekends to different places but mostly to San Francisco, Corozon’s home. We loved getting together in San Francisco, but we could have gotten together anywhere and enjoyed each other’s company. We shared happy and sad stories about our families and loved ones. We spent most of the time catching up on each other’s lives.

About this same time, Marleen went back to work and decorated every corner of her classroom in bright colors, pictures, and beautiful quilts she had collected. She loved teaching and each of her students was very special to her.

One of the greatest pleasures in Marleen’s life was her grandchildren. She has six beautiful grandchildren, Elijah, Matthew, Kaleb, Madison, Mason, and Selah and another beautiful grandchild, Emily Marleen on the way.

Marleen leaves behind her parents Andrew and Matilda Marincovich, her two sisters Andrea and Debbie and many nieces and nephews. Other special people in her family are Mireya, who helped care for her in the last few moments of her life, Hector, Ida, Matt-Matt, and Hailey.

Her beloved Joe and her children would like to thank you for coming and for your support throughout her illness.

We know you are still Marleen and you will be forever in our hearts. We look forward to seeing you in heaven.

Next Time it's Forever!!! We LOVE you Mom!!!

Marleen Marincovich Golonsky returned to her home in Heaven on February 7, 2010 after a courageous battle with cancer. She was born in San Pedro, California on November 6, 1947 and married her wonderful husband Joseph, on November 5, 1976. They have five children, Dawn, Matthew, Andrew, Laura and Benjamin, and 6 grandchildren, Elijah, Matthew, Kaleb, Madison, Selah, and Mason. A new granddaughter, Emily Marleen, will be arriving in April. Marleen also leaves behind her parents, Andrew and Matilda Marincovich of Long Beach, her sisters Andrea and Debbie and their families. She accomplished many things during her time with us. While in the Peace Corps, she learned the Arabic language and established a school for children in a remote area of Morocco. Marleen went on to become a Special Education Teacher for the Tulare County Schools and was awarded "Teacher of the Year, 2009". But of all her achievements, she was most proud of her loving family.

She will be missed by all who had the privilege to know her: family, friends, coworkers, and students. Because she touched our lives, she will live on through our many memories of her. A Funeral mass will be held at the St. Anne’s Catholic Church in Porterville, California on Feburary 12, 2010 at 11:00am. Following the service, she will be put to rest with her beloved Nicko and Jonathon at the Porterville cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be sent to Dawn Golonsky who will forward the charitable contributions. Her address is P.O. Box 1413, Avalon, Calif. 90704.

True Love

As I sit here... and listen to my family members snore... I know my mom gave me the world and more... She and my dad have shown me TRUE LOVE! Through thick and thin... they couldn't love us more! As a child, I didn't know parents had disagreements... Side-by-side my parents always walked... and now as they lay in bed together I just can't imagine them apart...! I love you, Mom and Dadeo!

Mom, you taught me to be the "mommy" to the world... "See you later alligator." and as you always said back "after awhile crocodile."

Next time, it's forever!

"I Love My Girls Forever and for Always...

           my babies they will always be..."

Asking for her Mom and Dad

No matter, how old we get... we some how always want our mom and dad. Lately, my mom has been asking for her mom and dad. They will be coming...

A Very Special Poem

After a rough morning and a visit from Lisa, my mom's home health aide, my mom got to enjoyed some visitors... Christian read a very special poem that my mom loved! And ice cream with brownies were shared.

Thank you Mary Ann!

Visitors

My mom had a restful morning to build her energy for her many visitors that keep her going. She loved seeing everyone, since she was unable to get out for dinner.

A Day of Rest

Today my mom was very tired and rested for most of the day. Tomorrow she hopes it will be a better day, since some co-workers would like to take her out to dinner. However, the reality is that she will have to see what tomorrow brings... her energy hasn't been the greatest and her breath has been shallow; making it really hard for her to do much of anything...,yet she will be getting an oxygen tank soon, which should help.

Meds.

Today, my mom's nurse checked-in on her and had her meds. increased to help with my mom's pain management. Although, this will cause my mom to be a bit more sleepy... it will hopefully hope her feel less pain. (We love you, Mom!)