Joan Quinn's Eulogy October 1 2001 St Anthony's Shrine By "Pete" Beckerle If you've never seen a grown man cry, stand by ---today's the day! Bear with me and I'll try to whistle through. The dictionary says a eulogy is a speech of praise for someone who recently died. In most cases I guess the speaker would accentuate the positive and eliminate the negative. So in the interest of bevity, I figured I would eliminate referring to the bad things that Joan was responsible for in her lifetime. Then, as I thought about it---there were no negatives (so much for brevity). Joan had the inique quality of taking the glomiest situation and finding something positive about it. My first memories of Joan were whenI was a little kid and she was a patient at New York Rehab Hospital (the faqility we now know as Helen Hayes Hospital). The dreadful disease of infantile paralysis had stricken her. Her leg was withered --- her arm was held out and upright in a brace. She stayed in the hospital for over 2 years. I remember Governor Lehman came down from Albany and presided at her graduation from the elementary school there. Freshman year of High School was also spent in the hospital. During her sophomore year she was able to transfer to Spring Valley High School. Those few years had to be very tough --- and yet my memory was of her smiling and her cheerfulness and her twinkling eyes. I believe her Girl Scout companions used to call her "Twinkle". Those years as a young girl must have played a big part in forging Joan's unwavering spirit. e ara ALL som fortunate to have been a part of her life. Oh yes --- one negative comes to mind --- as a sister she was a very tough act to follow! Spring Valley High School teachers could not understand how I could have been raised in the same family as my sisters and not have at least some of their good traits. But once I got over that I was very proud and very lucky to have her call me "Brother". That was before the name "Pete" emerged. Then came college at Mount saint Vincent with daisy chains and gold and white celebrations. And World War II with tragedy and devastation. And VE and VJ days with victory and jubilation. Meanwhile, Jerry Quinn had been driving a tank for General Patton chasing the Axis forces out of Africa and Italy. After his discharge from the army Jerry met Joan on a blind date arranged by their mutual friend Father Singleton. And as they say --- the rest is history. In May 1948 Joan and Jerry were married at Saint Joseph's in Spring Valley with our Mom's cousin Bishop McEntegart celebrating the nuptial Mass. These two members of Tom Brockaw's "Greatest Generation" then proceeded to help start the next generation. Their marriage was blessed with ten children --- I can't say enough about those wonderful, loving sons and daughters --- and their spouses. And the grandchildren --- 23! Wow! How rightfully proud Joan was of each and every one of them. How lucky they are to have been a part of her life. And Jerry's family --- Pop Quinn --- Jery's brothers and sisters --- a multitude of nieces and nephews and cousins. They welcomed Joan and introduced her to their beautiful Irish heritage (even though it did sweem to further dilute our Germanic Teutonic bloodlines! -- Ach du lieber!) And her friends - from Spring Valley - from Mount Saint Vincent College --- from Catholic Charities --- from Saint Anthony's here in Nanuet --- from Saint Augustine's in New City -- from all over Rockland County and the surrounding area - from Elizabeth seton parish in Florida --- from Palm Coast --- from everywhere. Like the song says --- "Everwhere she goes --- sunshine followed her". If you met Joan, you became her friend and she remembered you. How lucky they are to have known Joan. The terrible tragedy that took place on September 11th robbed thousands of the intimacy of a deathbed and the final closure concerning the death of loved ones. How fortunate we are to have been able to say fare well Joan. The sight of her children singing gently, praying softly and whispering their good byes to her is etched in my mind forever. A thin smile and a slight twinkle still in her eyes. They told her it was OK to go. If there is such a thing as a beautiful death --- this was it. Even though we were reluctant to let her leave - Joan was ready to go. How lucky we were to be with her at that time. so --- Joan, who was so loyal to the college of Mount Saint Vincent --- who did here internship for her Master's Degree at Saint Vincent's Hospital, died on September 27th --- the feast day of Saint Vincent De Paul. I'm sure she took the express to what we call heaven. The good news is that we now have a real close connection with the Boss. No way He couldresist that smile, that cheerfulness, those twinkling eyes. So - she is looking at us right now --- She must be delighted to see all you folks and to have been the subject of so many prayers. And she's probably a little embarrassed at all the nice things that have been thought and said about her. I'm also sure that she is especially pleased to see all her children, the grandchildren and so many nieces and nephews at Mass today. How lucky they are to have her praying for them. A little story that kind of sums it up: About 2 weeks ago while I was at the lumberyard about 5:30pm; I answered the phone. A women was looking for her granddaughter who worked with us. I explained that we had closed at 5:00pm and that she was gone. The lady asked if I was a Beckerle and then went on to tell me she had gone to Spring Valley High School with Joan Beckerle back in 1940. Yes --- Joan is my sister. Then she said --- Joan was not only the prettiest --- She was the nicest person you would ever want to meet. I had trouble repeating that story then --- just like I'm having trouble now. What a wonderful life! What a wonderful death! We all are very, very lucky to have know Joasn Marie Quinn (Nee Beckerle). Thank you. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------