MY SISTER, ROBERTA'S PASSING AWAY 4-3-2022

 

Dear Family and Friends,

With sadness in my heart and grief filling my soul, I tell you now of the passing away of my precious sister, Roberta Marquis.

My sister, Roberta, passed away on Friday night, April 1, 2022 with our family at her bedside, at the hospital.

The reality and finality of this tragic and personal event hasn’t fully hit me yet.

I was with my sister, Roberta, at her bedside, in the hospital.

I held my sister’s hand tightly from the time I arrived at the hospital until she drew her last breath, and after.

My family was there as well. My sisters, my brother, her children and other family were faithfully at Roberta’s bedside. Some of us stayed until the end and well after.

My sister, Roberta, was a woman of strength, courage and faith.

Roberta believed in the promises of God and with love and joy in her heart, accepted Jesus as her Savior,

Roberta loved her husband, Doug, and was devastated when he died just a few weeks ago.

My sister loved her family and her friends so, so much!

Roberta was grateful for her doctors, nurses and her other medical professionals for their care and treatment and, also, for their devotion and compassion, as she fought this horrific Lung Cancer.

Roberta loved her family, her sisters, including me, Evelyn, our brother and all of her children, with a love that was genuine, true and sincere. Roberta also sacrificed for her family, asking for nothing in return.

My sister, Roberta was a woman of faith, a genuine faith in God, in which she practiced with boldness, courage, love and with a never relenting spirit.

My sister, Roberta, was a true example of a life well lived, a life filled with an abundance of love toward family, friends and many, many other humans.

Roberta was a role model of a life complete with love, sacrifice, faith, bravery, gratitude and devotion!

As a believer in God and her total acceptance as Jesus as her Savior, my sister’s faith and her love was displayed in every aspect of how she lived her life.

Roberta knew that accepting Jesus would not make her life easier, especially fighting Stage 4 Lung Cancer.

Knowing this all too well, Roberta fought a good battle, and she fought it with grace, never losing sight of Jesus, while still loving others, especially those closest to her.

I can imagine my sister now, dancing through the gates of Heaven and running into the open Arms of Jesus.

Holding tight to the hand of my sister at her bedside, on the night of her passing, I felt her squeeze my hand 2 times.

I remember on that fateful night, I couldn’t think of any scripture to say to her. This is from me, Evelyn, who knows scripture well.

So, I did what seemed natural to me. I, Evelyn, who can’t carry a tune, sang a few of my favorite Christian hymns.

The words of “In The Garden”, “A Friend In Jesus”, “How Great Thou Art” and other hymns bellowed out of me, me, who was never was told I had any talent for singing. I knew singing to my sister was the right thing to do at that moment and, to me, it made perfect sense.

Though my sister was unconscious that entire time of the last visit with her, of her final night on Earth, it gave me comfort, in the deep sadness I carry, that my sister squeezing my hand, was all the evidence I needed that she heard me sing to her and talk to her.

As I carry on with my life, sadness, sorrow and grief have become familiar friends in these past few years.

Now, as I pick up my life and attempt to put the pieces back together, I scramble to fit these broken pieces of my life in place.

“Really”, I think to myself, how can I possibly fit all these broken and scattered pieces of my life in where they should be when nothing is as it should be?

I then approach the Throne of Grace, with excruciating pain, unbearable sadness and immeasurable grief, begging my Lord for me to be whole, to feel better.

As a soft voice fills my soul, it tells me that I’m right where I should be.

Though I’m so, so sad, I begin again to pick up those pieces of my life.

I know my life will never be free from pain, sorrow grief and other difficulties.

I also know I can feel joy, love and peace again.

As I walk this journey of my life, I know Jesus walks with me and even carries me in those painful moments when I think I can’t go on!

I’ll know I will be okay because I know Jesus walks with me.

God’s speed, my dear sister! I will always love you, Roberta, to the moon and back!

Love, a sad, sorrowful and grieving,

Evelyn Pinto

April 3, 2022