Margaret G. Klein - October 15th, 1954-March 28th, 2016
St Clare of Montefalco Catholic Church 1401 Whittier Road
Grosse Pointe Park, MI 48230 - April 4th, 2016

Thank you for being here with us today to remember Peggy. Peggy was my sun. I liked to just look at her. At work I would go out of my way to walk where she was working, just to look. Not even for her to see me or to say hello, but just to see her. There are many words that belong to Peggy: Kind, Warm, Beautiful, Devoted, Mother, Wife, Daughter, Maggie, Lovely, Fun, Intelligent, Pretty, Nurse, Compassionate, Bright. 

Words by Michael Klein

The last few days have been extremely hard for my family and I, a lot of different thoughts and emotions. And it's so difficult to try to put things into words. That's why I've asked my cousin Mike to stand with me today. I'm going to try to say a few words about my Mom, but if I become too emotional Mike will carry on for me. 

First, I want to thank you all for your support. It's a real comfort to look out and see so many familiar faces, from near and far who loved Peggy. It means a lot to have you hear. 

My Mother was a beautiful person, inside and out. She was born and raised in Detroit, in the loving home of George and Delores Sharpe with her brothers Pat and Michael, her sisters Susie and Carolyn, and an exceptional extended family of Grandparents, Aunts, Uncles and Cousins. She always talked about her childhood as if it were a magical world or constant fun and unending love, where she wanted for nothing - a world that my Grandpa and Grandma worked very hard to make for her. In particular, I remember her talking about all the great vacations they took to Camp Dearborn, Strawberry Lake, Washington D.C, and beyond. And she especially loved her Aunt Millie's cottage. She always talked with such excitement about her summers there with family and friends. And she felt the same about much of her childhood. She had only the happiest memories of her family: playing with her brothers and sisters, going out on Grandpa's boat, going to every Detroit sporting event imaginable, going to some amazing concerts - including the Beatles and having lots of pets around the house. Even the jobs she had at Tri Daily and Dearborn Sausage, she spoke about with happiness. 

After High school, she went to nursing school at Henry Ford Community College and then to work at Children's Hospital, where, by all accounts, she was a phenomenal nurse: Skilful, diligent, and caring. I can't tell you how many times my Dad has told me how much my Mom's kind way of treating patients, of truly caring for them as people, influenced him and made him a better doctor. And while I never got to see her in action as a nurse, I know how true all of this is from how she took care of me and my sister...

And my Dad. Who was the love of her life. He always said she had an amazing inner light that was revealed by a smile, or a word, or a glint in her eye. That she could brighten a day with a glance. And she loved him in such a beautiful way when we were growing up. She was like a teenager in love, looking at him longingly, tickling him, planning outings and trips with him, gently making fun of him, and doing everything she could to provide him comfort and support. 

It was her children, though, my sister Elizabeth and I, who were the center of her life. As I was thinking about what to say today, I made a list of all the things she did for us and, if I read that list, we'd all be here forever. So let me just mention a few things: homemade lunches, fun packs for long car trips, birthdays on Belle Isle, endless car trips to hockey, soccer, and softball games, fabulous meals accommodating all of our picky tastes, and lorts and lots of detailed vacation planning. 

Bu what I really remember about my Mom growing up is how fun she was. How she would let us get as muddy as we wanted. How she let me grow my hair long. How, instead of telling me that I couldn't skateboard, she had my dad build me a skateboard ramp in the backyard. How she would play basketball and badminton with us in the backyard for hours and laugh with us about the weirdest and most imaginative things. How she would let my sister take days off of school once in a while so that they could go to Sanders and eat hot fudge sundaes, not for dessert but for lunch, something i'm sure she got from my grandpa. And how she would make my dad loosen up and dance...

I don't know. This part could go on for a long time... What I really want to say, though, is that my mom is exactly the sort of person I would want to be friends with. She was humble, humorous, imaginative and always willing to try something new. 
Later in life, my mom found a lot of joy in music, travel and football, in addition to her family. She would always call me to tell me about some new band she had heard on the Canadian radio station and she was always eager to hear about what I was into. 

She and my dad travelled so much, and to hear her recount these trips was fabulous. She spoke with so much excitement about what they had eaten, what they had seen, what they had done, and what funny predicament my dad had gotten into. She was always looking forward to the next destination and she always made sure to invite my sister and I along. 

She also loved the Lions. Those pesky Detroit Lions. She loved going to the games with my Grandpa and her brother mike. And when she didn't, she would watch on TV, even if he was out of town. Sometimes I forgot it was Sunday until I received a midday call from my mom singing ''Forward down the field'' in a giddy voice. 

God there's so much more to say. You can never really put it all into words and I'm struggling right now. So let me end by mentioning three things about her that have made me, my family and the world a better place:

Empathy: This was evident in her nursing and the support she gave to family and friends in times of need. But it was also evident in her dealings with strangers. She would always make sure that my sister and I befriended the new kids in class. She would handout food to homeless people on the way to work. She would collect paper shreddings and drive them to the humane society so that the animals would have a soft place to sleep. And whenever I made a judgmental comment about someone, she would remind me of their good qualities, and say that since you never really know what's going on in someone's life you should give them the benefit of the doubt and be kind. 

Adventure: My mom was not the sort of person who sat around and watched TV. Instead, she wanted to do something. And we did a lot of stuff. She would take us downtown: to the DIA, the Heidelberg Project, the Science Museum, or just to ride the People Mover. She would take us to different parks and lead us on hiked and bike rides. She would come up with elaborate art projects and take us swimming or to the library. Later, she and my dad, if they weren't in some new country, would spend their weekends biking on Belle Isle, going to Eastern Market, trying new restaurants and more. Life was never boring with my mom. She wanted to do so much. And each day brought endless possibilities and new discoveries. 

And finally, Wonder: My mom had what I like to describe as a childlike sense of wonder. She could find beauty in anything, and would marvel at the smallest details of life, from the plants in her garden, to the unique way a dog walked, to how the changing light made the water look different. And she wanted others to see this beauty, too. Isn't it neat, she would say. or, look how pretty... I might not have noticed if it weren't for her. She made the world come alive for me. She turned the ordinary into the extraordinary. 

Empathy, Adventure, and Wonder: These are all qualities I see in myself, my sister and my dad and many others here. The best ones. They are qualities my mom gave to us. And we are all much better for it. I love you, Mom. 

Eulogy of Andrew Klein