R.I.P. Marie DeSimone

Today, God opened his arms and took my dear cousin Marie home to his Kingdom. She was diagnosed 2 years ago with stage 4 colon cancer that had eventually spread throughout her entire body. Marie fought every step of the way and came back from countless rounds of chemotherapy and treatments.

However badly this family needed her, God must have needed her more because my cousin was a saint to walk the face of this earth. She was an amazing mother, wife, sister, daughter, cousin, and friend to all around her. The light that shined from within her made anyone in her presence feel loved and cherished. Marie's personality was one of humor, compassion and humility to which the world needed.

Her laugh was contagious and one of a kind. The mood around you didn't matter as long as you heard her laugh. She knew when you were upset and how to make it better. She knew when you needed laugh, and how to make you shine. She knew the way to your heart and for that, I can only feel joy and blessings that God graced her into this family.


Her son's Corey and Christopher had the pleasure of calling her Mom and having the type of mother that was not only a mother, but a friend. She was selfless and giving, and was that way until her dying days. The last time I was in New York and saw her was for Mothers day and I regret not being there more. But already, only hours after her death, I feel her. I feel her trying to comfort me and the rest of the family.

I pray that she has found her way to her father, my Uncle Sal and that they both watching and guiding our family through this time. The next few days will be trying, as a mother has lost her daughter, brothers and sisters have lost their rock, children have lost their beloved mother, a husband has lost his wife and a huge family has lost our Saint.

Although I am devastated at todays tragedy, I say thank you to Marie. Thank you for being the woman that you were. Thank you for always being there. Thank you for making me feel like I was your son when I was a child. Thank you for being the glue to this family. Thank you for never giving up when you had the strength.

Marie, I love you more than I can ever express in this blog, and not a day will go by when I will not think of you. Not a day will go by that I will not thank God for you being in my life. You are no longer in pain, you no longer need to fight. You have served your time here in a way that people strive 80 years to do. You lived a life of love, surrounded by love, surrounded by people that cared for you and that you cared for without expectation.

Rest In Peace Marie and worry not about us here. We will mourn your passing because you are gone too soon, but we will honor your life forever.

I Love You,

Joseph