A Reflection for Mammy

Yesterday, at my grandma's memorial service, I had to opportunity share a few  words about my sweet Mammy. For those of you who didn't know her, this is just a brief glimpse of the incredible woman that she was...

I wanted to first thank you all for coming today to share in our sorrow, but also to share in our joy as we celebrate the life of my grandma. There are many ways that those of you gathered here this morning may have known her, but I am among the lucky 10 who had the privilege of knowing her as a grandma. Our sweet Mammy, whose name was coined by my cousin Kevin, loved each of us so well. It is no small thing to be a grandchild of Kay Billman. We learned a lot from our Mammy.

I am among the lucky 10 who had the privilege of knowing her as a grandma. Our sweet Mammy, whose name was coined by my cousin Kevin, loved each of us so well. It is no small thing to be a grandchild of Kay Billman. We learned a lot from our Mammy.

She taught us to “Stay committed”

Mammy was a devoted wife, mother, and grandmother for all of her life. She shaped and molded the character of three incredible adults and then went on to help do the same for her 10 grandchildren. I learned so much from watching the way that she cared for all of us. She made each visit with her special whether it was at her “Powell Rd” house, in Boca Grande, or at our beloved Quarry Island. She always made sure that Jack got his special heath bar birthday cake, that Ryan had his “chewies,” and that Patrick had lemon drops waiting for him at Quarry. I will always remember the way that she would let Betsy, Katie, and I sneak into her room early in the morning to have breakfast-in-bed with her and Papa, 3 tiny bodies tucked in between the covers munching on biscotti. Because of mammy, we each know what it looks like to truly care for a family.  

She taught us to “Never stop learning”

Mammy had a thirst for knowledge that I deeply admire and aspire to. Even after retirement, she just couldn’t sit still. She always had her mind or hands involved in a project like gardening an entire island’s worth of flowers at Quarry, sometimes enlisting the help of Molly and Emily. The image of her with a cup of coffee in one hand and a crossword puzzle in the other will forever be etched in my brain. Mam was always encouraging us to talk about what we were learning at school. Owen reminded us about how she would stay up late with him trying to figure out math problems. Even when he said he knew the answer, she always pressed him to do it one more time. That was Mammy, always encouraging us to work harder and learn more.

She taught us to “Be courageous”

In 1 Timothy 6:12, we are told to “fight the good fight,” and fight she did. Through her illness, Mammy surely demonstrated to us that she was a tenacious fighter. She went through such pain, and yet, each time one of us walked through the door, she would smile that sweet smile we will all remember so well. We are so honored to have witnessed such strength. Mammy can now say along with the author of 2 Timothy 4:7, “I have fought the good fight. I have finished the race. I have kept the faith.”

Maya Angelou described Mammy’s life well saying, “My mission in life is not merely to survive, but to thrive; and to do so with some passion, some compassion, some humor, and some style.” We are thankful to have been loved by a woman who lived her life this way. Thank you, Mammy; you’ve taught us well.