Selena "Jane" Lee Jones (Verral)

[luvnmm]

Another angel has found her way home. Please see below written by her daughter. This was emailed to me on Facebook.

Selena "Jane" Lees Jones (Verral) was born October 30,1940 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada and Died June 3, 2010 in Rio Vista, California.

She worked all her life taking care of people first in Toronto at Sunnybrook Hospital then after raising 4 children for Kaiser Hospital in Walnut Creek California as a Hospice Volunteer for AIDS patients, DVAC (Diablo Valley Aids Center) packing up and delivering food and befriending those who society would so quickly push aside.
She was diagnosed first with Fahr's Syndrome (in the ALS family of diseases) in 2008 and then with ALS (formally) in 2010. She loved to travel, read (The Dalai Lama being one of her favourites) and learn as many things as she could. Most of all her grandchildren were her passion, Nana's Treasure's she called them. She left this world on her terms via her advanced directives. She reached out to as many with ALS as she could and inspires many with strength and courage including her family. She was rarely with out a smile and gleam in her eye. One of the things she put out on her computer in the weeks before she died, is how she was so sad that she won't be able to be a part of the grandchildren growing up to see them become the wonderful children she knows they will be and to make sure that they know how important a life of service is.

Oh, the pt's in Sunnybrook were the Inuit TB patients , she was also a 3rd generation member of the red cross both of those in Toronto...

Adrienne, the world will miss your mom.

 

[Valerie]

My deepest sympathies to Adrienne and the rest of her family.
What a lovely tribute to a woman of such strength and character.
May fond memories and much support bring her loved ones comfort in the days, weeks and months to come.

 

[Al]

My condolences to her family and friends.

AL.

 

[wanda brittle]

sorry for your lost .may the family be at peace.love wandaxoxoxo

 

[tdamess]

so sorry may she rest in peace and can see her grandchildren from where she is at

 

[BarryG]

She sure did her part to make the world a better place. My condolences to her friends and family for the loss of a remarkable woman. Thanks for letting us know Linda.

 

[sharona]

So sorry for the loss of your mother May she now rest in peace in God's arms.God Bless.
Sharon

 

[JeffP]

oh im so sorry to here this .it sounds like a wonderful person helping those in need she deffinately did her part to make the world a better place .may god comfort your family in this hard time in your lives godbless

 

[handinhand]

I am so sorry for another special lady has left us....she sounds like an angel here on this earth and I just bet she is an angel now...my deepest sympathy for her daughter and family..Linda

 

[Adrienne McLeod]

Thank you for all the love...she is missed every minute...this is the tribute I wrote and read at her service...I am fortunate...there are never enough good things I could say about my Mum...she truly is a great woman....

June 14th...

A couple of weeks ago, after Mum had decided that she was ready to go, I had a long talk with my Dad on the phone. He said that there was going to be this part in the service where people could talk and say what memories they had of Mum and what she meant to them. He said maybe if you think you can do it, you can write something.

The more I thought about what words I could use to say all that Mum meant to me, the fewer words there seemed to be. Then I thought, I don't know why I'm trying to write and I don't think I can do this anyway but, then I heard this voice in my heart and my soul that said, “I know you can do this even if it's hard, I have faith in you , I am proud of you, I believe in you and I love you.” And that is Mum...

My Mum is the strongest most courageous, compassionate, caring, loving woman I have ever known. Her battle with ALS was not the culmination of who she was, it was who she was that allowed her to fight so strongly, to live so truly, to be at peace and to say I'm ready. And to comfort even in that last moment. That is my Mum.

As a mom, she always stood up for us, always believed in us, always always loved us, no matter what stupid things we did. And she always told us how proud of us she was, of our talents, our dedication and courage to face our struggles, our courage to follow whatever bliss we had at the time. When any of us were absent from a celebration, there was always something of that person with her and she made sure we were included in spirit. She was always proud of her family. Proud of her niece and her nephew's and her brothers.

Grandchildren gave Mum so much joy – Nana's treasures she called them and they were and they are... because if I know Mum at all, if there is a way, she will be watching them grow, watching over them and enjoying every minute of it (especially when they become teenagers and she gets to laugh at Elizabeth and me). She always said that if we lived closer she would be spending more time with them that she wished it could be that way. But living far away from both Mum and Dad the thing that is so special about all of our time together is that it was constant... for those weeks in the summer we all lived together as a family. I am so thankful for those times.

Mum was the kind of person that always thought of how others were feeling and tried to make them feel better. She was a great one for cards and letters...and somehow those letters always managed to lift me up. And they still do.

I have many great memories of my Mum and I, working together at the tanning salon in Long Lake, watching BBC mini series' on television, horse shows, Halloween parties and birthday's and Christmas' and Thanksgiving's, swinging in the at the park in Glen Lake Minnesota and going to Dairy Queen after, There were weeks during the summer at Cass Lake Episcopal Camp in northern Minnesota, Travelling to Toronto to see my Grandparents. Travelling to England especially Glastonbury, Scotland and Ireland, seeing the Dalai Lama speak here in Mountainview, California. A very special lunch at a restraunt in Minnesota that Mum pulled me out of school for. Special Mom time. At the birth of my first daughter, Jaqueline. And seeing how she radiated joy in being a grandmother.

Some of the best times for me with Mum were the one's we spent in Toronto with her oldest friend Penny Potter. I then got to catch a glimpse of Mum as a young woman. She became another person sitting with Penny, remembering those times. I used to sit and listen and laugh and smile with them when they talked about those times. They talked of Sneaking off to movie theatres in downtown Toronto, doing things they were told not to, travelling through Italy, all the friends they had growing up. The history and heritage of our family. And the story of meeting Dad in England. ...all the stories and photographs of Mum, that were this woman that I didn't know growing up, but, was lucky enough to catch a glimpse of now and then...

I spoke with Penny on the phone last week, and she said that until Mum met Dad, she had this unsureness... this unsteadiness with her, in her, and when she met Dad, that all went away. She said that Mum knew right then , that she could do anything with Dad by her side..and she did.

Mum lead a life of service to others whether it was in raising us, caring for those less fortunate or teaching and reading and sharing her experience with others or supporting Dad in his ministry.

And now she is home awaiting us... trusting that we will instill in our children the value of service, the value of compassion, the value facing fears and struggles and doing the best we can with all the tools we have available to live a happy and full life, and making sure that Jax, Derek, Hunter, Harley and Liam and Vanessa all know how much she loved them.

I can't say much more because in my heart, I know that Mum is free of the chains of this disease that kept her from the things she loved. I will miss her words of encouragement and her challenges that she put to me. I will miss my hero that willed herself to do so many things; Including travelling to Chicago to visit Stephanie, Elizabeth , Liam and Vanessa, and making it to my wedding less than a year ago when she was so ill. I will miss the woman who loved so many people and always had room to care for more.

Mum I will miss Your hugs, your smile, everything about you. I love you so much and of all the things you've forgiven me for, you will have to forgive me just one more thing, that I will miss you forever until we see each other again..

 

[tdamess]

you have good memories of her always keep them with you

 

[wanda brittle]

so sorry for your lost.love wanda and glen xoxoxoxox

 

[mare]

Adrienne-

What a beautiful tribute to your Mom! I'm sure you make her proud!

 

[KeeKer]

so sorry for the loss of this wonderful woman. Please accept my sympathies.

 

[handinhand]

Beautiful, your mom was a beautiful person.I wish I could have known her. You have described such a wonderful mom.the wonderful memories will last you a lifetime until you see her again...many hugs, Linda