Nonna
was buried earlier today ... In light of the reality of today's world,
the funeral was small, and led by R' Suiza with warmth and love, the
same way he led Nonnou's funeral ~19 years ago. It was tough for us to
be 'virtual guests,' instead of there ... but at least my dear Nonna is
now resting peacefully ... I would like to share Dad's hesped about his
mother ... and a few more pictures with his words as commentary ...
Enjoy the trip down memory lane for those who knew this awesome lady ...
To quote a dear friend, I hope our family can find comfort that "she
will ALWAYS be proud - wherever she is - by those she left behind who
reflect and represent the legacy she inspired."
Ke repose en Gan Eden muy kerida Nonna ... Ijico de la Nonna is heart broken ...
***
My Mother Silvia Piha, was born in the Belgian Congo on 30th March 1930 to Sadoc and Lea Israel, who were both born in Rhodes, six months into the Great Depression, which lasted for another nine years. She was what we call a tomboy in English. She would climb trees to pick mangoes and play with boys. She was not a girly girl, but grew into a beautiful woman that could have easily been cast in an early 1950’s movie. She met my Dad, Nissim Piha, and married him when she was 20. A cousin of mine called to condole with me yesterday and said they were like a pair of doves, loving and caring for each other and paired for life.
Mom was a fierce protector of her family through difficult times and sacrificed her own creature comforts in favour of her children, when Dad’s business failed because his store managers robbed him; when we were evacuated as refugees (women and children only) from the Congo to Salisbury in 1960, living through the UN’s brutal urban attacks against the breakaway Republic of Katanga in 1961, and our eventual immigration to South Africa.
She was a clever, strong willed and determined woman, who if born in a later era, would have been a successful business woman or professional.
She had an amazing ability to connect with diverse people in ways that suited each one of them. I only realized the extent of this talent on reading the loving and caring comments made by people of all ages and from all over the world about her loving warm nature, kindness, sense of humour and fun. She had the most amazing relationship with her daughter in law, Melanie, that she always treated as a daughter and the love was reciprocal. Before Melanie’s Mom died from cancer, she told my Mom, "I am not worried for Melanie after I go, with you to love her".
She was able to mimic people and their accents so well, that she could have been on the US comedy program Saturday Night Live. She inherited or learned her Father’s teasing nature and would play practical jokes on the telephone with friends and also on her oldest grandchild, Avram and he of course paid her back in kind. Sometimes some hapless person would phone her from a company and would be puzzled by the: allez, allez Avram.
After being bed ridden for a few months, Marie asked me to take her out on the road to ensure it was safe for her to drive. She eventually agreed to drive with me to allay our fears. Driving along High-Level Road, all the robots were green until Glengariff Road, but the next one turned orange, and Mom kept going at 50 Km/hr. I said to her: Mom, the light is going to turn red and she says, yes, I am going to stop, and I say, when? As we approach the next robot, from quite far away she says to me, I see the robot, it’s green, and then she says, it’s going orange, I’m slowing down, I’m going to stop – she was making fun of me. After I returned to Israel, she took someone in the car with her for support, drove to the back of the building, did a U-turn in the parking lot and went back to park her beloved little car in the garage. and hung up her driving gloves. She didn’t put us in the situation of having to take her keys away, one of the most difficult things for a child to do to their parents.
She lived independently in her home until just over a year ago, when she fell a few times and Marie and I insisted she get a carer, and she eventually agreed to one only in the daytime to please us. We got her wonderful full time carers, when it was clear she could not manage on her own any more, even though she insisted she could.
She hated the idea of being a burden on anyone and also refused point blank to go to an old age home or assisted living facility. She said this is my home and I don’t want to go anywhere else; I want to go from here straight to Pinelands.
Her last months were extremely difficult after losing her eyesight, but she didn’t complain. She prayed Hashem would take her and that she wouldn’t suffer and He answered her prayers. She died peacefully in a moment, in her home without going to hospital, being exposed to Corona and the upcoming lockdown. The timing was a blessing for her and extremely difficult for us here not be able to bury our beloved Mother and Nonna, together with Marie and all our family, Rabbi Suiza and those of you who braved coming out here today. Tizku le’mitzvot.
Adieu chere Maman, ke tu alma reposa en Gan Eden. May your soul rest in Gan Eden.
"My Mother Silvia Piha, was born in the Belgian Congo on 30th March 1930 to Sadoc and Lea Israel"
***
Nonnou Sadoc Israel, Bello (Albert - Nonna's younger brother), Ricca (Bello's wife) & Nonna Lea (nee Capelouto)
"She met my Dad, Nissim Piha, and married him when she was 20"
***
Their engagement picture ...
"A cousin of mine called to condole with me yesterday and said they were like a pair of doves"
"Loving and caring for each other and paired for life."
Nonna & Nonnou with me & Tova
"Before Melanie’s Mom died from cancer, she told my Mom, I am not worried for Melanie after I go, with you to love her."
***
Nonnou, me, Nonna, Granny, Tova, Gramps
Nonna & Tante Amelie before my wedding
"She inherited or learned her Father’s teasing nature and would play practical jokes on the telephone with friends and also on her oldest grandchild, Avram and he of course paid her back in kind."
"Sometimes some hapless person would phone her from a company and would be puzzled by the: allez, allez Avram."
Passing on recipes to us
Meeting Keren
On her balcony at 505 Trafalgar Place
Helping Oren take his 1st steps
Kissing Alma
With my children
Adieu chere Maman, ke tu alma reposa en Gan Eden. May your soul rest in Gan Eden.
We'll miss you so much Nonna ... Keep smiling and laughing wherever you may be
_
Ke repose en Gan Eden muy kerida Nonna ... Ijico de la Nonna is heart broken ...
***
My Mother Silvia Piha, was born in the Belgian Congo on 30th March 1930 to Sadoc and Lea Israel, who were both born in Rhodes, six months into the Great Depression, which lasted for another nine years. She was what we call a tomboy in English. She would climb trees to pick mangoes and play with boys. She was not a girly girl, but grew into a beautiful woman that could have easily been cast in an early 1950’s movie. She met my Dad, Nissim Piha, and married him when she was 20. A cousin of mine called to condole with me yesterday and said they were like a pair of doves, loving and caring for each other and paired for life.
Mom was a fierce protector of her family through difficult times and sacrificed her own creature comforts in favour of her children, when Dad’s business failed because his store managers robbed him; when we were evacuated as refugees (women and children only) from the Congo to Salisbury in 1960, living through the UN’s brutal urban attacks against the breakaway Republic of Katanga in 1961, and our eventual immigration to South Africa.
She was a clever, strong willed and determined woman, who if born in a later era, would have been a successful business woman or professional.
She had an amazing ability to connect with diverse people in ways that suited each one of them. I only realized the extent of this talent on reading the loving and caring comments made by people of all ages and from all over the world about her loving warm nature, kindness, sense of humour and fun. She had the most amazing relationship with her daughter in law, Melanie, that she always treated as a daughter and the love was reciprocal. Before Melanie’s Mom died from cancer, she told my Mom, "I am not worried for Melanie after I go, with you to love her".
She was able to mimic people and their accents so well, that she could have been on the US comedy program Saturday Night Live. She inherited or learned her Father’s teasing nature and would play practical jokes on the telephone with friends and also on her oldest grandchild, Avram and he of course paid her back in kind. Sometimes some hapless person would phone her from a company and would be puzzled by the: allez, allez Avram.
After being bed ridden for a few months, Marie asked me to take her out on the road to ensure it was safe for her to drive. She eventually agreed to drive with me to allay our fears. Driving along High-Level Road, all the robots were green until Glengariff Road, but the next one turned orange, and Mom kept going at 50 Km/hr. I said to her: Mom, the light is going to turn red and she says, yes, I am going to stop, and I say, when? As we approach the next robot, from quite far away she says to me, I see the robot, it’s green, and then she says, it’s going orange, I’m slowing down, I’m going to stop – she was making fun of me. After I returned to Israel, she took someone in the car with her for support, drove to the back of the building, did a U-turn in the parking lot and went back to park her beloved little car in the garage. and hung up her driving gloves. She didn’t put us in the situation of having to take her keys away, one of the most difficult things for a child to do to their parents.
She lived independently in her home until just over a year ago, when she fell a few times and Marie and I insisted she get a carer, and she eventually agreed to one only in the daytime to please us. We got her wonderful full time carers, when it was clear she could not manage on her own any more, even though she insisted she could.
She hated the idea of being a burden on anyone and also refused point blank to go to an old age home or assisted living facility. She said this is my home and I don’t want to go anywhere else; I want to go from here straight to Pinelands.
Her last months were extremely difficult after losing her eyesight, but she didn’t complain. She prayed Hashem would take her and that she wouldn’t suffer and He answered her prayers. She died peacefully in a moment, in her home without going to hospital, being exposed to Corona and the upcoming lockdown. The timing was a blessing for her and extremely difficult for us here not be able to bury our beloved Mother and Nonna, together with Marie and all our family, Rabbi Suiza and those of you who braved coming out here today. Tizku le’mitzvot.
Adieu chere Maman, ke tu alma reposa en Gan Eden. May your soul rest in Gan Eden.
"My Mother Silvia Piha, was born in the Belgian Congo on 30th March 1930 to Sadoc and Lea Israel"
***
Nonnou Sadoc Israel, Bello (Albert - Nonna's younger brother), Ricca (Bello's wife) & Nonna Lea (nee Capelouto)
"She met my Dad, Nissim Piha, and married him when she was 20"
***
Their engagement picture ...
"A cousin of mine called to condole with me yesterday and said they were like a pair of doves"
"Loving and caring for each other and paired for life."
Nonna & Nonnou with me & Tova
"Before Melanie’s Mom died from cancer, she told my Mom, I am not worried for Melanie after I go, with you to love her."
***
Nonnou, me, Nonna, Granny, Tova, Gramps
Nonna & Tante Amelie before my wedding
"She inherited or learned her Father’s teasing nature and would play practical jokes on the telephone with friends and also on her oldest grandchild, Avram and he of course paid her back in kind."
"Sometimes some hapless person would phone her from a company and would be puzzled by the: allez, allez Avram."
Passing on recipes to us
Meeting Keren
On her balcony at 505 Trafalgar Place
Helping Oren take his 1st steps
Kissing Alma
With my children
Adieu chere Maman, ke tu alma reposa en Gan Eden. May your soul rest in Gan Eden.
We'll miss you so much Nonna ... Keep smiling and laughing wherever you may be
_
3 comments:
Beautiful! Im so sorry for such a great loss. May your nonnas memory always make you smilw. What a wonderful relationship you both had with each other. May she rest in peace. Sending hugs!!
very touching saga of a special woman
sorry for your loss
Ben Jamil
Min hashamayim t' nachamu. My deepest condolences, Nikki Murad
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