It was an honor to have known our
Anti nuclear
pro ecology
anti fascist
Pro Labor
anti war
pro justice
pro women’s rights
anti bush
and pro peace,
friend Del Greenfield.
When I was given the honor to talk about Del at this
memorial I knew it would be a challenge. I thought it would be hard
to talk with you who knew Del about how great Del was because you
would already know. I thought it would be hard to talk about her
generosity with any of you who knew her, because you were already
recipients. If I mentioned words like thoughtful, humble, fun,
caring, loving, loyal, unique, giving, bright, alive, cheerful,
friendly, optimistic, cooperative, purposeful, or wonderful in
relation to Del, those would have been words already thought of in
that context.
But then I realized what an easy task it would
actually be. I’ve spoken at memorials before, and despite the true
nature of the deceased, I’ve always been able to find some good
things to say. That’s what is done when someone has passed on; the
bad is, at least temporarily, forgotten and the good is trotted out
for all to see. But it’s easy to say good things about Del because I
can be absolutely honest. I don’t have to lie through omission. The
only negative thing I can say about Del is that she couldn’t have
lived two or three more lives.
One of the reasons it is hard for me to think
anything bad about Del is that she was the least angry person of
anyone I have ever known. I have a theory as to why. It’s because,
rather than complain or be upset about anything she ACTED to rectify
the cause. Where others would direct their anger or dissatisfaction
into complaints, Del would channel her energy into positive action.
If she didn’t know something, she would take a class and learn it.
If an article in the paper upset her, she would write a letter to
the editor. If a politician dared take a stance that she disagreed
with, she’d call him on the phone. If she didn’t like the food
served in the dining room, she would join the committee that helped
choose the food. And that’s what she was like in the last years of
her life! I can only imagine what she was like in her earlier years.
Another astonishing thing about Del was her open and
active mind. She was not afraid to learn or try new things. I met
her through my job in the late 1980s. My job was to teach people how
to use computers. Back then, computers weren’t easy to learn. OK,
they’re still not. But back then they really weren’t easy. So guess
who was in the front row of my computer class on the fifth floor of
the Galleria: Del Greenfield, that’s who. And she stuck with it
over the years, learning how to write, email, print and do whatever
she had to do to get her work done and stay in touch with the family
and friends she loved.
And it wasn’t just computers. She loved learning
everything. She was always reading a book, or a web site, or
watching a TV show that would help keep her informed. Jeanne, my
wife, and I played Rummy Kub with her and Lou, and helped her with
the word puzzles she enjoyed working on. She loved to watch Amy
Goodman on Democracy now. She would watch Bill Moyers on Friday
nights. And she loved to chuckle at both Jon Stewart and Steven
Cobert, although She preferred Jon Stewart.
Which brings me to one of her best traits, her sense
of fun. Del loved to laugh, and she did it a lot. She had
infectious laugh. She found humor everywhere. And she could even be
mischievous in her own way. And the best part…there was never any
meanness in her laughter. She wasn’t laughing AT anything or anyone,
she was laughing because she was having fun being with whomever she
was with. Well alright, she occasionally did take a few mean digs
at certain politicians. But they deserved it.
I also have to mention her love for her family. This
was always true, but was especially evident during her last days.
She proudly expressed the love she felt for her three children, her
in laws, her grandchildren, her great grand children, and her
friends every time we were with her. She always had stories about
her family and what they were up to. And she missed Lou terribly
after he died.
Finally, I want to talk about what I liked the most
about Del. And that was how I felt about myself whenever I was with
her. She was the kind of a person who just naturally made me feel
good about myself. And I know If I asked how many people here felt
that Del gave them more than she took from them, I bet everyone
would raise their hand. Del epitomized the word supportive. She
effortlessly made me feel that I was worthwhile and successful and I
could tell she had that effect on others as well. There wasn’t a
single time that I spent with her that I didn’t feel I got way more
from her than I gave.
But she was sneaky about it. Because somehow she
seemed to be able to give in a way that left her undiminished. Do
you know anyone who, when they do something for you, they make you
feel like they’ve done you a big favor? Well that wasn’t Del!
Whenever she did anything for Jeanne and I, it often seemed as if
she felt we were doing HER a favor! Jeanne and I often talked about
how unusual it was to feel so much better about ourselves and life
in general every time we visited with her. She was a natural
antidepressant!
But as I said in the beginning, I don’t think there
is a person here today who doesn’t already know all of this; because
that’s the kind of person Del was. We’re all better off because of
her, as is the world we live in, and we all have been gifted with
her friendship in one way or another. She truly loved each and every
one of us.
--Peter McGovern and
Jeanne Levasseur's Comments spoken at Del's Memorial May 12,
2007
