Carolyn Foutz
My mother-in-law was a mighty lady.
She was fiercely loyal in defending her family and her city. I wish I had a dollar for every time that she mentioned that she hated Tom Brady or Sidney Crosby.
She wanted to see the Bills and Sabres win...
...but she also wanted to see my sons win every game they ever played in.
I was seated next to her at a little league game when she yelled, “Drop it!” as a kid settled under a pop fly that my son hit.
The poor child dropped it, and may have pooped a little.
My mother-in-law loved her grandkids.
She was in my house more than I was when my children were young, and my boys are going to really miss her.
As will all of her grandchildren and beautiful great grandchildren.
My mother-in-law loved her children fiercely as well, and I learned the hard way...
...she defended them.
Years ago, my wife and I would banter back and forth using the following, good-natured call:
“You shut your mouth!”
We forgot to let Mom in on the joke.
I was cooking chicken and the fire roared.
“We should just go to Ponderosa,” Kathy chided.
“You shut your mouth!” I called back.
Mom jumped up...and met me at the grill...screaming! She may have actually called me a highly colorful name that my young child may have repeated moments later.
“Grandma called Dad a mother-******.”
We laughed about that a lot.
“You can’t mess with Mom’s kids,” Kathy reminded me.
But there was even more love to be had.
The love of her life was also her greatest foil.
For 65+ years it’s been John and Carolyn.
My mother-in-law and father-in-law would banter back and forth and it brought great joy to all of us.
“If I put the salt down here, she wonders why I didn’t put it there,” Dad once said.
But if one of them was sick, or in trouble...
...the love was front and center.
Think of that...
...from the mid-50’s.
A wildly amazing marriage filled with days of togetherness.
Day in and day out.
Carolyn’s faith was strong, but she worried a lot about the health and welfare of those she loved.
For years, every single day ended the same way. Kathy would call her Mom at exactly 10 p.m., and they would discuss their day. Their conversation ended the same way too.
“No candles. No plug-ins. No babies.”
That was a reminder that all candles had been blown out, all the plug-in deodorizers has been removed, and a nonsensical “no babies” meant that they weren’t being held hostage in their home by a burglar.
(Don’t ask).
Yet, the day had to end that way...
...wife and mother had to know that the other was fine.
I was witness to a great and powerful love for more than 25 years. Carolyn Foutz was a force of nature, and in the grand scheme of a loving family...
...it will be a long, long time until she dies.
A cherished Mom walks beside us as we move through life.
Carolyn will be right there...
...keeping an eye on all of us...
...making sure that we are all good, and safe.
I’ll think of her telling me that my sauce is the best, and I know she’ll be front and center if the Bills or Sabres ever get it done.
Carolyn was fierce in her belief in God too, and she’s probably right there, right now, giving God a little advice...
...God should listen too...
...cause it’s all love-based.
May she Rest In Peace.
We’ll miss her.
She was fiercely loyal in defending her family and her city. I wish I had a dollar for every time that she mentioned that she hated Tom Brady or Sidney Crosby.
She wanted to see the Bills and Sabres win...
...but she also wanted to see my sons win every game they ever played in.
I was seated next to her at a little league game when she yelled, “Drop it!” as a kid settled under a pop fly that my son hit.
The poor child dropped it, and may have pooped a little.
My mother-in-law loved her grandkids.
She was in my house more than I was when my children were young, and my boys are going to really miss her.
As will all of her grandchildren and beautiful great grandchildren.
My mother-in-law loved her children fiercely as well, and I learned the hard way...
...she defended them.
Years ago, my wife and I would banter back and forth using the following, good-natured call:
“You shut your mouth!”
We forgot to let Mom in on the joke.
I was cooking chicken and the fire roared.
“We should just go to Ponderosa,” Kathy chided.
“You shut your mouth!” I called back.
Mom jumped up...and met me at the grill...screaming! She may have actually called me a highly colorful name that my young child may have repeated moments later.
“Grandma called Dad a mother-******.”
We laughed about that a lot.
“You can’t mess with Mom’s kids,” Kathy reminded me.
But there was even more love to be had.
The love of her life was also her greatest foil.
For 65+ years it’s been John and Carolyn.
My mother-in-law and father-in-law would banter back and forth and it brought great joy to all of us.
“If I put the salt down here, she wonders why I didn’t put it there,” Dad once said.
But if one of them was sick, or in trouble...
...the love was front and center.
Think of that...
...from the mid-50’s.
A wildly amazing marriage filled with days of togetherness.
Day in and day out.
Carolyn’s faith was strong, but she worried a lot about the health and welfare of those she loved.
For years, every single day ended the same way. Kathy would call her Mom at exactly 10 p.m., and they would discuss their day. Their conversation ended the same way too.
“No candles. No plug-ins. No babies.”
That was a reminder that all candles had been blown out, all the plug-in deodorizers has been removed, and a nonsensical “no babies” meant that they weren’t being held hostage in their home by a burglar.
(Don’t ask).
Yet, the day had to end that way...
...wife and mother had to know that the other was fine.
I was witness to a great and powerful love for more than 25 years. Carolyn Foutz was a force of nature, and in the grand scheme of a loving family...
...it will be a long, long time until she dies.
A cherished Mom walks beside us as we move through life.
Carolyn will be right there...
...keeping an eye on all of us...
...making sure that we are all good, and safe.
I’ll think of her telling me that my sauce is the best, and I know she’ll be front and center if the Bills or Sabres ever get it done.
Carolyn was fierce in her belief in God too, and she’s probably right there, right now, giving God a little advice...
...God should listen too...
...cause it’s all love-based.
May she Rest In Peace.
We’ll miss her.
Comments
We could picture her animated movements with very little memory.
We are so thankful to have seen her a month ago and reminded her we loved her.
Aunt Carolyn May you RIP ❤️
Thinking of you all in the coming days and moments 💕
Much love from Canada 🇨🇦
Cliff