The Connections Bridgewater Somerville Edition Feb 2020

PAGE 52 THE BRIDGEWATER-SOMERVILLE CONNECTION FEB/MARCH 2020 THE CONNECTION Magazines Let’s Talk! Advertising Executive Patty Herman 732-668-8263 Advertising Executive Alicia Singman 908-307-9264 Be Connected and Enjoy the Bene+ts... In Print and Online Readers, who repeatedly see your brand in PRINT have a higher probability of remembering & connecting with you. Bring focus to your business by featuring it on our website Join the index that our readers use when looking for a professional place to do business Give a virtual tour to your customers by adding a video to your digital ad Videos Online Ads The Connectory- Local Business Directory PRINT Ads Repeat Advertisers More Than 70% Our Last Quarter ONLINE Impressions 122K A Loving Legacy By: Ellyn Mantell Never have I been part of a larger, more extensive legacy of LOVE! My dear friend and Chosen Sister, Wendy Piller, is gone, and in her place, there is an outpouring of love like no other. Wendy was special, Wendy was a gift, and Wendy was unique. I am so grateful to have been in her sphere, to have shared over two decades with her and her Steve, to have learned turning my cheek when hurt is a good thing from her, and to have learned to pick up and start over when necessary. Everywhere I wander these days, someone reaches out to me to acknowledge my loss, their loss, their adoration for someone so valued. Looking ahead to the recent holiday week, I was happy to have plans with Wendy for a belated birthday lunch, a tradition of chopped salads we held for years. She taught the Gifted and Talented in an elementary school in the area, and was anxious to begin the holiday week. Our lunch together would be at the beginning of her time to relax and recoup. Sadly, Wendy fell down a flight of stairs, hit her head hard, and died the following morn- ing, just two days before our lunch. There was, apparently, nothing that could be done to save her...no miracle, even though, if anyone deserved a miracle, it was Wendy. She was one of the gifted in interacting with peo- ple, one of the good ones in the world. Nothing was too much for her to do for others, no job too big or too small. I always marveled at how many were in her sphere, and yet, she always made me feel so very important, so valued, so loved. My loss is excruciating, like so many. Wendy made simple choices in her life...loving and caring for her adoring husband, Steve; her beautiful daughter, Mandy; and her darling grand dolls, Willow and Violet. She chose to embrace her friends unconditional- ly, to support us and be with us when things were good and when they are not. She had an incredible appreciation for her students, and always had a hug for them when we were at Country Squire for lunch, the place where everyone knew her name...one word, Wendy, no surname neces- sary! She was a fixture in town, someone to be idolized...not because of what she had in life, but because of what she did in life for others. My sadness is filling my pores, and looking ahead to my days without her is very painful. I can only imagine what Wendy would have done differently or similarly had she known it was her last day, the day she fell and hit her head and died. I hope it was a beautiful day for a beautiful lady. One of my Chosen Sisters is gone, and my memories are all that can console me. We never left each other without saying we love each other, as she did to all in her life. It was just the language she used, the glow she created. She will always remain in my heart as one of the good ones, one of the great ones! theconnectionsnj.com