Wednesday, October 17, 2007

Lou

I don’t know what to say. One of my favorite relatives passed away. Lou was one of relatives we (I’m speaking for my brother and sister) loved when we were kids. I think the best thing was that he and his family lived in Cleveland and us in Cincinnati. There is this strange love-hate relationship between Cincinnati and Cleveland. Why do the North and the South never get along(in this case Ohio)? We could always joke with him and his brother Tony about why Cleveland sucks and Cincinnati was great.
Anyway we didn’t see him all the time but they were close enough that he and his brother would be down for smallest anniversary or holiday gathering. My mom still remembers when he drove from Cleveland to Cincinnati as soon as he got his driver’s license. He was part of that big extended Italian family thing that made holidays at Nonna’s house so cool. He will be missed but we will always remember him. Still, it starts to hurt when you think about how we can never have those amazing holidays like we used to. This is why I should be in the States, so I can be there to pay my respects. Sometimes being an Expat sucks, like Cleveland!

I guess I need a little Pliny the Elder to help me out “Assuredly, only he who is always mindful of the frailty of man will weigh life in a fair balance.”


LOUIS V. PALLOTTA, age 76. Beloved husband of Susan (nee Toth). Loving father of Louis M (deceased) (Ann), Robert (Diane), Ellen Neel (Keith), William (Lisa) and Patrice Kilo (John). Cherished grandfather of Janice, Christine, Louis, Michael, Andrea, Emily, Keith, Kelly, Matthew, John and Nicholas. Dear brother of Anthony and the late Josephine Englebry. In lieu of flowers the family suggests contributions to Parkinson Disease Research. U. S. Army Korean Conflict Veteran. Former ARCA stock car racing champion.

9 comments:

Cynthia Rae said...

Believe me when I tell you this Jeff, I understand just how you feel. Everyone (back home) can get excited about how interesting life might be to live in a country as wonderful as Italy. Yes, it IS a wonderful expat life, but there are times when that life can be down right difficult. Of course no one ever writes about these stories in their "So I moved to Italy" books.

Everyone was in the room with my Grandmother when she passed away two summers ago. Everyone that is but me. It still pains me to this day that I couldn't get there in time. But she knows that I love her and that I would have been there if I could.

Lou understands that you can't be there, and knows that you are there in spirit.

I am so sorry for your loss and hope that the many memories you have of this wonderful man will get you through the difficult time.

Cyn

"As long we we can love each other, and remember the feeling of love we had, we can die without ever really going away. All the love you created is still there. All the memories are still there. You live on-in the hearts of everyone you have touched and nurtured while you were here".

-Morris S. Schwartz: Tuesdays With Morrie

Anonymous said...

My condolences on your loss. Reading your blog, I never realized that you were of Italian origin.

Delina said...

I'm so sorry to hear of your loss. It's very hard to be so far away at times like this, I know.

Take care.

Anonymous said...

Jeff,
How are you getting the news in Italy before I'm getting it in Alabama?! I was just in Cincy last weekend and saw my Dad. How is Nonna taking it?
Laura Ottaviani-Chacon

Jeff Gromen said...

Thanks everyone, I forgot that Kent (my sister's husband) is from Cleveland so I still have someone to joke with. Hey Kent, If it's Brown, Flush it down!


Laura,
I guess because my mom knows that I'll only know if she tells me. And she's always afraid she might forget to tell me something so I hear about things pretty quickly. You're on the same time zone as everyone so you would hear it from someone "local".

Jeff

Dana said...

Jeff,

I'm so sorry for your loss. The memories of someone after they pass can be the best and the hardest part at the same time.

Michelle | Bleeding Espresso said...

I'm so sorry Jeff--sounds like Lou was an awesome guy. An ARCA champ? Count me impressed!

There's just never a worse time to be away from home :(

Anonymous said...

My condolences to you and your family, Jeff.

Matt said...

hello everyone. This is Matt Pallotta, lous grandson. I just wanted to say that he was a great grandfather and he will be missed by many.