In Memoriam: A Lifetime of Love, Loss and Tributes - Photography by Cassone, Part One

My March 2011 photography feature is a very personal one. It is a tribute to friends, colleagues and family members in my life who have since passed on. Here - each is represented by a floral image. Whether they were in my life for a season, or over a span of many years - I will always remember them. Below each photo is the name of the person it represents, along with a thought or two about them. It could be something they taught me, a memory we shared, a quality they had or a combination of all three. Or, something I would like them to know.

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DORIS PETROSKI

My babysitter from when I was a mere child, you loved me. Thank you! How my folks and I missed your laugh over the years. You truly left too soon.

ALVIN DAVIS

He sat next to me in a class in high school. The class escapes me, but the fact that at such a young age seeing this young man vibrant and alive one day and gone the next was a hard and bitter pill to swallow. I have never forgotten him, nor the other fellow schoolmates we lost. It just is simply a damn shame to lose so many, so young - and with so much to offer. People like Alvin make me walk through life with a wonder of ...what could have been.

MARIE VILLAPONDO

First of all, girl - forgive me - I always had your name spelled various ways.

My memories of you are two words: Spirited & Smart.

ARVA THOMAS

No words can express the level of forgiveness I had for this young man when he left this Earth, and tragically so. I still shake my head. All I know, is the emotional growth and spiritual development that young man went through his last year of life could span a lifetime for others.

ANDRE STREETER

One of those, if I knew for only a season..., may as well have been a lifetime.

Maybe we were brothers in a former life, perhaps it is just a bond in spirits.

Andre knows how much his tragic death has affected me

still to this day, some 25+ years later.

I can feel, sense, almost touch

...from the very depths of my soul

~ and so many unanswered questions.

Just makes me want to holler.

A deep and profound loss.

PETRONELLA "ANNA" CASSONE

Thank you for your son.

My dad was a good man, and you raised him right.

And so it goes...

LARRY VARA

Truly...

a testament in forgiveness.

"UNCLE" DON CASSONE & AUNT "CINEMA DIVA" SANDRA CASSONE

It was like I was just getting to know you two, when Aunt Sandra left us.

Then life happened and time passed - and then Uncle Don left.

Other than my parents, I never knew another couple who loved each other

so deeply, or so much.

RAYMUNDO & OPHELIA

thank you for your daughter, she is like a sister to me

...even closer...

"ROSE" MARIE GIBBS

Open door policy...

a virtuous woman...

"LAVENDER SILK: DANNY TURNER"

Damn! Damn! Damn!

So smooth, so fine, so damn funny...

and you accepted people for who they were,

not what they were...

RITA SOUTHERS

Strong Woman;

blessed by a huge, loving family

KENNETH DIX

...the one that got away -

I often wonder 'what if' and 'how things would have turned out

if I would have made my move' -

glad we re-connected in this lifetime

for me to come visit you and say goodbye -

and I am sorry I didn't come to your funeral.

It was a bit too much to handle at the time.

ROSEMARY CONROY

strong-willed & very determined

CECIL GIBBS

one could never stay mad at Ceil...

always made me feel like I was at home,

very talented and generous with those talents

...though I do wonder why about a few things sometimes

CHRISTY PHILYAW HARRISON

My online buddy, I miss our random back and forths

in the middle of the night ...and thank YOU for liking, if

not loving my little works of art

"MOTHER" PEGGY CALDWELL

first of all, thank you for your daughter -

she is like a second mother to me...

you remind me of any and everything that home

should look, feel, sound and BE

and for that Thanksgiving after my mom passed

away I thank you a thousand times over

DARLENE JONES

high energy bliss

MOLDAVIA ISHTAR

you were like Joan Collins & Diahann Carroll

all rolled in to one - in a good way...

loved your sense of style

&

I still will never do Dixie Chicks

Not Ready to Make Nice

because you did it so well

..damn you lol

MELBA MOORE

Melba, Melba, Melba...

SO MANY MEMORIES!

Thank you for those.

Anya and I STILL talk about you every now and then,

the stops at the doughnut shop,

riding home with you and Fantasya,

that karaoke show we used to do,

fighting over numbers,

Cuervo,

I miss you, girl -

those were some really good times.

...And sorry about Leroy

LOUISE FRITSCHEN

my maternal great grandmother...

I hardly remember her, but

she gave life to my beloved Googles

...and anybody who knows me knows that

Googles was one of my best friends in life - ever.

DORIS BLACKWELL

a lovely and kind woman

GENEVIEVE JEDRO

Oh My God!
Never, ever did I think hanging out with

my Mom's friends would have been so much fun...

Thank you for coming to

Toronto with us...

truly a highlight in my life

"UNCLE" RALPH FRITSCHEN

very, VERY duty minded

devoted to God & country

loved his mom

a very simple man

SHAWN ABRAHAM

resilient

funny

very talented

...and such a brave and fearless fighter

REGGIE THOMPSON

a very kind and generous man

IRENE FECKO

'The Lady'

...always such a lady

DENNIS ASHBY a.k.a. RITA PORTER

thank you for always thinking of me

and asking about me

...it, like your approval, meant a lot to me

SHARON L. CASSONE

My mother...

you said I would miss you when you were gone

you were so right

ROBERT "ROCKY" CASSONE

my father

first of all, who knew your Ave Maria would be such

a hit - thanks for recording it for us

your voice lives on

and people used to criticize your easy going way

NOW, I understand that being mellow is the way to go

it kinda keeps everything on an even keel

this one reminded me so much of my Dad...

vibrant and loud, colorful; yet, subtle

WILLIAM "BILLY" EARL GIBBS II

I am not sure why we got so close near the end for you.

I no longer question it, but I will say this...

Thank YOU for reaching out to me and needing me.

It was so needed at that time in my life and

what a joyful, blessing you were to so many.

WALTER McCOY

What can I say?

I miss our talks.

You were a good friend and roomie.

...and thank your for Miss Bea.

Hey Walter, Pam and I miss wondering

what wonderful cake creation you'd be

baking for everybody on Sundays...

ELIZABETH "LIZ" PATRICK

no matter how dark your day may have been,

you always managed to tell a joke or two

to put a smile on SOMEONE ELSE's face

thanks for the laughs; giggles too

GRANDMA MARGARET "GOOGLES" DICKENSHEET

thank you, thank you, thank you

I miss our talks about movies and music

you were one cool, fabulous lady

one of my bestest friends ever

and sorry I never told you about the thing

I wasn't mature enough to face up to that responsibility

...though, I do wonder, if I make you proud - now....

...always on my heart