My first vivid memory of Maria Reppert has to do with love; the holiday of love, that is.

 

It was Valentine’s Day of 2004, the year her youngest daughter Rachel and my youngest son Jacob were in preschool together at Bridgeport United Methodist Church. The kids had their little party at school and exchanged Valentines and Rachel’s immediately stood out. They were beautiful – pink, handmade and designed with heart. I teased Maria that she made those of us who sent store-bought Pokemon and Hello Kitty cards look bad.

 

As the years went on, we worked together on homeroom holiday parties; deciding who would bring the paper products and cupcakes or organize crafts and games. I still have some of the messages we exchanged back in 2010 – the kids’ fifth grade year – after the school board began frowning upon sweets and homemade treats being brought to school. In one message, Maria is poking a little fun at the strict guidelines. She always had that sense of humor. She could make a point and have fun doing it.

 

When the kids were in middle school, she did just that. There was a group of kids and parents sled riding at Compton Park. Every once in a while, we'd take a break and try to defrost a little. The gals and their moms were taking lots of cute pictures, but Jacob - in true middle school boy style - wasn't up for posing. At least, he thought he wasn't. Maria took my camera, told Jacob to stand with his mom and she took not just one picture, but several of us. 

 

Fast forward to 2014 when her daughter Sarah was about to go on a trip to Europe with the Bridgeport High School French classes. Maria and I were both supposed to be chaperones and chatted excitedly about learning French together. Yes, we would get Rosetta Stone, we said, and by the time we walked the streets of Paris, we would be fluent. Well, maybe we wouldn’t be fluent, but perhaps we would know enough to find out where the bathroom was and stuff like that.

 

But Maria, who had been diagnosed with cancer a couple years before, was advised by her doctor not to make the trip. She was really disappointed, but still excited for everyone else. And when we landed in Pittsburgh, there she was – with an armful of flowers to welcome Sarah home.

 

Somewhere along the way, Maria and I had a conversation on Facebook about a dream she had; an amazing dream as she called it. It was about some beautiful brown angel wings that were wrapped around her. “Honestly, every time I get scared or nervous, I just go back to that place and I feel so comforted,” she said.

 

I think about that a lot.

 

I also think about one of the final BHS basketball games of the 2015-2016 school year. She was moving slowly and you could tell she didn’t feel so well, but there she was – and with a sweet smile on her face. She looked so pretty. We chatted about her sparkly belt and her new sparkly ring. I said something about my husband having car trouble that week and taking his vehicle to her husband’s service center. I remember her laughing and thanking us for the business; saying it would help pay for her pretty new ring. Maria was always great to talk with, but that night I really tried to hang on her every word. It was like she knew something the rest of us didn’t; a secret.

 

In January of 2016, I wrote a New Year’s blog which said:

 

“In awe, I watch friends, relatives and other community folks battling disease with such dignity. I’m going to go ahead and single out my friend Maria Reppert. I’m so in awe of her. Although she may not consider herself strong in the physical sense, she is strong indeed. Her concerns are not for herself, but rather for her family. The gentle way she speaks and the way she carries herself are so admirable. It’s gravitating really. I know it gives me the desire to focus on the important things and push away those that aren’t so important.”

 

Saturday morning, family, friends and community members gathered to say goodbye – for now – to Maria and to celebrate her life. You could certainly feel the love.

 

I thought about her smile, about her beautiful, very particular ways, her sense of humor and selfless attitude. And, of course, I thought about her wrapped ever so tightly in those angel wings.

 

My last - and lasting - memory of Maria Reppert has to do with love. 

 

Maria was the wife of Cliff Reppert and also the mother of Maria Victoria "Tia" Reppert. She was stepmom to Chad and wife Jacquelyn, Jasen and wife Andrea and Joseph Zachary Reppert.  Read more about Maria and her family here at Amos Carvelli's Web site. 

 

Julie Perine can be reached at 304-641-5395, julie@connect-bridgeport.com or follow @JuliePerine on Twitter. More "It's Happening" HERE.