Marie Romero Rest in Peace

Marie Romero

Nov 3, 1976- October 7, 2019

 

Sorry for the crappy old photo. My phone sucks.

  A dear friend of 29 years passed away early this morning, she lost her third (or was it fourth?) round with brain cancer. She managed to survive 10+ years with cancer, a tribute to her feistiness and unwillingness to give up. The doctors gave her 3 years, she managed to survive 10+ (and watch both of her kids graduate high school) and managed to beat it into remission several times. All that while also suffering breast cancer last year, and the loss of her father 2 months ago to prostate cancer.
  She smoked like a chimney, drank like a fish when she was younger, was 'ornery' (her words), and loved to play fight. She had a wicked right cross! I've sported many a bruise from wrestling with her. (Not to mention the surprise attacks on my rear end or 'Gibbs smacked' when I was not paying attention! She'd strike and then run away laughing)
  I loved to tease her, and I always cracked her up, usually with a bad pun or dirty/bodily function joke. I usually earned a giggle/guffaw and 1 finger salute... and occasionally a punch in the arm if I was in range. (like I said, feisty)
   Devin and I introduced her to 'Radioactive' which helped her through radiation treatments and chemo several years ago. (Apparently her taking it on as a mantra got the techs to spread it through the cancer community) She made it clear she didn't want to be treated differently because of her illness. I did my best to honor that.
  She loved online games and would frequently pester people to do them with her. Even when the brain tumor tripled and began shutting her down suddenly last week she was intent on finishing 1 game or another, or getting a new high score. She also loved killer whales and thoroughly enjoyed going to Sea World every few years. Her room was decorated in killer whales. I 3D printed her 1 when I heard her health had suddenly declined last week.

  She was my sister's friend, an 'aunt' to the her boys as they grew up, my grandmother's 'favorite', and was always trying to pitch in and help. Whether it was with a cancer walk or at the senior center, or pitching in with the extended family she was there with a hand and occasional hip bump.

You will be missed 'Short-Stuff'.