My mother was about as close to perfect a mother

as you could ask for loving, challenging, but

never judgmental. As my Dad says, she was a
saint. He should know, she was married to him for
70 years!
When I was a child she did so many of the things
that mothers do for daughters. When I started
kindergarten I got my first personal hairstylist. Mr.
Victor at Best & Co.s childrens hair salon. He was
the only person that coiffed my hair all through
grammar school. She would take me with her and
our wonderful Aunt Ella on shopping excursions
that always included lunch or afternoon tea at the
Bird Cage in Lord & Taylor. And she helped me pick
out a wardrobe to take off to college outfits which
a number of my freshman dormmates rapidly
claimed partial ownership of. I would still wear a
couple of those outfits if I could still fit into a size 2!
But most importantly she was a wonderful role
model for my adult life. She did it in subtle not
demanding ways. When I was 7 and 8 years old,
she would ask me to come with her when she had
to spend a morning or afternoon doing research in
the library at Hofstra University where she received
her Masters degree. Education was a priority.
Life-long learning was part of her DNA. She used

her education to teach junior and senior high

school students for 15 years.
I learned that during WWII she had been a WAV in
the US Navy and of course had graduated first in
her class in Midshipmans school at Smith College.
During the Vietnam war, she became an anti-war
activist and draft counselor. She did not want her
draft age sons to go to war and she wanted to
shield other mothers sons as well.
When my brothers and sister and I were finished
with school my Mom started the next phase of her
education and professional life. Motivated by her
experience at the Legal Defense Center she
decided to read for the bar. In 1980, after taking
the equivalent of 1 year of law school, and a couple
of years of self-study, she became an attorney
passing the California Bar exam on her first
attempt. I know Stanford, Boalt Hall and UCLA
educated attorneys who cannot make that claim.
Perhaps what was the most important role that she
modeled for me as a woman, was to ignore
stereotypes and reach for what challenged you. Do
work that matters. Do work that benefits others.
One of my other favorite mentors, Robert Kennedy,
once said What matters in life is not what we do

for ourselves, but what we do for others. My

mother lived that value. Modeled it for her
children. I just hope my life can be a tribute to my
mother.

I would also like to take this opportunity to extend

a deep thank you from my family to Juanita GarciaZambrona who has lovingly cared for my mother
these past few years. We are all so grateful to you
and dont know what we would have done without
you. Bless you Juanita.