We laid my mother to rest this weekend. I wanted to make this final tribute to her.
She came from humble origins. Her father never learned to read and write, or even sign his name. He never went to school. He had to start working at the age of 5 to help support his family – brutal, dirty work, sweeping out coal boilers in the mills.
Her mother was an immigrant, part of the mass movement of Quebecois traveling south to work in the textile mills of New England. Entire villages relocated, searching for a better life in America.
As an only child growing up among immigrants, Isabelle spoke French before she spoke English. She didn’t learn English until she was enrolled in St. Clare, a boarding school established by an order of nuns called the Religious of Jesus and Mary.
At St. Clare, Isabelle discovered one of her greatest passions, music. She had a happy-go-lucky, fun-loving spirit. Under her photo in her yearbook is an inscription: “Blessed with a cheerful spirit and sweet voice, Isabelle sings her way through life with very few cares to annoy her. Her love for music and good reading is the source of many golden hours spent in very pleasant and useful company. Generous and willing to help others, she is glad to cooperate with her classmates on any occasion. “
Upon graduating from high school, Isabelle dreamed of a career in music, training to be an opera singer. She even sang on the radio! She gave up her dream when she met the love of her life, Richard.
Isabelle and Richard began as pen pals. He was in the Army Air Force, stationed in Japan. A friend of hers was writing him, but when she decided to get married, she passed on the task of cheering up the lonely soldier to Isabelle. In his first letter to her, he writes: “Isabelle – That’s a fine name. It has the feel of silver and gold, shining in the sun.” Turned out she was silver and gold to him. When he came back to the States, he showed up on her doorstep with a box of chocolates and flowers. The rest is history.
At Richard’s side, Isabelle discovered another of her great life passions, travel. It’s a good thing she liked it! After they made the big move West to what they called God’s Country, they had to move often, lock, stock and barrel with all the kids in tow, as Richard was transferred from one branch to another of the business he worked for; Denver, Cheyenne, Pueblo (twice), Albuquerque, all up and down the Front Range of the Rockies.
She was always eager to see new places and revel in their beauty; first with her husband Richard, then with her family, and after Richard died, with her best friend Terry. Over the years, she covered all 50 states, Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean. In 2006 I helped Isabelle achieve her dream of becoming a world traveler by taking her to the #1 spot on her bucket list, New Zealand. She absolutely loved New Zealand. In a compromise between my backpacker, sleep-on-the-beach lifestyle and Izzy’s time-share condominium lodging preferences, we stayed in private rooms at hostels and little cabins along the way. When it was time to catch the plane home, Isabelle cried. She was having so much fun she didn’t want to leave. She said, “But I feel so young here!”
Isabelle was a hard worker. Although she enjoyed a few years as a stay-at-home mom, she usually worked full-time, often more than full-time. Juggling all the responsibilities and challenges of home, work, and raising 6 kids was far from easy. But Isabelle, selfless and incredibly competent, was up to the task.
She was devoted to the Catholic Church and made another dream come true when she met Pope John Paul ll while volunteering for World Youth Day. She was active in church affairs, especially the choir.
Isabelle held an annual pass to the Arvada Center and one of her greatest pleasures was attending nights at the theater or symphony with friends. Family was the most important thing in her life. She would never miss an opportunity to see a grandchild perform.
The last few years were difficult for her. She was battling dementia and had moved into an assisted-living center. The move worked out well until Covid hit and her family could no longer visit or take her for outings. With isolation, her dementia quickly progressed. She no longer had much to look forward to. She was tired. It was time for a new adventure, the greatest adventure of them all.
She was the matriarch of the Milliard clan. Perhaps some of you have seen the Netflix series, Vikings. Isabelle was a lot like Lagatha – the supreme shield maiden, the protector of all in her clan, (for her children, the arbiter and enforcer of the law!) – the queen: a legend in her own time, and one who touched all who knew her and made them better people by her example, her cheer and her love.
Thank you, Isabelle. Knowing you has been a pleasure and a privilege. We will miss you deeply but we celebrate you now – the many things you accomplished, the many dreams you made come true, the many souls you have touched. You will always live on in our hearts.
