Tribute to Dina Rocuant

Dina Rocuant was a wonderful person, full of vivacity, love, and compassion for others.  More than all of those, however, she was my aunt.  For a good part of my early life, she lived close to our family in Milford, CT, and we would see her on a regular basis.  In fact, my grandmother used to watch me at their house while my mother still worked.  I would have to say that what I remember my aunt for most is her giving spirit.  She would always make sure that everyone was doing OK and that everyone had what they needed.  To say she was selfless would be an understatement.  That isn't to say that she didn't have a penchant for having the nicer things in life, but she never let that get in the way of her relationships with her family and friends.  It was part of who she was and the part of her that I will never forget.  There was just something about her that welcomed you in before you even spoke a word to her.  Perhaps it was the loving smile she shared with everyone or just the fact that she welcomed everyone with open arms and a loving embrace.  I remember the parties I used to go to when I was younger at her and my uncle's house, full of family, laughter and good times.  Those memories will stay with me forever.  After she retired, her and my uncle moved to Florida where they could enjoy the warm weather year round, golf, and enjoy their lives.  She never really stopped working, however, it was only her corporate life that she retired from.  But working or not, she consistently remained open and loving to all.  Perhaps the best way to understand a little more about who she was would be to shed a little light on how she got to where she was when I was ushered into the world. 

Like my mother, my aunt was not born in this country, in fact she was born in the Ukraine (I believe) before she and my grandmother left for Chile.  She was born to my grandmother's first husband (my mother to my grandmother's second) and as such, transitioned a lot in her younger years.  It was in Chile that she met her husband, Ramiro Rocuant, and his three sons from a previous marriage.  Meeting a divorced man with three sons did not phase her, in fact, from the stories I have been told, she embraced all of them and became more of a mother to them than their biological mother was at the time.  After moving to the United States in 1964ish, she had a son which built the family up to four sons.  Between caring for her family and working, she still had time to entertain and welcome to her home as many people as possible.  As I mentioned before, my grandmother lived with her for a while in Milford before leaving for North Carolina.  Needless to say, we had a close knit family that was always there for each other.  That spirit of support and love for each other carries on to this day.  Those family ties are not just something that materializes out of no where.  They are built over generations of family members, constantly there for each other to help, support, love, and cherish each other.  As time progresses, those ties only grow deeper even if family members move to different parts of the country.  She was an integral part of our family and as such, an integral part of keeping the strong family ties alive.  Her legacy continues to this day and her family and ours continues to enrich our strong family bonds whenever possible.

I have been referring to my aunt in the past tense because she is no longer here with us to share her love and vivacity.  A few years back, meaning 5 or 6 now, she was diagnosed with a rare, rapidly progressing brain tumor.  It was one that the doctor's could do little to assist with.  Once she was diagnosed, she only had a few months to live.  I was lucky enough that I got to see her with my wife (fiancee at the time) before the tumor took her life.  Despite being in the condition that she was when I saw her, mostly bed ridden and having difficulty talking, her love and vivacity still shone through and her love of family stayed with her till the end.  Her passing was hard on the whole family as none of us felt it was her time to go.  But we never get to decide when the stop clock runs out on our life or of the lives of our loved ones, we must just accept it and move on.  I know she is in heaven now, in a better place, and still looking down on her family and watching over us.  So to the life she lived, the love she shared, and the people she had a positive impact on, I pay tribute to her.  I remember her fondly and will keep those memories alive with me as long as I shall live.  But most of all, I hope to impart her giving spirit, her loving embrace, and her strong family bond to those around me.  May you continue to rest in peace and watch over all of your family.  We will never forget you Dina Rocuant.