I am telling this story of Kathleen Calame's life on behalf of my two brothers, Calvin and Abraham, and sister Pauline. In addition, she also had 5 grandchildren - Tisha, Warren, Rustin, Adrian and Kevin, as well as two great grandchildren, Elise and Eva.

Our mother was born nine and-a-half decades ago in the parish of St. Mary in our island home, Jamaica. As a young adult she moved to the capital city of Kingston where she would meet her handsome young prince. Well in truth, a not so young prince named William Calame, who was 12 years her senior. They soon got married and from that union came four wonderful children.

In truth, we were not so wonderful but the love our parents had for each other and for us overcame all the hurt and pain not to mention expense we gave them. Dad always referred to Mom as "my heart"; Calvin and I, we were the devil's kids known as Cruff no.1 and Cruff no.2. Pauline, of course, was Dad's baby and Abe, Mom's baby. Our Mom ruled the house, all four of us and Dad who, of course, never did mind. He was too busy working a day job as well as a night job.

She was one tough mother but amazingly we never lost sight of the fact that she loved us dearly….even when, as teenagers she would chase away any young man or woman who came to see her daughter or us boys. Abe, the baby, was another story; somehow he never got old enough to suffer the same fate as he remained Mom's favorite.

Mom and Dad migrated here in the mid 70s after Dad retired and following Calvin who migrated in the late 60s. It broke Dad's heart, however, because once here he could no longer be the breadwinner and Mom started working for the first time while he stayed home. He died of a heart ailment in 1984 at age 71 and Mom was never the same after that. She remained there for us but the solitary life she lived, I believe took its toll on her.

Though she survived for another 38 years after Dad's passing, the cruelest disease, DEMENTIA, robbed her of her memories of a life well lived, with love and happiness for a family she created with her Wills, as she called Dad. Our Mom, Kathleen Calame, will live forever in our hearts, thoughts and prayers. God bless you Mom. May you rest in eternal peace.

A funeral service will be held 11:00 a.m. Saturday, August 13, 2022 at Pretlow and Sons Funeral Home, Chesapeake. Interment will follow at Roosevelt Memorial Park, Chesapeake. Viewing will be held Saturday from 9:00 a.m. until service time at the funeral home.

You can join the service livestream at : https://client.tribucast.com/tcid/2734477127