Remembering My Mom, Maria Micalizzi Augustine
By Dennis Augustine
There is something both heartbreaking and strangely meaningful about losing your mother on Mother’s Day itself.
My beloved Sicilian-born mom, Maria Micalizzi Augustine, passed away on Mother’s Day in 2013 at 88 years old. A devout Roman Catholic, she lived a life centered around faith, family, sacrifice, and love.
When I received the call from my sister Josie that Mom was critically ill, I booked a red-eye flight from California to New Jersey, despite hearing later that she seemed to be improving. Something in my heart told me I needed to go.
By the time I arrived at the hospital in Hoboken, my siblings and I gathered around Mom’s bedside, holding her hands, praying, and comforting one another. Not long after, she peacefully passed surrounded by all of her children.
Josie later said she believed Mom waited for me to arrive before letting go. I’ve never forgotten that.
One of my most treasured photos is of my siblings, my 97-year-old father, and me together after the funeral at the historic Clam Broth House for the repast — where Dad once worked as a young cook many decades earlier.
Thinking today of all mothers who are forever loved and deeply missed.
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