Mom

There's really no way to express what I'm feeling right now. Well, I suppose there is but I'm too tired to go there and the list is so long of what still needs to be done. It's been 3 days since Mom passed away on Wednesday, September 5th. Someday, I will write the book that seems to be scattered all over my computer in bits and pieces, sort of like her cognitive ability as it began to fade and parts of her personality became puzzle pieces that slowly pulled apart and rearranged, but never quite fit back together.  Someday, I will. But for now, I put one foot in front of another, look out for Dad including assembling what he'll wear to the funeral and hoping he has the strength to make it "just one more day".

I think my mom is happy. I think she may be rejoicing and frolicking and exploring and laughing and laying down another perfect hand of Rook. I hope she's missing me like I'm missing her. I hope she knows how much I love her. I hope she understands how she'll always be my hero. I hope...I hope...to see her face again.

Death by consensus is hard. With 6 brothers and sisters and everyone with an opinion, it took four hours just to revise the recently written obituary.  However, it is done and here it is.  Last week I felt prompted to order Mom's birth certificate just to verify how she really spelled her middle name. To our great surprise it is May with a "Y" instead of an "E".  And even though it arrived in time to correct the obituary and the program,  some members of The Committee argued for an "E" since that's how she spelled it during the last 40 or 50 years of her life.  

Olea Mae, MaY you enjoy your time without us because I promise, when we start returning home we will make you be our mom again and look for you to rub our heads and scratch our backs and tell us, "this too will pass".

                                                     Olea Mae Babbel Woolf

                                                           1924 - 2012

Olea Mae Babbel Woolf, age 88, passed away peacefully in her home in Laguna Niguel, CA, surrounded by family and friends on September 5, 2012, due to complications of Lewy Body Dementia.  Born in Twin Falls, ID, on May 28, 1924, the daughter of Frederick August and Lena Lamprecht Babbel, Olea was the 7^th child of 9 children, her parents being immigrants from Germany.  Olea had a strong adventuresome spirit, boundless energy, great enthusiasm, lived unselfishly and loved life.  She graduated from Brigham Young University in 1946 in Bacteriology and completed her 5^th year certification as a Medical Technologist at Stanford Medical Hospital in San Francisco.  In 1947, she married Anthony DeVoe Woolf in the Salt Lake LDS Temple.  Olea and Anthony had 7 children during the next 12 years and resided in El Cerrito, CA, for over 40 years.  Although she had a long career in Hematology at Samuel Merritt Hospital in Oakland, CA, Olea’s first devotion was to her family and her faith in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, where she enthusiastically served among the children and the youth.  She had a great love for reading, nature, travel, music, singing, and most of all, people.  She was blessed with many gifts but her family believes her greatest gift was her ability to manifest her love for people in her everyday actions.  Olea and Anthony retired to Auburn, CA, living a wonderful life together for over 20 years in the foothills of the Sierras before moving to Laguna Niguel, CA, to live with their daughter, Joyce, for the past 2 years.  Olea is survived by her husband, Anthony; her children, Cheryl (Jay) Munns of West Covina, CA; Joyce Woolf of Laguna Niguel, CA; John (Gayle) Woolf of Murray, UT; Fred (Melissa) Woolf of Alpharetta, GA; Marlene (Kelly) Gallacher of Granite Bay, CA; Sandy (Bill) Marble of Woodland, CA; and William (Alycia) Woolf of Park City, UT; her sister, Pearl (Wendell) Schenk of Twin Falls, ID, her sister-in-law, Ivie Babbel of Manti, UT; her sister-in-law, Mary Woolf, (Georgetown, TX).   She is also survived by her 26 grandchildren and 24 great-grandchildren.  She will be greatly missed but her influence will be felt for many generations.  Her family wants to thank her recent caregivers and hospice workers.

A viewing will be held on September 17, 2012, at 9:30 a.m. with services at 11:00 a.m. at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 3050 Mojave Lane, Provo, UT.  In addition, friends and relatives are invited to the home of John & Gayle Woolf, 569 E. Trunk Bay Circle, Murray, UT, Sunday, September 16^th at 7:00 p.m. to visit with family members.  Condolences may be left at www.jenkins-soffe.com.  Contributions may be made to www.lbda.org.