Jessica DiPirro: A Loving Wife and Devoted Mother

From her first day on the softball field until her final day on Earth, no description of my mother has ever neglected the words "kind" or "loving". During her time as a softball player and coach, to her long and storied career as a nurse, and even during her final battle with cancer, she carried with her the same virtues of selflessness and compassion that guided her in life: she always put the needs of others above her own, she never stopped loving, and she had a sense of compassion matched only by the Almighty. She was a woman of many, many friends-- it is difficult to find a single living soul in her hometown of Hapeville who doesn't personally know her by name. It is a testament to her remarkable memory that, of the hundreds of friends she had on Earth, she knew all of them like the back of her hand, and she loved each one of them. She was an incredibly loving wife and, above all else, she loved her children; my sister and I were her entire world. From my first memories of her, she was nothing but loving and encouraging. She helped me to follow my dreams and to treat others with not only dignity, but with unconditional love.

Jessica DiPirro lived an incredibly fulfilled life, and though grief and sorrow burn within the hearts of all of us, I am truly honored and humbled to have been a part of her adventure. It is in the wake of her passing, and with humility, that I am asking for your help. I have begun this fundraiser on behalf of my father who is now suffering not only with a crisis of the heart, but also one of finances. The allocated funding will be used to pay for the costs of her funeral service, to fund much-needed grief counseling for the family, and to pay for ambulance rides and extra medical costs which could not be covered by insurance. Please consider honoring my mother's extraordinary life and legacy either with a donation, or by sharing this fundraiser with those you know-- it would truly mean the world to us and we would be eternally grateful.

As a final note I simply want to say: I love you mama. I always have, I always will, and your memory will burn brightly within not only me, but in everyone you've met. You were truly larger than life, and I could not have asked for a better mother. You were a living testament to everything that is good in humanity and I carry with me every day the values that you taught me. I can only hope to live up to your example. You'll always be in my heart, until we meet again.