Remembering An 'Incandescent Force Of Nature'

Lenora [Cirucci] Annibale, 1939- 2017

Lenora.

Her name was as unique as she was.

And when you saw or heard her name, you immediately wanted to add an explanation point to it. It just seemed right: Lenora – slash, dot. 

Because she lived her life – all her life – with an explanation point. And, since she was my sister, I was fortunate to partake of it all.

Lenora was a vivid personality. And she had such a zest for life that I called her “the incandescent force of nature.” And she really seemed as bright as the sun and as strong as nature itself.

Sometimes I joked with her that she was truly unsinkable – virtually indestructible. But she always cautioned me not to make such an assumption.

It’s not that Lenora didn’t know she was vulnerable and breakable, like the rest of us. It’s just that she ignored it.

Some people dip into life cautiously, with a demitasse spoon. Not Lenora. She used a ladle – passionately scooping up all the good stuff.

And she liked the really good stuff. My mother always said Lenora should have been born a Vanderbilt because that’s the way Lenora wanted to live. As for Lenora herself, she simply chose to live a Rolls Royce life. I don’t know how she did it. The only person who knows the secret to that is Frank and he took the secret with him.

Still, when all was said and done, nothing was more valuable to Lenora than love and no love was more important than love of family. She was a devoted daughter, a wonderful sister, a loving wife, a boundlessly loving mother and grandmother, an effervescent and all-time-favorite aunt, an incredible sister-in-law, a great cousin and, as many of you know a loyal and cherished friend.

Two phrases can sum up her life and each one is no more than three words. The first is this: Enjoy each day. Enjoy each moment the way Lenora did --and remember her for that. And the second? Those are the three words I will leave you with: Love one another!