Violet Amirault now lay peacefully as though asleep, beyond the grinding persecution of a system gone awry, in a far, far better place, where her innocence is known and her courage and integrity are honored.
There was an almost imperceptible smile on her face. She seemed to be encouraging the loved ones around her. Cheryl knelt down beside her nieces and nephews, Gerald's children, and talked to them, lovingly, smiling, and talking to Violet as she lay sleeping. Cheryl and Patti had a warm word and a gentle touch for others kneeling and saying a prayerful good-bye to Violet. They were consoling others, being strong for others.
Gerald was brought to his mother's side for a few minutes, again as in the hospital, shackled and guarded, only the second time he'd seen his mother in ten years. He was not allowed to attend her funeral. He sent a letter to his mother, which his daughter read at the Mass. It was a loving message to his mother, thanking her for what she had done for him and meant to him in making him the good, courageous person he is. His fine children are a testimonial to the rest of us that strong parents like Gerald and Patti can guide and set the example despite extreme diversity, even that beyond man's comprehension.
At the beginning of the Mass, Patti read a description of Violet's "two lives," both of which were singularly marked by Violet's sense of purpose and integrity. The first segment of her life was that of a woman of the 60s daring to start and run a business, the Fells Acre day-care center, through which thousands of children were cared for and nurtured. The school was heralded as the best of its kind in the area. Violet's second life began when the school was shut down and the horrific charges were made.
Toward the end, Violet's main concern was the exoneration and freedom of her children, Cheryl and Gerald, and the happiness of her grandchildren. Patti made us smile when she told of Violet's making sure that the ingredients of several favorite recipes were passed along so that her family would continue to enjoy them.
During the Mass, the priest read the Sermon on the Mount, from the Gospel of St. Matthew. The last of the Beatitudes rang most eloquently over the hundreds of family and friends there to say our farewells to Violet:
Blessed are they who suffer persecution
for justice's sake,
for their's is the kingdom of heaven.
Francis X. Kane
Amirault family friend