My mother.

 

Rosalyn Lee Craddock

 

She died on Sunday April 28th, 2019. 85 years on planet earth.

 

My family knew she was dying for a while but it’s different when it actually happens. She had several different health issues but was diagnosed with lung cancer last fall. She had several chemotherapy sessions, but the cancer didn’t shrink enough to keep the sessions going.

it wasn’t the cancer that ended her life. She died peacefully in her sleep between midnight and 4AM. She wasn’t in any pain over the months of decline but her body just stopped working. She became weaker and weaker over the months and went from being able to take care of herself to becoming dependent on others for day-to-day living.

 

My sister Cheryl really deserves a lot of credit during this period. She was there every day and did so much to help. I’m so glad she was there for my mother, right down to the last hours of her life.

My mother…

She gave birth to me, raised me, took me to school, picked me up, taught, encouraged, scolded, listened, nurtured and supported me.

She was the one who took me to my first drum lessons and was the one to buy me my first professional drum set back in 1999. I still have it. I used it on my first musical back in 2000. It traveled the USA on a bus and truck tour of Footloose and I put it away until I got my first broadway show, Memphis The Musical. I’ve used it a few times since the show closed but I kept it because I really didn’t want to get rid of it since it was my mother who bought it for me. It’s kinda sentimental. Now that she’s gone, I’m going to pass it on. I think some young kid will love that drum set as much as I did.

My mom was one of my biggest cheerleaders when it came to my career. Don’t get me wrong, my father was there for me too and without him, a lot of what my mother did for me might not have been possible. They had their roles to play in putting all three of their kids through college and helping us get on our feet in our young adult years and even afterward.

I thanked both of them for all they’ve done over and over again. I know some of the sacrifices they made now that I have kids of my own. I hope to be that same rock for my kids like my parents were.

One way I felt I could give a little back was to get them tickets to my latest, and possibly final broadway show, Ain’t Too Proud – The Life And Times Of The Temptations. When I first heard she was ill,  I was concerned because I was in Toronto with the show. I didn’t know if I was going to be there for her if she were to pass away while I was in another country. Thankfully, that didn’t happen.

When I got back to New York, and the show was up and running, I made plans to get my mom and dad to the city to see the Ain’t Too Proud. It wasn’t easy because my mom was getting weaker and weaker. She needed lots of help but I was almost brought to tears after the show was over. Most of the cast came out from backstage to greet my mom. The choreographer, producer and even the director said hello.

This cast, crew and musicians are some of the most loving people I know.

She was always stylish. Everywhere she went, she made sure she looked good. She came to the show with one of her amazing outfits and red hat. She didn’t play around! Even with a limited time left on earth, she kept her standards high.

I look back at some old photos and see that it was always this way. On the last day I saw her, she was completely bed ridden. It was four days before she passed. While I was there, she asked my sister to get her a mirror that was on the wall. It was brought to her immediately. My mom looked in the mirror for a few seconds and said, “Yeah, I think I look good,” and instructed my sister to hang the mirror back up.

It was just a thing she wanted to keep up. She was even a little concerned that her nails weren’t in good shape, but they looked amazing to me.

I have so many stories to tell of my mom but I need to stop and process the fact that I’ll never see her again. I don’t regret a thing. I saw her as much as I could, talked to her as much as I wanted, recorded a lot of video and audio of her, have thousands of photos and keep millions of great memories in my head.

Life is short. Take advantage of each moment. I sure do. Keep those who you love close because they can be taken away at any moment.

She was a beautiful woman. I’m glad I had all 52 years of my life with her in it. That’s pretty damn good.

Obituary:

Rosalyn Lee Craddock of Manchester entered into eternal rest on April 28, 2019, the wife of Roy Craddock III. Born in Hartford, she grew up in Bloomfield and graduated from Bloomfield High School.

Born to the late Herman Roland Lee, Sr. and Mary Johnson Lee, Rozie, as she was called by her family and acquaintances, was employed by the City of Hartford, Welfare Department, the Hartford Board of Education, retiring in 1994 after nineteen years of service.Roz was a member of Union Baptist Church for over seventy years where she sang in the Chancel Choir and was a member of the Senior Usher Board, member of Stella Chapter #16 OES, member of Leslie I Duncan #74 Golden Circle, member of the Red Hot Honey’s of Bloomfield (Red Hatters) and Hartford Retired School Secretaries Association. She also volunteered for the Little Theater of Manchester. She enjoyed knitting, bowling, watching tennis, basketball and traveling.

Besides her husband, Roy, she leaves to mourn her daughters, Cynthia Craddock of Chicopee, MA, Cheryl Craddock of Manchester and son Clayton Craddock of the Bronx, New York; two grandchildren, Sahaar and Naseem Craddock also of New York; a sister-in-law, two brothers-in-law, and a host of nieces and nephews.She was predeceased by her brother, Herman Roland Lee, Jr., four sisters, Gwendolyn Lee, Geraldine Long, Jacquelyn Booth and Carolyn Smith.

At Rosalyn’s request, services will be private. A repast will take place on Monday, May 6, 2019 at 12:30PM at Union Baptist Church, 1921 Main Street, Hartford, CT 06120.

To leave a message of comfort for the Craddock family, please visit www.hkhfuneralservices.com  

Published in The Hartford Courant on May 5, 2019