Great minds think a lot!
             - Marge DeVito

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MARJORIE DeVITO'S PAGE

Let’s make something perfectly clear: She was not a saint like woman. I wish that a eulogy wouldn’t have to be written. Wishing that the antics, and other things Marge did would continue forever. But I know her legend will continue, getting bigger with each telling.- These words are just a scratch of the surface of the many lives Marge touched.

All I needed to know I learned from Marge DeVito:

1. If you have a great story, there is no limit to the number of times that you tell it.
I can picture Marge parking the camp van in the middle of a puddle in the darkest part of the parking lot, and watching Lisa run towards the front seat as the splashing went over her head.  I wish I had a dollar for each time I heard this story.

2. Lessons can be taught through the simplest of actions: One time Marge said: "Whammy, carry the goose back to the nature shack." 
I asked: "How do I hold it?"
Marge said "Put your hand around its neck.  and squeeze it's body under your elbow.." - If you have never held a goose before, this story does not have a very clean ending.

3. Give comfort to friends in need. Marge spent a lot of time giving her heart and soul to friends who were leaving this physical world.  This was obvious in how she in turn was visited and helped along through her life

4. Lessons never really end. As I told Marge’s friend, Tanina, Marge taught me about dying with dignity.  It was not as upsetting as I expected when I visited Marge to say goodbye.  She was pain free and surrounded by loved ones.

5. Make them laugh, and then make them laugh some more. Marge came across a mannequin head...  OK, I bought it at a flea market we visited.. She did many things to shock people with it.  Last week after sharing many Marge stories featuring this head, Tony, who was not in the room, rejoined us and said he remembered going to the bathroom, and as he lifted the toilet seat, there was the head looking up at him.   We laughed some more.

Many people saw this head looking at them, and would laugh thinking about it.

6. Spend time in church. Part of the myth - I remember Marge telling me she had resigned from the Catholic Church.  The only time she spent in church was religiously playing BINGO every Thursday.  Laura, and Torre were remembering how Marge would get out of the hospital after a stay, and go right to bingo as soon as possible.  Marge always needed to be around people.

7. Get people to do crazy things.Each summer at camp, she would get the newest workers to sweep the yellow line in the middle of the highway.  It was hysterical in every way.

8. Touch many lives. Running the nature shack gave Marge a chance to touch many lives.  She taught through humor and life lessons.  Many campers who saw their first frog dissection went on to become doctors and dentists after getting their first nature charge there.

9. Do legendary things. In 1976 she started a fire with steel wool and batteries.  They still talk about it today.  When she was in the Army doing ,camouflage exercises, everyone else climbed up trees to hide, and were quickly found.  Marge dug a hole in the ground, put leaves over herself and spent the day asleep.
 
10. Whenever possible, do practical jokes. If she visited your home you might end up with dozens and dozens of plastic spiders all over your home or pennies frozen in your freezer, or Olives in your shoes..  She once put a dead copperhead in a paper bag in Ron's truck.  Ron hated snakes.  Ron beat that snake to death a second time when he saw it.  The next day, he saw that same bag in his truck..... He quickly beat those dozen eggs to death.

 This list goes on for quite a while.

 11. Be many things to many people. She was a daughter, sister, aunt, mother, baby sitter, mentor, grandmother, and great friend.

 12. Love people and they will love you back. Marge knew people loved her, and we always will.

 The next stage will begin. I am looking forward to those friends who will ask me, “Is it true that Marge….” because chances are, she did.  This was a lady who got the parents on visiting day to take off their shoes and socks and stick their naked feet into a bucket full of worms to revitalize their feet.

And if by any chance she didn’t do it, I know Marge would want to take credit for it anyway.
          - Joel (Whammy) Kaufman
                                   June 2004

THE YEARS HAVE FLOWN
By Marjorie May DeVito

The years have flown;
                they've gone so fast
How strange that I should find at last,
That the days are numbered now for me
Yet, I can accept what has to be.

Why should I fret, or fear, or weep
When I've had a life with love so deep,
With many blessings, and children too?
Though there were hard times,
                  that is true,

Now that I am old, I can truly say
Bad times fade, but the good times stay.
Though I'm old and tired,
               please know that mine
Has been a life both long and fine.

And even though I will surely leave
Many behind and they will grieve,
I shall again be able to see
Those that I loved and were dear to me.

So no regrets please, and no tears shed,
For the time has come
               and it must be said:
I was prepared and ready to go,
Where ever the river of Life might flow.

Marjorie May Center DeVito died of complications from emergency surgery early on the morning of June 10, 2004. She was the devoted wife of Ettore (Tony) Anthony DeVito, the loving mother of Torre and Laura DeVito, Mother-in-Law of Karen DeVito, and proud grandmother of Robert and Rebecca DeVito. She was preceded in death by McManus (Buddy) and Laura Huffman and is survived by her Brother, Samuel Center, and her Sisters Dianne Sliva and Judy Ganske.

Marjorie was born on May 4, 1941 in Washington State, and moved to Bellville, Texas, where she lived until she joined the Woman’s Army Corp in 1959. While serving the United States and stationed in Washington D.C. she met and eventually married a young army photographer, her husband of 44 years, Tony DeVito

Marge, as her friends knew her, was the survivor of a twenty year struggle with cancer and a proponent of the American Cancer Society’s “Relay for Life”. Her indominatable spirit inspired those around her.

She loved working with children, and is an Alumni of Surprise Lake Camp where she ran the nature shack and where she will long be remembered for her loving and playful spirit, demented sense of humor, and her irascible practical jokes. She will also be remembered in bingo halls throughout the United States but especially to those ladies and gentlemen who meet in the basement of Our Lady of Loretto in Cold Spring New York where she would appear in the company of assorted characters including a couple of crazy young men dressed as bag-ladies.

Her sense of humor and caring nature broke down many barriers, and those who were fortunate enough to come under her care found a lifelong mentor and friend. She was dearly loved and will be sorely missed, but has made an indelible mark on us all.

The funeral service was held at the cemetery site at Chatham Memorial Park, 13260 US HWY 64 West, Siler City, NC at 10:30 Monday morning (6/14/04)

Donations to American Cancer Society in lieu of flowers.

"How will cancer be treated 10 years from now? Will my friends and I be the last poor suckers who have to go through these God-awful treatments? I really hope so!"
                                - Marjorie DeVito

Marge backed up her desire to help fight cancer by participating in the local American Cancer Society Relay For Life.

Her struggle is over, but her fight continues - join the fight.