Fr Greg's Sister Ann

Fr Greg fought his cancer as hard as he possibly could. When he asked me in 2010 if he could live with me while he went through all his doctor appointments. I told him, "you just gave me a purpose to go on." I had just lost my husband 4 years prior. This also gave me an opportunity to get to know the brother I never knew growing up. He was always somebody I "visited," I never really got to know him as a brother. So this gave me the opportunity to get to know my parents as a YOUNG married couple. Since I was towards the end of the line of siblings, I only knew them as "older" parents. The stories that he would tell me about mom and dad and growing up taking care of all his "kids" were incredible.

We did everything that we could to get him home. And I'm so thankful to all of those people, Arch and my brother John, who helped take him to all of his nearly daily appointments. But the last week of his life, when he fell twice at home, we had to call the ambulance to help. But that last fall was just SO hard on him. In that moment, he saw our brother Jim who had died one year ago that day. And he stopped me from helping him up and said "No, Jim will help me up." I said "Fr. Greg, Jim is in heaven." To which he replied: "oh that lucky devil."

From here started Fr. Greg's journey. The paramedics took him to the hospital, and from there the Marrian Center for Hospice Care. When Chona, Fr John, Dave, and Ana came to visit him there, he wanted nothing more than to say mass. And he did it in Spanish, so I pray he thought he was home. He hung on for a few more days after that, but when he was surrounded by loved ones saying the rosary, he opened his eyes real BIG and Fr Brian told him, "go to the bright light." In our hearts, we know that it was Mom, Dad, our brother Jim, and our sister Mary Alice who were there to greet him.

So this entire journey has been about getting him home. We tried desperately to bring him back to San Lucas so he could be home with the people he loved. But God had a different plan. I just don't know if he would've had the strength to make this last journey. But he is here where he should be now. That is what he wanted with all his heart and soul.

Goodbye my dear brother. I love you, with all my heart and soul.

Ann