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Her name was Anna (Anne) Colona and although she's gone, she won't be forgotten. The church was packed with those whose lives she touched. She never married or had children but she had a huge and varied family.
I knew her all my life. She was the girls' phys ed teacher then the guidance counselor at Krebs school where my father was principal and my step-mother taught. My father, who believes praise should be doled out sparingly, couldn't say enough good about her. I know he was incredibly upset that he wasn't here for her when she became ill (lung cancer) or able to pay his final respects so I went to the service in his stead.
Part of the service entailed people giving testimony to her life. Retired teachers spoke about her dedication and humility. Friends spoke about her generosity. She was an active member of Delta Kappa Gamma International Honor Society for Women Educators for years and a past president. She was very involved in the scholarship fund and the encouragement of young people to enter the teaching field. Many members of that society stood and spoke about her unflagging enthusiasm. Even the mothers of adult children attended and spoke, citing how Miss Colona changed the course of their children's lives. I could write paragraph after paragraph about the stories people told but you get the idea - She certainly packed a lot of life into her 78 years.
What I remember about her? Optimism, no-nonsense affability and large doses of enthusiastic encouragement toward whatever goal one expressed. When she spoke to you, you felt as if you were the most important person in her world....and you were. She genuinely cared.
I'll use one of her catch phrases - The bottom line is, Miss Colona was an incredible woman who will live on in the influence she had on the people around her. I hope you all had or have a Miss Colona in your life.
I knew her all my life. She was the girls' phys ed teacher then the guidance counselor at Krebs school where my father was principal and my step-mother taught. My father, who believes praise should be doled out sparingly, couldn't say enough good about her. I know he was incredibly upset that he wasn't here for her when she became ill (lung cancer) or able to pay his final respects so I went to the service in his stead.
Part of the service entailed people giving testimony to her life. Retired teachers spoke about her dedication and humility. Friends spoke about her generosity. She was an active member of Delta Kappa Gamma International Honor Society for Women Educators for years and a past president. She was very involved in the scholarship fund and the encouragement of young people to enter the teaching field. Many members of that society stood and spoke about her unflagging enthusiasm. Even the mothers of adult children attended and spoke, citing how Miss Colona changed the course of their children's lives. I could write paragraph after paragraph about the stories people told but you get the idea - She certainly packed a lot of life into her 78 years.
What I remember about her? Optimism, no-nonsense affability and large doses of enthusiastic encouragement toward whatever goal one expressed. When she spoke to you, you felt as if you were the most important person in her world....and you were. She genuinely cared.
I'll use one of her catch phrases - The bottom line is, Miss Colona was an incredible woman who will live on in the influence she had on the people around her. I hope you all had or have a Miss Colona in your life.
