We celebrate the life of our beautiful mother, Janet Olivia Francis Mary Dooley Bronson. And yes, for those of you who are Catholic, her full name will resonate deeply.
Janet was a sweet but sassy little girl known as Hooley (since she was a bit of a Hooligan) from the south side of Chicago. She had a fondness for meatloaf on Wednesdays and hated fish on Fridays. Her heart belonged to her favorite sports—baseball and football—and, of course, to the greatest city in the world, Chicago (sorry KC she only lived here a short time). It’s not lost on me that the day before mama passed, Virginia McCasky (daughter of George Hallas and owner of the Bears) passed. Hey the last Bears game they watched was the Bears beating the Packers. BEAR DOWN. We also got to share the Cubs 2016 World Series win. We were on the phone together during the rain delay and then cried together when they got the final out and won. GO CUBS GO.
Though she dreamed of joining the Navy to travel the world and wear a uniform, fate led her to a different journey. In 1962, she married my father, and together they welcomed me in 1966, my sister Valerie in 1971, and my brother Eddie in 1980. She often said that her claim to fame was that she had a child in the 60s, 70s, and 80s!
My mom dedicated many years of her life to United Airlines, later becoming a travel agent. Her ultimate goal was to explore the world, and while she did experience a good portion of it, there remained so many places yet to see. In her honor, my sister and I will take her remains to visit her favorite destinations once again.
We moved to California in the early 80’s. My mom made some great friends at her home and I know they are as upset about her passing as we are.
Eddie, who is in Portland, will always be her little man. And Valerie, along with her husband Charles, has gifted Mom with two wonderful grandchildren, Tara and Arthur. Mom adored them, and I know she cherished the time she spent with them on their cruise in November 2024.
Kelsey and Adam, your Grammy loved you deeply, a love that you’ll fully understand when you have children of your own. Aurora, you are Grammy’s dream come true as a great-granddaughter, and I promise to make sure you know all about her.
My mom was a true fighter; she battled metastatic breast cancer for an incredible 24 years. As my sister often reminded us, it wouldn’t be the disease that took her but rather a truck. That truck, sadly, came in the form of pneumonia.
Thank you all for being here today to honor my sweet mom. This summer, we plan to come together at my house, gather on the patio, share hotdogs and beers, and listen to good old 70s rock music as we remember her joy and resilience.
Now as she would say let’s get out of here, I’m missing Judge Judy.
