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PLYMOUTH — On May 11, 1968, my mother died and I have missed her every single day since.

Elizabeth Kraszewski O’Boyle was 42 when she passed away — I was 17.

It was the day before Mother’s Day and I was getting ready to head out to baseball practice when the telephone rang. My dad, William O’Boyle, was at work at Leslie Fay.

Dr. Stuccio told me that my mom “expired” in the Wyoming Valley Hospital.

At first, I wasn’t clear on what he meant. Then Dr. Stuccio said my mom had died.

I dropped the phone and ran across the street to Alex and Mary Kraynack’s house. Mrs. K and Ecky were like grandparents to me — I never knew any of my biological grandparents because all four died before I was born.

Mrs. K. called my dad to tell him the news. I waited on their front porch for my dad to come home.

When he pulled up in front of the house, I saw that he was crying — I lost it too. It was an awful time for us.

We were a good family. My dad was a disabled veteran and my mom had polio. Both of them were highly functional, giving me a very early and clear appreciation for the abilities of people with disabilities.

In the long days and weeks following my mom’s death, it became increasingly difficult for us to stay in our home. Everywhere we looked there were reminders of mom. We realized we had to move if we were going to move forward.

Despite only having her for the first 17 years of my life, I have so many memories — all good, except for when she became ill and progressively declined over the last three years of her life.

I still call on those memories today. They often get me through difficult times and when I think of her and her smile and her words, I smile and I am thankful she was my mother.

I certainly didn’t need her to die to achieve this appreciation of her, but it did accelerate my maturity and my ability to value the goodness in people and how to treat others. My mom was the absolute best at that — and my dad had the same quality. They were the best examples for me to mold my inner self.

Because of the examples set by my parents, I decided at a very early age to get involved with my community. I started out coaching Teeners’ League Baseball and went on to become president of Teeners’ League in Luzerne County. From there I went to American Legion Baseball and my community involvement grew and grew.

I got involved with the regional Make-A-Wish Foundation, I helped forge a relationship between the John Heinz Institute and a children’s hospital in Warsaw, Poland, and I provided funding for a playground for pediatric patients at the John Heinz Institute — totally accessible for kids of all levels of functionality.

I have served on the Leadership Wilkes-Barre committee that began Junior Leadership Wilkes-Barre and I was selected and graduated from Leadership USA — one of 35 people in the U.S. chosen for the program. I’m a past member and president of the Ethics Institute of Northeastern Pennsylvania; helped organize the Book Kids Program at Wyoming Valley West School District; co-chaired the annual Riverside Rumble wheelchair-only race that was a 10K national and international championship; chaired the annual Bowl for Kids Sake for Big Brothers/Big Sisters; and served on the Wyoming Valley West Community Advisory Group.

And for the last almost 30 years, I have volunteered as “the announcer guy” with Challenger Little League and Victory Sports — two organizations that serve children and adults, respectively, with mental and/or physical challenges.

For this lifetime dedication to doing my part to serve the community I live in and love, the United Way of Wyoming Valley chose me to receive the 2019 Rose Brader Award for volunteerism. I am extremely honored and humbled to receive this award for many reasons. I knew Rose Brader well and worked with her on several projects.

And it was my former boss, Tom Pugh, a dear friend and mentor, who nominated me for this prestigious award. I am grateful and I am fortunate to count Tom among my closest of friends.

My parents instilled in me a sense of community and I have always tried to help where I could over the years. I’m not sharing all this with you out of braggadocio — I share it because my parents taught me the importance of helping others.

On this Mother’s Day, my mom would be very proud. As would my dad.

But not as proud as I am to have had them as my loving parents.

Happy Mother’s Day.

The O’Boyle family: William O’Boyle Sr. and Elizabeth Kraszewski O’Boyle hold their baby, Billy, circa October, 1950.
https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/web1_O-Boyle-family.toned_.jpg.optimal.jpgThe O’Boyle family: William O’Boyle Sr. and Elizabeth Kraszewski O’Boyle hold their baby, Billy, circa October, 1950.

Bill O’Boyle
https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/web1_Oboyle_Bill-2-.jpg.optimal.jpgBill O’Boyle

By Bill O’Boyle

[email protected]

Reach Bill O’Boyle at 570-991-6118 or on Twitter @TLBillOBoyle, or email at [email protected].