I am sure there have been many wise people in my life. I have learned from everyone I have met. But if I had to pick one, I would pick my Aunt Adelina.

As my mother used to say, she was always a bookworm. She would have her nose in a book all the time. She graduated from Ayer High School in 1929 and went on to study Physical Therapy at Posse-Nissen school in Boston. She taught school for several years. But she knew she wanted to do something else. She enrolled in an emergency course of PT affiliated with Sargent School in Boston and the following year was sent as a civilian to Fort Benning, GA. The need for women in this field was great and in 1943 she was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the Army. She was the first woman in the Nashoba Valley to enter military service and she had an impressive career.

She served during World War II and the Korean Conflict, worked in Japan for three years and earned several military awards including the Army Commendation Medal, Certificate of Appreciation of the Army Medical Corps for outstanding service. Her last assignment was as the Assistant Chief of the PT section at the Walter Reed in Washington DC. She had worked her way to Major and, in those days, she said, the Army would only promote a certain number of women to higher ranks. She was up for re-enlistment and the Army “had enough female Lt. Colonels” so she would not be promoted. She resigned after 21 years. It was important to her then that women have the right to equality. She thought that was unfair and she kept her dignity. She then went to work at the Ayer Hospital until she retired ten years later. 

 When she was in the military, I remember going to Logan Airport to pick her up and/or drop her off when she came home for leave. I remember the propeller plane landing on the tarmac and her walking to the door to greet us. She usually had her uniform on. She looked so professional and serene. Other travelers looked weary but not Auntie. She stood ramrod straight, head held high. She would stay about a month; bossing everyone around and then she would fly away for another year. Sometimes she would call on the phone and I would talk with her. Always: “How is school?” “Are you doing well in your subjects?” “What are you reading?” She would write letters but her penmanship was horrible. I always had a difficult time deciphering her words.

When she retired in November 1963 she moved into my mother’s upstairs apartment. She was going to live there until spring, when she would then build a house on her land across from Breezy Point. I don’t know what spring she was talking about. She lived upstairs until she died in 1992. Thirty springs came and went and she was still there.

When I was younger I thought she was so rigid and bossy. It was her way or no way. Looking back, I really don’t know how I ever survived the world according to Major Pirone. We clashed. I didn’t give her the respect she was due. But as I matured. I did see the wisdom in her actions. Her heart was in the right place. She wanted the best for everyone in her family. And, when she thought you were not doing your best, she would butt in. After I got married and moved away our relationship took a positive turn and we made amends. But I digress. I did say she was the wisest person I’ve known. And, she really was. She knew, even in the 1930s, that education was the key to success. For twenty-one years, she knew how to survive in a man’s world in the Army. She knew when to voice her opinion and when to keep her mouth shut. She would have never made it to Major if she didn’t.

She used her retirement wisely. She improved her sewing skills. She always thought herself a wonderful cook. Verdict is still out on that but she tried. She taught herself to make bread and got a KitchenAid mixer in the 60s. I still use that very mixer today. She took adult education classes at the local high school. She learned how to braid rugs, knit, and crochet. She even made beautiful lined drapes for her living room. She did ceramics and made Christmas trees for each of her sisters. She realized the value of an education whether it was formal or informal.

She was one of the most generous people I ever met. She always gave me a big box at Christmas and on my birthday. This box would have everything and anything in it. Items she had collected all year. From pencils to socks, undies, PJs, and outfits. You name it and it could be in a box some year or every year. There was no rhyme or reason to it. And, always an envelope with some cash in it that was generous enough to be the gift without the contents of the box.

In 1984 I decided to join the Army myself. I had taken all the tests. I was ready to get my physical. I just hadn’t signed the final papers making the commitment real and legal. Ralph (my husband) was OK with it. I told my children, Felicia and Anthony, I would be gone for 12 weeks (or "12 Dukes of Hazzard"). That would take care of my basic training and then to Fort Sam Houston for my medical MOS. I thought this would be the best way I could support my family. I could climb the ranks fairly quickly as an LPN. I remember telling Aunt Adelina about it. I thought she would be so pleased that I was doing something positive. She looked at me and said, “This is not the time for this, you have a family. Your first responsibility is to be with them”. I tried to explain about supporting them. She said, “NO. Please don’t do this.” I really took what she said to heart. I did some real soul searching. I prayed to God for guidance. Deep down I found that this wouldn’t work at all. I was just kidding myself. I needed to support them another way. I needed to stay home with my husband and children. We had my daughter Renata in 1985, sold our house and moved to Vermont in 1986. I started working at DHMC in 1988. I put in my 28 1/2 years at DHMC, not the United States Army. Thank you for the advice, Auntie!

Auntie Adelina stayed at my Auntie Vina’s house for the last few months of her life. I went to see her. She was sitting in the rocker looking out the dining room window just like her mother did before her. She looked so frail and helpless. She looked at me and said, “I want to die. I am ready. Why won’t God take me?” I told her it wasn’t her time yet. She said, “Please dear God take me”. I gave her a kiss and a hug; told her that I loved her. She died a few days later. In six months’ time, I lost my mother, Sally and Auntie Adelina.

She was extremely wise, even in how she drew up her Last Will and Testament. She divided her belongings evenly and fairly. She was all about family and was very proud of her heritage. Her legacy remains in our family to this day almost thirty years after her death. I was able to do many things with the money she left me. She made my life easier and some of it enabled me to return to school for my RN. I furthered my education in her honor. I am truly grateful to her for everything. Rest in Peace, Auntie Adelina.