My mom Liz just passed away tonight. It’s not unex­pect­ed. And sad­ly, giv­en her health, it’s per­haps not even so trag­ic; she’s been declin­ing for years from Alzheimer’s and all but stopped eat­ing in recent weeks. I’m sure I’ll find voice to tell some sto­ries in the months ahead, but for now I’ll share some pic­tures. She would have turned 85 next month.

Liz Klein­top, 1950 or 51, approx 20 years old 

The last vis­it with my kids, May 2015. 

Danc­ing with Theo, Christ­mas 2009 

In Octo­ber 2007 we had a fam­i­ly week­end at a B&B in Stras­burg Pa train coun­try. Here Theo explains some­thing to her at Cher­ry Crest Farm. 

Fran­cis explores her new room, July 2013. 

Liz and my wife Julie at Long­wood Gar­dens, Spring 2006. 

Enjoy­ing pol­ka night at the Ukrain­ian hall in Mil­lville, N.J.,following grand­daugh­ter Lau­ra’s baptism. 

April 2003, on one of our stand­ing weeky lunch dates. 

A vis­it to her inde­pen­dent liv­ing apart­ment, July 2012. 

Prob­a­bly the old­est pic­ture of Liz I have, from 1931. Eliz­a­beth “Lizzie” “Gram­my” Williams Noll, Eliz­a­beth Klein­top, Puerette “Puri” “Pap­py” Noll. On porch of Colum­bia Ave. home, Palmerton. 

A note about names: she was born in late sum­mer 1930 as Eliz­a­beth Ann Klein­top. In her adult life she went as Bet­sy and took the last names of her part­ners. In her late 60s she decid­ed to take back a vari­a­tion of her last name and overnight Bet­sy Kel­ley became Liz Klein.