Evelyn "Kay" Gareis, age 75, passed away Wednesday, February 28, 2018, the day she and her husband, Bob, were married several decades ago at Holy Name Cathedral. An ALS victim, Kay suffered but was faithful to her Cross, at peace with Christ and confident in her destination. In November, 2017, she wrote a "Next to Last letter to Family and Friends." Her Letter is repeated below so that family and friends may remember her and others may come to know her, her faith, her wisdom and her humor.

Dear Family and Friends, Remember the one about the guy caught in the flood, sitting on his roof waiting for rescue. Rowboat comes by, man yells get in I'll save you. I'm ok says the guy, God'll save me. Water's rising. Motorboat comes by, get in we'll get you to dry land. No, no God's gonna save me. Water's rising. Helicopter hovers overhead, loudspeaker calls out grab the ladder the water's rising. I'm good, God will save me! Now he's alone, the roiling current sweeps him right into God's office. Where he's now standing, dripping on the carpet, whining what happened you said you would save me! I sent a rowboat, a motorboat and a helicopter, says God. WHAT WERE YOU WAITING FOR!!!!

So, here I am, praying fervently that God will let me come home before things get really tough here, but every time something comes up we rush off to a doctor for help. At this point He's got to be questioning my sincerity!

First there were the vocal cord spasms to cut off my breathing, docs warned I would likely die that night if we went home; I got a tracheostomy. Swallow function will fail; you must have a gastric tube. Got it, though I said I'd never. Now I have bronchitis, a spot on a lung and a new episode of aFib. Was talking to a friend, she remarked that we can only sit, waiting for the other shoe to drop; I said I'm beginning to feel like a centipede! Just call me Job.

The bizarre part is the ALS itself, the "popping" sensation all over my body when the neurons and the brain try to communicate. I think of it as static in my electrical grid. With the breakdown, the muscles lose their ability to function, hence paralysis.

What I should do is lie down, pull up the covers and wait for God's celestial transport team to come by with my first class pass to my next transition.

Because transitioning I am. Dying only happens to the physical body. The essence of existence, my soul, spirit, call it what you will, will be recalled Home for a new assignment (and a few adjustments!). With my limited human imagination I have no ability to envision what form that transition might take, I can only trust God and believe that He will carry me through this. I'm so relieved to have God's Peace in my heart and in my mind. Jesus promised it to us and I can assure you it's real.

That moment in January when I got my termination notice, I almost felt a sense of relief. I took the step across the line separating things important to earthly life from things that really matter and found myself looking forward to life hereafter. Turns out, it wasn't that hard.

Faith. It all comes down to whether or not we believe that Jesus was God's son and gave his life to try to teach us that God is Love. And in that Love there is no fear.

My regret is not trying to pass that Faith along to others while there was time. Rather than fearing offending those who choose not to believe, I should have been reaching out to those who weren't sure. Who might have had open minds and hearts, open to love and truth, open to the possibility of possibility. The possibility that this is just the beginning.

Who will take that chance and come with me?

I love you all and would like to keep these relationships moving forward into the ethereal mists of God's possibilities.

Visitation Saturday, March 3, 2018 from 9:30 a.m. until the time of the Funeral Mass at 10:30 a.m. at Holy Name Cathedral, 735 N. State Street, Chicago, Illinois 60610. Interment St. Boniface Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, contributions to Mercy Home for Boys and Girls www.mercyhome.org or Les Turner ALS Foundation www.lesturnerals.org would be appreciated.

For further information please call 312-421-0936.