A Life Built for Others
From the very beginning, Tina was a light. She grew up making friends — the kind that stick — and most of them are still laughing and spending time with her to this day. She found her calling in the medical field, working her way up through the years with quiet determination until she became the Operations Manager for the practice she served loyally for over 25 years. As a manager, she was respected and gracious, the kind of leader who pushed her team forward by simply outworking everyone around her.
But it was at home where you really saw who she was. As a mother, her love was not something she told you about — it oozed out of her. There was never a moment, not one, when her children did not feel it. And on the rare occasion when one of us pushed things too far — when Dad was at the end of his rope, doing his best not to break something — it was never his reaction that stopped us cold. It was one quiet, disappointed look from her. That was enough. We knew how hard it was to disappoint her, and when we managed it, we knew we had truly messed up.
"Growing up, our friends would come over for the night and by the time they finished breakfast, they never wanted to leave."
The Woman Who Never Stopped
Tina was born to take care of people. Growing up, our friends would sleep over and by the time they finished breakfast, they never wanted to go home. She made every single one of them feel like part of the family — and her cooking sealed the deal every time. Some of those kids needed that more than any of us knew then.
We watched her juggle everything for years. Working. Paying the bills. Caring for her aging parents — who were already in their seventies when we were just children. Supporting her husband Terry through countless surgeries and medical challenges that would have buckled most people. She carried that weight for years without ever letting it show. And then, as if that wasn't enough, she took on more. She became the cook for their church, preparing meals for hundreds of people every single week. She joined the band and choir booster clubs. She showed up and volunteered for every event her kids were part of. She never stopped moving. Never stopped caring. Never once put herself first.
Grandmother, Above All
Now, as her children have grown, we are still the luckiest people on earth to have her. As a grandmother, she has reached a whole new level. The love she poured into raising us — which already felt extreme — is nothing compared to what she gives her grandchildren. For them, her love is as bottomless as the universe itself. She would do anything for those kids, and she does, every single day.
"I thought the love she had for us was extreme — but for my kids, her love is as bottomless as the universe itself."
Her Diagnosis
Since her diagnosis, we have begun to see something none of us were prepared for — signs of Tina slowing down. One woman can only hold the weight of the world for so long. She does not show any weakness to the grandchildren. She still took care of Terry after an emergency surgery just last week. She still cooks. She still works to bring in the income that she and Terry depend on. But she will not be able to keep that up forever, and as her treatments continue, the reality of that is becoming clearer.
She will go to bed earlier. There will be days she cannot stand over the stove. Days when picking up a toddler is beyond her strength, and the mental clarity she has always relied on at work will not be there the way it once was. She will need help. She will need people to take care of her, for once in her life.
We are so grateful — more than any words can cover — for everything she has given this family. We will do whatever she needs. But we also know that the people in this community, the friends she has loved for decades, the strangers who read this and see their own mother or grandmother in her — you matter too. Your support matters.
"Every kind word, every prayer, every meal, every dollar raised brings us closer to the impossible goal of taking care of Tina as well as she has taken care of all of us."
A Message from the Family
If you have read this far, thank you. We mean that from the bottom of our hearts. Maybe you saw your own mother in her. Maybe you know Tina personally and you already understand exactly what we are trying to say. However you found your way here, we are grateful you did.
Please reach out and give Tina your support. Every kind word, every prayer, every meal, every dollar raised helps us get closer to the impossible goal of taking care of her as well as she has taken care of all of us. She has spent a lifetime making sure everyone else was okay. Now it is our turn.
A Few of Our Favorite Photos
Donate in Her Honor 💗
