A note about Beth Hassrick by Patrick Boylan of Grace Liturgical Vestmants on Union Street.
I only recently learned of Beth’s passing and in spite of
only knowing her on the margins, I have been gripped with an overwhelming
sadness. When I heard, from a close friend of hers that she had died, I was
only going on her name and frankly wasn’t connecting the dots. This same
friend shared a photo of Beth with me this week. It all came together. How
could this be? How could this warm vibrant woman who I shared neighborly exchanges
with over the past few years be gone? Beth was one of those people whose’
smiling face seemed to be present at so many simple moments of my Park Slope
life…on the playground…helping at the Craft Fair…waiting for our kids to
finish up at the Dance Studio. We were not friends, but she played a role in my
life that I valued greatly. She was one of those people who are a thread in the
fabric of my daily life. Someone who always took the time to smile and say
hello…I instinctively knew that she was “the real deal”, a person
of integrity, with an open and loving heart. May God be with her family and
friends and bring them a sense of peace.
I was so upset when I found out that Beth was ill. I didn’t know her well – just aquaintences, I was fond of her, and we always smiled at one another. I know that she showed interest in my newly adopted daughter, Sonya. My sister reminded me of her kindness in letting my niece use her building’s hose to fill her swimming pool ( their landlord did not permit the use of the hose). She was so kind in letting us use the water on one particularly hot day last summer. She was very kind and I miss her presence very much.
I don’t even know this woman but I just read your lovely article about her and it made me teary. It’s so sad when a child looses a parent at such a young age. She sounded like such a lovely person.