May 2011 - OutreachNC Magazine

OutreachNC • May 2011 OutreachNC • May 2011 37
“
The thing I treasure most about my mother is that
she was there when I got home from school. She
worked from home adding color to photographs. My
father worked in Manhattan, and we lived in Long
Island. At dinnertime, my mother stopped working to
pick my father up at the train station so we could eat
as a family. It was nice that we all sat down together.
My father died when my mother was 43; I lost my
husband (legendary basketball coach Jim Valvano)
when I was 47. It was ironic to go through the same
thing she did. I realized from her how precious life is
and that it’s important to make family time a priority.
That my mother was home waiting for me made a
difference in my life.”
—Pam Valvano Strasser
Chairwoman, The V Foundation, Cary
“
My greatest memory of my mom is how fun she
was. Mums was so cool. My house was the place
everybody wanted to hang out. I called her Mums
because she’s from England and has the same birthday
as the Queen Mother. My friends adored her enough
that they called her Mums, too. To this day, when she
runs into my old friends in Alexandria, they say, “Hi,
Mums.” And she’s still fun.”
—Andrew Lyons, Vice President
First Bank, Southern Pines
“
On December 21,
1946, my mother
held me in her arms
when I said hello to
the world. On July 4,
2009, I held her in my
arms when she said
goodbye. My prayer is
that when my journey
through life is ended
that my daughters will have the same precious
memories and enduring love for me that I have for that
special lady, Lena Killian, who was my mother.”
—Cherie Berry, Commissioner
N.C. Department of Labor
continued page 38
PMC_Frizeel_AOS_color.indd 1
www.OutreachNC.com
4/25/11 3:42 PM