Grace Touched Me and So Many

Liu Hong 6/9/2012

It is an honor and a privilege to pay tribute today to a very special person. Grace was remarkable in many ways.  She lived her life to the full and touched so many people during her time here with us. We all have many memories that we will carry with us – memories that defined Grace and that we will always hold dear.

About twelve years ago I worked with Grace at the Bayside Library. I was the Assistant Library Manager and her supervisor. I remember that Grace  was enthusiastic about our projects and approached every task with energy and commitment. She was a perfectionist. I knew that she would always do an excellent job, and I felt privileged to work with her. 

During the past two years Grace often had her breakfast in the cafeteria.  I would put my lunch box into the refrigerator each day at the same time.  I often saw her having a bun and  water for breakfast. Sometimes we would just greet to each other, other times we would  talk.  One time  she had just returned from a trip from Yellowstone National Park and other  national parks in Utah .  She told me how much she enjoyed her trip and that these places gave her a real feeling for how large the universe is, how big the earth is and how big the USA is. I could tell that she was very sensitive to the beauty in nature. Her enthusiasm was so contagious and made me want to go  there too.

I will never forget being with Grace at a training meeting about twelve years ago. It was a winter day,   I was wearing a bulky winter coat with a big clumsy zipper. My zipper was caught in the seat and I was worried about making more noise in front of the VIP guest speaker who was already annoyed by all the noise. My zipper kept making a lot of noise on the chair and I was worried about getting into some trouble. Grace was sitting at the back of the room. She saw my situation and immediately came over, examined the zipper and untangled it from the chair. I will never forget her kindness. This is an example of how she would always help just when you most needed it. Grace was the kind of person who could do just the right thing for someone else and not even talk about it afterwards. 

It is very hard to say goodbye and we don’t want to, but we need to remember that she is a person with passion who lived positively, loved her profession, loved books, was very pleasant to be with, and cared deeply for her family, friends, co-workers and customers. I know that words cannot describe everything about Grace.  I am glad that I had the opportunity to work with her and get to know her. We miss you and remember you fondly – always.

(Ms. Liu Hong is the department assistant of the CLS office, Queens Library)