A TRIBUTE
It is with great sadness that we at Porchscene say goodbye to our wonderful friend and active contributor, Mona Sides-Smith. After a lengthy and painful illness, Mona withdrew from her struggle on January 1, 2016.
In her continuing series, ABOUT MONA, she gave us a glimpse of her fascinating life and her world, which she presented with self-deprecation, caustic wit, and honesty. And what a world it was: from working at the Pentagon, to being a lounge singer and drummer, to publishing a small town newspaper, to actively working for civil rights, to working as a licensed guidance counselor, to making significant contributions to the regional and national recovery world, and to teaching piano lessons—when she herself could not play the piano!
Mona was a participant! While not originally a southerner—unless southern Illinois counts—she spent most of her adult life in Louisiana, Mississippi and Tennessee. But no matter where she lived or to what organization she belonged, she gave her all to its success and sustainability.
In that continuing spirit, she volunteered to write her ongoing column for Porchscene to provide us with some levity and to show us how to laugh at ourselves. With sardonic humor, she took an irreverent look at the joys and woes of aging, and shared her tongue-in-cheek views on the everyday life of an eighty-two year old workaholic.
We will miss her greatly on our pages. I will miss her guidance, her generous spirit and her kind and loving friendship.
MONA SIDES-SMITH
October 14, 1933 – January 1, 2016
Related Posts
Thanks for your tribute, Deborah. She valued you greatly as a friend, as do I.
She was a very special person and I enjoyed getting to know her. Her embrace of life was inspiring and instructive, and, as the old saying goes, “They just don’t make ’em like that anymore!”
Won’t ever be another one quite like her for sure Gary!
Enjoyed her columns! Prayers for her family.
Thank you for that Mollie!
What a beautiful smile and a twinkle in her eye. I can tell she was an important friend and a lovely woman. I celebrate the life and times of Mona Sides-Smith!
She crammed multiple lifetimes into her 8 decades! Many people benefited from knowing her. Thanks for your comment Bill