CHRISTINA BENNETT "CHRISTY" COLLINS

My wife, Christina Marie Bennett Collins, died on July 12, 2010 at age 62. We were together for 35 years. "Christy" was a beautiful Greek girl, very feminine and not like those girls in the movies. Family meant everything to her. She was beautiful for the way she thought. She was beautiful when she talked about something or someone she loved. No, she wasn't beautiful for something as temporary as her looks. She was beautiful for her ability to make other people smile even when she was sad....

Dear Sweet Cuz, I t has been far too long since you left us! This World is much less bright with your passing! Love you and miss you Darling!

My earliest memory of Christy was her walking me across the street to Thea Mag's, holding my hand and calling me "sweetie". I must have been 2 or 3 years old. That was the last time she called me sweetie! As we grew we became rather, oh let's say, intolerant of each other. Yeah, intolerant, that's the ticket! I would often torment her by pulling her pony tail, breaking the heads off of her dolls, destroying her birthday cakes, etc., etc. Then there was the time I was chasing her...

"Agape" is one of several Greek words for love. There is no higher form of love than this, the unconditional love for others regardless of their perceived flaws or weaknesses. Agape is a love that requires one to consider the needs of others before their own needs. Christy demonstrated this kind of love to all. Despite the suffering she endured throughout her courageous battle with cancer, she never lost her capacity to love.

1Corinthians 13, verses 4-8, lists the attributes of...