Lynn Brisciano

Lynn Brisciano, age 55, of Hudson, died on December 5, 2010. Born July 16, 1955 in Bishop Auckland, England, she is the daughter of the late Alan and Eileen Miller. Lynn is survived by her loving husband; Anthony, 1 son; Salvatore (Sal) Brisciano and Shona Agnew through her previous marriage. She is also survived by 11 brothers and sisters. In addition to her parents, she was also preceded in death by her sister; Christine.

Friends will be received on Sunday, December 12, 2010, from 2-4 and 6-8 PM at NORTH MEADOWLAWN FUNERAL HOME, 4244 Madison St. New Port Richey, FL 34652. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Monday, December 13, 2010 at 10am at St. James the Apostle Roman Catholic Church, Port Richey, Florida. Another Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Monday, December 20th at 2:15pm St. James Church in Coundon, near Bishop Auckland, County Durham England. Internment will take place in Coundon Cemetery. Arrangements under the direction of North/Meadowlawn Funeral Home & Cemetery, New Port Richey, FL.

Family and friends were able to view Lynn at Gibson Funeral Service prior to the funeral on the 20th of December at Saint James church in Coundon near Bishop Auckland. As we were all leaving the entrance of the church on this beautiful sunny yet cold and icy day, Her sister Jayne and I handed out 55 pink balloons to family and friends, one balloon for each year of her life also pink representing cancer research cures, as Father Gary said a prayer we all released the balloons in Lynn's honor. It was a beautiful service and fitting as Lynn would have wanted. I love and miss you.

Lynn was born and raised in Coundon with 14 brothers and sisters. Went to school at Leeholm, after her school days met her first husband Gordon Agnew of the RAF and they shared a beautiful daughter together named Shona. As things happen in our crazy sometimes senseless world, they parted ways and Lynn was left raising Shona on her own when Lynn met Anthony Brisciano then stationed at RAF Bentwaters. They both actually met in Felixstowe in East Anglia and grew fond of each other and wed in Ipswich. In 1983 they were stationed in North Carolina where Lynn performed voluntary work on base for Family Services helping young families cope with life needs and issue out items such as baby strollers, crib's micro waves etc... to needy families. In 1985 Lynn had a short bout with cervical cancer which she over came and in1986 was over whelmed with excitement and so happy to find out she was pregnant. Lynn and Anthony received orders to Mildenhall England during her pregnancy and Salvatore was born on 14 May 1987 at RAF Lakenheath hospital. Salvatore was born premature 3lbs 12 ounces and when he got his weight to 4lbs the doctor allowed her to take him home where she delicately cared for him as no other could. She absolutely gave all, words are not enough to explain the love & care given to our son. Lynn nurtured Salvatore and he became a healthy young toddler. Lynn was so protective of her son and it was her decision that it would be best to send him to Catholic school at Newmarket elementary and later to Bury St. Edmunds middle.

Lynn spent the next 15yrs at RAF Lakenheath England and during this time Lynn's older sister and her parents passed away which was devastating to her. Lynn carried on knowing they were in Gods hands and in no more pain. Lynn worked as a caregiver in Mildenhall at Wamil court where the care she gave was impeccable! Typical of Lynn always caring and giving as if they were her own parents and family, there could be no greater person in the world as her. She was so well loved by the residents they knicknamed her "Our Angel with out wings".

In November 2002, Lynn retired with Anthony and Salvatore to Pasco County Florida. Lynn went to the store one day for some much needed trash bags and came home with a job! How excited she was on this day! Naturally Lynn always gave 110% of herself and eventually she was promoted to manager and even made a larger salary than her husband, she never did get those trash bags. In her off time Lynn enjoyed playing Bingo and going to estate sales and actually did care for one elderly person here. She absolutely loved children and would always shower them with gifts. In 2006, Lynn had to leave her job as she was diagnosed with lung cancer and had surgery at Moffit Cancer Center to remove her bottom right lobe. Shortly after she received chemo and radiation but took ill to the chemo. The doctor chose not to give her anymore chemo as he felt it may kill her and decided she should go home and enjoy the rest of her life. Not Lynn, she was not going to take no for an answer, she sought out the Florida Cancer Institute where she found hope for beating this cancer. There she was treated by Dr. Choski who gave her the chemo in smaller doses and actually beat the cancer for a short time but it came back in two of her lymph nodes. So naturally she received three more treatments and the cancer did not grow but she would have to finish three more chemo treatments. All this time and in between she had 3 blood transfusions, radiation and suffered from COPD, Fibromialga, and Pneumonia 5 times but she was as tuff as nails.

All during her treatments she interacted with friends and family not letting on about how much pain she was in and carried on her life as normal as possible. Lynn found out she had it again a week after Salvatore deployed to Iraq and she chose not to tell him because she feared the Air Force would send him home early and he would be put back at the top of the list to go back at a worse time. Lynn was strong willed mentally but it seems all the medications were taking its toll on her body and she succumbed to this before Salvatore could come home. Lynn did not die from the cancer but from the side effects of the different medications to fight off the cancer. She went quietly approximately between 9:30 am and 10:30am Sunday 5 December 2010 in bed at home.

If Lynn could leave a message to pass on for the world to hear it would be this: Don't smoke! As much as she did smoke before 2006, she cold turkey the day of the surgery and never smoked again. If my Lynn can do it after smoking all her life than best assure it can be done by all!