My Mom, Eileen Dolores Mattie, passed away this morning at 2AM at Kaiser Foundation Hospital in San Francisco, CA.

She was having a hard time breathing at about 8AM Saturday and my Step Dad had to call 911. The EMTs came and said she had to go to the hospital immediately. She weighed a bit less than 60 pounds, down from about 78 lbs around Thanksgiving Day.

She lost her fight with breast cancer and it was spreading throughout her body. She had so much pain from her back muscles with the drastic weight loss and finally the lungs were not able to pump the air any more.

My loving Wife, Kim. and I had seen her last afternoon, December 18. 2004 from about 4PM to 6PM. When we walked into the room, I did not recognize her. She was skin and bones and in sedated sleep.

I got the call from the night Doctor at Kaiser at 2:45AM the morning of Decembe 19, 2004 with news of her passing.

She died in her sleep at 2AM that morning.

On that day, my Wife, Kim and I went up to see my Step Dad, Ralph Louis Mattie.  When he was settled down, we all went to the Funeral Home near to his house.

We finalized the paperwork and chose a casket for her.  It had arrived just the day before and it was like God had sent it especially for her. We paid for it and went next door to arrange for floral display for the Wake with the Coffin.

Then we went to my parent's home and got my Mom's clothing, jewerly, cosmetics and perfume and took them to the Funeral Home.

When my Wife, Kim, and I went home to Santa Clara, she called a Vietnamese Master to determine the best day to bury my Mom. Turns out the best day will be December 27, 2004.  

That is very special, for my Mom was born on December 27, 1927. I was born July 21, 1947, when she was 19 years old.

She will be buried in Holy Cross Cemetery in Colma, CA along with her 2 brothers, one sister and her Mother and Father.   She will be in the same row and 20 graves to the right of  her brother Francis Howard.

Jim Santos

12/20/04