Sheryl Saar
My Tribute to Mr. Bozzone, 2015-11-12The Saar Family first met the Bozzone Family in January 1968 when we bought a home around the corner, just having moved from the East Coast. We had 6 kids then and my Mom was pregnant with me, #7 (of 8!), while Mrs. Bozzone was pregnant with Karen (please let the record show : I, aka Old Lady, AM, always HAVE BEEN, and always WILL BE 2 months older than Karen, aka Spring Chicken). Thatâ??s how and when I met my oldest and dearest best friend, Karen: in utero. When we were 3 years old, the Saars moved to Berkeley but continued to go to Oaklandâ??s St. Theresa for school where Karen and I resumed best-friendship in 1st grade.Two enduring â??and tellingâ?? memories of my many times spent with Karen and her family are the following:(1) Mrs. Bozzone always had a clean home, calm demeanor and trim figure. Could Moms really be that way… ALL the time? Mrs. Bozzone could! And still is. ?? A beautiful person – inside and out – and the excellent role model upon which Karen has become the truly stellar wife and mother to her family with Dan and their girls – Sarah, Michelle and Amanda. Even at the viewing last Monday evening, Mrs. Bozzone was the essense of elegance and grace.(2) Mr. Bozzone was a cheerful, loving leader who was always welcoming and inclusive. I was at the Bozzone house ALLOT in elementary and high school, and Mr. Bozzone ALWAYS had a smile for me. He was always happy to see me, would ask about my folks and the other 7 Saar kids, and always invite me to â??Come back again, soon!â? On just about all Bozzone Family vacations, I would get a postcard from Karen. Oh, I loved those postcards! And on some vacations she was allowed to bring a friend and sometimes she picked me. 49â??er! It was such fun, and her Dad included me in everything, the fun and the chores, like I was one of his own.I think many of us who orbited through his rays of sunshine felt that way about Mr. Bozzone: that he treated us as one of his own. What a special, loving man who could make children â??and adults!- feel that way. Mr. Bozzone possessed some of the qualities we all wish we had. A mere few are as follow:1. strong work ethic,2. joyful and steadfast commitment to the sacrament of marriage,3. great love of family, and4. merriment master, whenever possible.He taught David how to be a good man, and Davidâ??s a great man. He taught Karen and Kathy what to expect from a man, and they made excellent choices in Dan and Axel. He taught his kids that God and family are #1&2 and with BOTH you can weather any storm and ascend to any height to which you set your sights. Once about 8 years ago, I was teasing Mr. Bozzone at a Raven Family party saying, â??Youâ??ve built yourself a Bozzone Compound, Mr. Bozzone, right here at Thomas and Napa â?? a compound!â? And he loved it,and said back to me, â??Itâ??s all about family, Sheryl, family and keeping close.â? He meant it; I could see in his eyes – he meant every word.When you look at the wealth of a person, the true wealth of a person, it has nothing to do with dollars and dividends; it has everything to do with family and friendships, like and love. Mr. Bozzone was richer than the Gates Foundation, and I suspect his legacy will rival theirs.God rest your dear, sweet soul, Mr. Bozzone, and thank you for raising a person like Karen, who means so very much to me.Sheryl for the entire Saar Family.