In Memoriam: Evelyn Levicia Dague

It took me a long time to sit down and write this, far longer than I thought it would. After all, how could I ever hope to capture in mere words the nature of the special relationship that I shared with my Grandma, the woman who was like a second mother to me, the woman who was one of the most foundational presences in my life? As someone who puts a lot of stock in capturing exactly what I mean in the written word, I didn’t want to do this until I was sure that I was going to be able to convey exactly what I wanted to say. Grandma, I felt, deserved only the best.

Furthermore, it’s been very difficult for me to accept her passing. Due to the pandemic restrictions, I hadn’t seen her in person since July, though I tried to Zoom with her at least once a week. While I could tell she was genuinely happy to see me each and every time I called, it’s just not the same as being physically present. I missed being able to unwrap her Hershey kisses for her (she absolutely loved them), and I missed being able to kiss her soft cheek goodbye just before I left for the day. I missed being able to just be near her, to feel her physical presence beside me, to see the look of joy she got on her face every time I walked into the room.

But enough about me. I’m writing this to talk about my Grandma, Evelyn Levicia Dague, who passed away December 9, 2020, at age 97. She lived an…