Virginia Beach-Priscilla Ann Laswell, 62, died Friday January 30, 2004 at Sentara Bayside Hospital. Born in Oxford NC, she was predeceased by her parents, Roland T. Boyd and Vernell B. Murray.
She is survived by her husband, Richard D. Laswell; a sister Janice M. Allen, a son Vincent J. Cardillo, IV, three daughters Anita C. Bishop, Deborah M. Kienzle and Louisa B. Barth along with eight grandchildren. She is also survived by two Aunts Barbara B. Jones and Joyce B. Wilkins both of Oxford, NC.
A memorial service will be held at 3:00 p.m. Sunday, February 8, 2004 at Surry Street Baptist Church, 600 Surry Street, Portsmouth, VA. Family and friends will gather at the home of her son Vincent J. Cardillo, IV, 4517 Renwood Court, Virginia Beach following the service. Family has requested that in Lieu of flowers memorial donations be made to Surry Street Baptist Church. 600 Surry Street, Portsmouth, VA 23702
She is loved and missed by all and is in the hands of Jesus. We look forward to seeing her again at heavens gate. You may offer your condolences at altmeyer.com
Past Services
Service
Sunday February 08, 2004
3:00 pm
A Native American Prayer
I give you this one thought to keep-
I am with you still-I do not sleep.
I am a thousand winds that blow,
I am the diamond glints on snow.
I am the sunlight on ripened grain,
I am the gentle autumn rain.
When you awake in the morning hush,
I am the swift, uplifting rush
of quiet birds in circled flight,
I am the soft stars that shine in the night.
Do not think of me as gone,
I am with you still-in each new dawn.
A poem to share that Priscilla always loved to read whenever she would visit our home…
I love you not only for what you are but for what I am when I am with you. I love you not only for what you have made of yourself but for what you are making of me. I love you for the part of me that you bring out. I love you for putting your hand into my heaped up heart and passing over all the foolish,weak things that you cant help dimly seeing there and for drawing out into the light all the beautiful belongings that no one else looked quite far enough to find. I love you because you are helping me to make of the lumber of my life not a tavern but a temple of our everyday not a reproach but a song. I love you because you have done more than any creed could have done to make me good, and more than any fare could have done to make me happy. You have done it without a word,without a sign. You have done it by being yourself. Perhaps tha is what being a friend means after all…Sent and read with love..Aunt Bob & Uncle David
Poem written by Roy Craft
Aunt Priscilla,
Even though your gone you still live on in all of our hearts. We know your in a better place and all u can see is His precious face. I will miss you as everyone will and i just wanted to say that i love you and always will.
Aunt Silla,
yes you will be missed greatly, you lived your life according to 1 corinthians. Your love beared all things, believed all things,hoped all things,endured all things and it never failed. you blessed our lives more than you can know and we will always hold your warm smile and your loving memories close to our hearts till one day we join you in sweet heaven. God Bless aunt silla and thank you for all the love you gave!
grandma was 1 in a trillion and i will never find anyone who was as loving as her. no matter what she always was there. now without her i feel a great void and i dont know how to fill it. all i can do is try to not cry and think of her smile her cooking and her ability to keep this family together. if i had one wish it would be for no one to forget all the great holidays and family events when she brought us all together and made us smile. i love my grandma with all my heart
Hi Mom….Well now it’s over 5 years and I still cry and miss you so much. In every new thing that happens in my life I wish you were here to share it with me. My learning to ride a motorcycle, your granddaughters graduation, my beautiful animals my sugar gliders that I know you would just love, our trips to the mountains and seeing the deer and the bears and the beauty. All these things I carry you there with me in my heart and I miss you and wish you were here. Sometimes I quickly think, “I can’t wait to tell my mom” and then I remember you aren’t here any more and then I miss you and cry. Eddie always holds me at those times and just lets me cry. I miss our family, my brother and my sisters and never hearing from anyone or seeing anyone. I feel alone like there’s no one left except Ed and my children. I’m finally going to give up your ashes to your home in North Carolina. Aunt Bob is going to bury your Urn at Brandon’s memorial on the farm after I scatter your ashes in the little stream that runs through the farm. You always wanted to be scattered in the water so you could go to all the places you never got to go. I’m finally going to make that happen in 4 days but it’s just as hard as the day you died. I know I’ll miss you forever. It will be hard not having your Urn here to talk to and just look at and feel like you are here. I figured it’s time for you to go home to the farm you loved to the town you loved and wanted to die in. Bless you mom and please watch over me. I love you.
Your Oldest Daughter.
I am saddened that I had so little time to get to know Pricilla, but it only took a moment to know her beautiful spirit. I have no doubt that she is at peace with the lord and that I was blessed to have been touched by her life.
Richard, I love you and hope that you know that my heart is with you today and always.
I am sorry for your loss. Through your words and actions I felt I knew her, even though we never met. You know where you all are if you need us.
I can only say that this is for you.
Her Sweet Smile
My Love and I collected things
Books, Art-Glass, and Angel Wings
Pott’ry, Crock’ry, Cookie Jars too
So much to find and keep and do
Beanies, Babies, Dragons and such
Teddy Bears in a trunk and plates in a hutch
She’d add Ginger Jars, and I’d add McToys
And each piece we added would bring us new joy
But now my Love has gone far away
To a better place and a brighter day
A shining place where the Angels fly
And I am down here all alone , left to cry
I’ve cried so much, tears no longer come
And blearily wander around in our home
And as I’m looking around for a while
In all of our things I see her sweet smile
In an Angel’s wing , or a Teddy’s eye
I notice her smile as I pass them by
A glint at the heart of a green Art-Glass bowl
Or etched in the marks on a cup made by Cole
So I hold each object for a little while
To see if I can find in it the smile
That is deeply hidden in each unique piece
‘Cause each one I find there helps to ease my grief
She’s still all around me at last I can see
In each Angel’s eyes and the pottery
If I just keep looking for a little while
In all of our things I’ll see her Sweet Smile
2/3/04
Richard
I did not know your Mom. But I know from good seed comes a good crop. I wish there was something I could do for your pain.
….Jim
I only knew her through her husband’s eyes, online, but through his love for her, I have caught a glimpse of her beauty. I’m sending love and light to all who mourn her loss. May she dance with the angels.
Lionheart,
You shared many thoughts and feelings for Priscilla. Things will get better. I’m always on Ravensmeet if you need me.
May you now be free to fly anywhere in the Universe.
Gone but never forgotten.
Mom is finally at peace and she is whole again. And she is with her Mother and Father in heaven and now they can all praise the Lord Jesus. So let us be happy and live each day so that we may join them soon. Vinman4
Mom,
I miss u so much, life has definitely changed since u left, our family has literally completely fallen apart let alone those of us who are not strong enough to go on with life without some sort of dependency. I am glad that u were not here when my whole world went to pooh, but at the same time could of turned to you when I felt there was noone else. I now live with your beautiful sister, she has been so good to me and taken me in and believed in me when i didnt even believe in myself, I know u are with us everyday, and ur baby girl is still here with us keeping ur memory alive. I am so thankful that u sent ant janice to me and she heard ur cries, if not i dont know where i would be. I know I will one day get to be with you again and cannot wait, I have so much to tell u. Mike is so big and grown and he has a nice girl in his life and a good job, u would be proud. I love u mom and look forward to the day when i can hold ur hand again as i did as a little girl…..love debbie
Mom,
You were the best friend that I could of ever had,my confidant,and my own angel here on earth. I will always know how much you loved me and the family and how important we all were to you in our own special ways. Shine Bright our special angel and know that we will one day see you again. With all the love that I have, your daughter Debbie
Mom……I Love You so very much and will miss you everyday of my life. Thank you so much for the love you gave me and my family. Everywhere I go and Everything I do you will be with me in my heart and memories. I know that you are at peace now and no longer suffering. I know you are with our lord and with your parents. This helps ease the pain some. Thank you for all your sacrifices when we were little and grown. I Love You Forever.
Mom…..It’s been 4 months now and I can only say it’s not getting any easier with you not here. I miss you so much I can’t stop crying. I think I have cried everyday since you passed away. I took care of your kitties for you the last few days while Richard was away and it was very hard. I’d sit and watch TV in your apartment and pet them and think of you and cry. Then I’d come home and cry somemore. Flower stills only wants you. She is very distant. But she let me hold her a bit and pet her. I’d catch her laying on your bed. As hard as it is going over there I can’t imagine what I’d be like not having it to go to so I could feel you. It’s the only place that I do. I try to feel you here in my house but it’s just not the same. I pray everyday that God will help heal my pain and give me more joy so that the memories won’t be so painful. I love you more than anything in the world and miss you more than words can say………….Love Your Daughter
My Aunt Priscilla, you were one of the best parts of my childhood. you will always be loved and missed. I’m glad you’re with Grandma now.
My heart goes out to my son, three daughters and grandchildren on the loss of Priscilla. She was a lovely woman and I know she will be missed. From all of us here in New Jersey we send our love, our hope, faith and compassion to you.
May God speed and may we all preserve the memory of Priscilla.
With all my love,
Dad
My mother Priscilla was a wonderful woman who took alot of chances and alot of different roads trying to find happiness, she finally found it in 81 with my Pops Richard they loved each other very much and took care of each other for the last 22 years. Maybe it wasn’t always the best but they were happy and maybe everyone didn’t always understand thier love but it didn’t matter, and through all her sick times and the good times he was there by her side and I’ll always have a special love for Pops because of the way he stayed by her side and did what he could for her. She had a heart of gold and I can only hope that I aquired even just a little of her. She and I spent alot of time together through my life through my marriages and my kids I was with her or her with I. She used to love for me to fix her up do her hair nails makeup I would go out and buy her a new outfit just because and she would get this twinkle in her eyes like a little girl at christmas and say can we? and I knew just what she meant and I would laugh and say okay. It brought just as much joy to me as it did to her. I am glad that I came back from CA. in 98, I got to spend some quality time with her the last few years of her life it wasn’t always easy,but it was still our special time. I’ll miss all the things we used to share together like sitting and picking and eating crabs for hours together just like when I was a little girl. I miss my mother so much everyday, but in my heart I feel like she is in a better place maybe not for myself or the others who love & miss her but for herself she doesn’t have to hurt or cry anymore and I hope and pray that she’s happy and healthy again and in a place that’s so beautiful that we who are left behind can only dream about. Goodbye My Sweet Beautiful Mother! Love you and miss you with all my heart! Your Little LouLou
nana…what can I say you were the best. All those wonderful holidays and those feasts…geeze you would cook enough to feed us for days. I know you are in that better place now and will be looking down upon all of us. I love you nana and always will.
Love Bubba
Oh Lionheart, I have seen you fight so bravely and so long for your Priscilla. Know that your valiant devotion inspires many across the world.
Her light shines brighter for having such a champion as you.
The love and light of the Goddess, our mother, upon you and those you hold dear.
Lionheart
Priscilla was a very special person.
She was kind and loving to all of her family especially to the grandkids. I am going to miss her a great deal. I really enjoyed visiting with her when she lived here in Oxford. She will be greatly missed but never forgotten.
I love you.
Priscilla, Mom, Grandma and Nana; were just a few a the names that you answered to when your loved ones called, and you always answered. I have been previledged to be a part of your life for the last 21 years. I just wanted to say, thank you for always making me feel like part of your family in good times and bad and I know it wasn’t always easy. My brain knows that you are in a better place with all our loved ones who have gone before us but my heart hurts because you are loved and missed every day.Now you truly are an angel and I know that you will watch over those of us that were fortunate enough to be loved by you.
Priscilla, what a special, special person I only wish I could of given her back just part of the comfort she gave to me. She alway’s had two arm’s for anyone that needed them. I love you very much Priscilla, you will always be in my heart.
Richard, my heart is with you, I will keep you in my prayer’s. God be with you.
The love you shared shone like a beacon in all your RM postings. We mourn with you.
Lios of Birch
TO MY SISSY, THE YEARS FLEW BY, BUT WE WERE ALWAYS THERE FOR EACH OTHER AND NOW THERE IS NO MORE. AS THE DAYS PASS I KNOW THE PAIN WILL GET EASIER TO DEAL WITH. YOU WILL ALWAYS BE IN MY HEART AND NEVER VERY FAR AWAY IN MY MIND. SISSIES 4EVER.
To Richard and Priscilla’s Family,
Though I never met Priscilla personally, through her husband Richard at work, she was the brightest gleam in his eye. Richard at work was and is always ready to talk about “His Priscillal” and share the wonderful moments they both shared. His undying dedication to check on her many times nightly was only a mere pittance of the devotion we at work witnessed. The loss of your wife was deeply felt by your coworkers, Richard and we continue to pray for you and your family’s strength to carry on. May God bless all of you and know that your coworkers are keeping all of you in their daily prayers.
We offer deepest sympathy to our daughter-in-law, son, and grandchildren for their loss of a wonderful mother, mother-in-law, and grandmother. We know Priscilla will be greatly missed by them, as she will by all her loved ones left here to grieve.
What a sweet sweet spirit you shared with us. We enjoyed the time you spent in Oxford and I am so thankful that my girls got to know you and Richard. God bless Richard & family as they mourn the loss of such a loving wife, mom, grandmother, sister & friend.
When someone you love becomes a Memory, the Momory becomes a Treasure. Treasure all the wonderful memories of your lives together.
Stitch