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About Eugene weekly. (Eugene, Oregon) 1993-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 27, 2016)
Irene Bernadette Elizabeth Sulger Hildebrandt 06/14/1920-10/06/2016 Goodnight Irene, goodnight, I’ll see you in my dreams. M y mom, Irene, grew up on Silleck Street in Clift on, New Jersey. Her father, August Sulger, was a Swiss immigrant and her mother Lillian ne Miller, a native New Yorker. Th ey were Bohemians, jacks of all trades; boot leg- ging, court room interpreting, bartending and driver instructing. Th ey ran a service station and had the fi rst car on the block. Th ey instilled in Irene a “Rise to the Occasion” spunk and spirited Joie de Vivre. She was always the life of the party, with her favorite toast “Here’s to those who wish us well, and those who don’t, can go to hell”. Among those who wished her well was her be- loved childhood friend, Kay Landa. At 6, they be- came inseparable and remained close friends for the next 90 years. August died when Irene was 8, Lillian, when she was 16. It was the height of the Depression, and times were hard. Irene moved in with the Polands, close family friends, and got her own phone number. Th e next ten years are sketchy, I called them “Th e lost years”. She pleaded the 5th, although her favorite WW1 quote may have come from this period “It’s a great world if you don’t weaken or waken.” At 25, she and my Dad, Charles Hildebrandt, married.Th ey had Diane, Charlie, Gary (who died at birth), and then me, her namesake. We lived in Hoboken and then Jersey City, New Jersey. We spent summers at our beloved cabin in IRENE 1942 Windham, upstate New York where Irene was in her element. A gang of friends and their kids. Moun- tains of her silver dollar pancakes, Scotch and sodas, I’ll Be Seeing You bar-b-cueing! I don’t even know where everyone slept. She taught me everything I know about being the I’ll be seeing you hostess with the mostest. in all the old familiar places, Irene loved her job with AT&T in Manhattan, starting that this heart of mine embraces as an operator back in the 50’s, then advancing to super- all day through. vising the Installation and Repair Department (which was part of the communication systems for the 1969 moon- In that small cafe, walk) on Broad Street, right across from the World Trade the park across the way, Center. In September 2000, she and I met in New Jersey to the children’s carousel , attend Craig’s lavish NJ wedding. We took the tubes from the chestnut trees, the wishing well. Hoboken to the WTC basement, went up the monumen- tal escalator to Broad Street and visited her old neighbor- I’ll be seeing you hood. We were glad we did... in every lovely summer day When my dad died in 1971 , she and Auntie Kay, In every thing that’s light and gay, whose husband, John, had also died, hatched a plan I’ll always think of you that way. and fearlessly moved with all us kids to Margate, Flori- da. I gave my mom the nickname, Mon Ami, which got I’ll fi nd you in the morning sun shortened to Mona. For the next 15 years, she worked for and when the night is new. Southern Bell and ran the non-profi t Hildebrandt Hacien- I’ll be looking at the moon, da, with friends and family always visiting for FLAR-I-DA but I’ll be seeing you vacations. In 1987, aft er retiring, she moved the Hacienda to Panama City Beach on the Gulf, and had the time of Billie Holiday 1944 her life with a brand new gang of family and friends. James and her Jessica (honorable #3 child, who had moved down from Jersey City to buy the house next to hers on Michele Ct.); Neti, Tito, and their son Peter; and all her mall walking buddies. Always ready to hop in the car, boat or plane, Irene visited Mexico, she cruised the Caribbean and Alaska, and fl ew to Europe. But the crowning glory, bucket list experience was our 2008 month long trip to Switzerland to see August’s old stomping ground in Basil land and the Alsace. He had told her so many stories about growing up in Switzerland, and had always wanted to bring her and Lillian back to visit his home land. Irene meditated with me at ashrams in California, tried guavas in my tree house on Maui, and loved San Francisco. She came to I and I at Sweet Cheeks Eugene every year to attend grand kid’s school functions, and spent her birthday with us. She couldn’t understand why Eugene was so damn cold in June. Vacations in Florida were Disney, Cape Canaver- al (born later she would have been an astonaut), the Miracle Strip, PCB 5ks, Uncle Ernie’s lunches, and Pineapple Wiley’s fabulous french fries, root beers and dollar Coronas on the beach. In 2003, Irene had a car accident and gave up one of her greatest joys, driving. She decided to move to Eugene to be closer to us. Oh no...Eugene was not Flar-i-da, not even close... Aft er awhile Irene settled in. She lived at the Washington Abby and then moved in with us on the other side of Gimpl Hill. Th ank heavens for the “Women of Vision”; Al, Anne, Betsy, Bonnie, Linda, and Pam. You wel- comed her into your hearts and gave her something to look forward to on Wedsnesday nights. Th ank heavens for our Lawrence St. kitchen table sessions with “Take me to the Station, Mojo”. She al- ways admired your style. Th ank heavens for Friday Night Jazz with Jason and Olem. She reigned Supreme as Jazz Queen, re- galing all with stories of her 40’s Jazz club experienc- es in NYC. Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, Th eloni- ous Monk, Louis Armstrong and more. She had seen it all and was a “By proxy celebrity.” Th ank heavens for Sarver and Sweet Cheeks. You know.... she owned the place. Th ank you, Ian and Jean Anne, Mallory and Laura for putting up with us. We were thrilled with the Mon Ami cafe in Flor- ence. Th ank you for naming your restaurant aft er her! Mona and I, being East Coasters, thoroughly enjoyed your egg salad sandwiches on many occasions while visiting the coast. In 2015, Auntie Kay, her beloved childhood friend from Silleck St. died at 96 in Coeur-d’Alene, Idaho. Re- markably, we had all wound up here in the great NW. We joined Ancestry this year and discovered August’s Great Aunt Eda’s descendants, April and her family. Th ey had lived in Gardiner and gone to the UO, and had even been into the restaurant before we met. Wow! Irene died at 96, October 6, 2016, in her bed and at home at “Th e Oaks”, a place she grew to love because it reminded her so much of Windham. Ahleah and I held her hands and told her how much we loved her as she took her fi nal breaths. She was very much at peace. Irene loved and appreciated you Will. You were fi gura- tively and literally supportive, holding her up for so many years. Ahjah, Ahleah, and Isaiah, you made Nanny so proud and were always there for her in your own way and at just the right time. Th ank you Hospice team Lorol, Beth, Connie, Mar- geret, Jill and Gary. Your knowledge, songs and compas- sion helped us through.You are truly angels. It wasn’t easy for my mom to give up her mortal body. She loved life dearly and had no regrets. Hopefully, she’s now with family and old friends (they were the same for Irene) rising to the occasion, telling some fantastic story, and being the life of the party, 4EVER. Th ank you so much Mom, you were such a force of nature, a mentor and mon ami. You are truly missed. Your loving family: 3 Children; Irene Boi- se (Will), Charles Hildebrandt (Maureen), Diane (Hildebrandt) Girone. 9 Grandchil- dren; Ahjah, Ahleah, Isaiah (Amanda) Boi- se, Steven Girone, Douglas (Nichole), Scott (Marisa), Ryan (Liz), Lauri and Nicole Hil- debrandt. 7 Great Grandchildren; Steven Girone, Emma Grace and Jax Noah Hildeb- randt, Sam Alex and Eric Hildebrandt, Reese and Gabe Hildebrandt N PAID ADVERTISEMENT eugeneweekly.com • October 27, 2016 21
