Sad News
from Susan Sisti
This is
difficult to report, but my dear sister Alison passed away at the age of 53. For
those who didn’t know her personally and only knew her through me, you learned what
a truly remarkable woman she was. For those that did know her, you know what a
treasure she was. She lost her vision and kidney function twenty years ago but
was renewed by The Gift of Life with a kidney & pancreas transplant two
years later. She faced many obstacles those first few years, but she regained
her independence and vitality when she obtained her first Guide Dog, Colleen.
The remarkable thing that even though she was in a world of
darkness she always remained upbeat and never complained. She always made the
best of any situation, always had a smile on her face and she had the greatest
laugh.
She decided to go back to school to obtain her Master’s
degree, also became a motivational speaker and became the first Visually
Impaired Therapeutic Riding Instructor in the United States. She obtained her
second Guide Dog Winnie in 2005. She was an inspiration to anyone who met her.
Reading the tributes that have come in from family, friends, schoolmates and
associates, there is one common theme; she had the sweetest soul, inspired many
and touched everyone. She will be dearly missed.
A celebration of her life will take place on Saturday,
January 11th at 3:00 pm at the Archer United Methodist Church 37, E.
Allendale Avenue in Allendale, NJ.
As an expression of sympathy and in
lieu of flowers, our family would appreciate memorial donations in Alison’s
memory to:
The Guiding Eyes for the Blind
611 Granite
Springs Road
Yorktown Heights,
NY 10598
www.guidingeyes.org
You can read more about her on the Guiding Eyes website: http://tinyurl.com/ltbqual
And for true inspiration, watch her interview at: http://tinyurl.com/mouu2tb