It's amazing how certain memories stick in your head.  I'm 66 and I remember my trip to Miami when I was 9.  M y father and I flew from Baltimore to see his brother.  He was dying of prostate cancer.   I saw my cousins and Aunt Mele.  She fed us mangos from the tree in her yard.  What a treat.  She was very loving and caring.  I'll never forget Amelia.

When I was born, Mele probably wondered who this new little person was coming into her world.  As soon as I got to a decent playmate age, however, we did everything together.  She was two years and three months older than me and we were always very close.  We had a very happy childhood.  We played lots of games together.  Some of our favorite games in Stemmers Run were hopscotch, roller skating, swinging and jump rope.  We excelled at Double Dutch jump rope!  We had a whole room on the third floor of our big house in Sudbrook Park for playing paper dolls and played there for hours, even designing our own clothes for the paper dolls.

We both learned to cook from our mother and enjoyed making all the traditional Polish dishes as well as Eastern Shore favorites like crab soup, crab cakes, steamed crabs and fried fish.  We were always singing when we cooked or washed the dishes.

When we were early teens, we did some imaginary things like pretending we were different people with different names and completely different lives.  (She was Doris, I was Helen).  We also each held our own talent shows.  We did all our own performances, pretending we were various singers.  This was on Saturday mornings when our parents had gone into town - father to his real estate office and mother to do her weekly shopping in and around the Broadway Market (with a deck of cards in her apron).


(continued)

As young ladies, we saw our boys off to war together.  In our early twenties, we both married our WWII handsome soldiers while they were on furlough from the army in 1945.  Mele was my Maid of Honor and I was hers.  We even took a second honeymoon together in Wildwood, NJ.  On our way back from NJ, word spread that the war was over.  It was such a happy time!

We spent a lot of time together as young mothers while living in Pikesville.  We had a lot of good card games in Colonial Village.  Mele was a very relaxed, more experienced mother, where I was a more anxious first time mother with baby Gary.  I remember one time when we were there playing cards, Mele commented how well her children slept, or maybe, she said, it was just that she couldn’t hear them all the way down their long hallway!  

After Mele and Leo moved to Florida in 1952, they visited every summer in Maryland.  After Cal retired in 1978, we spent three weeks every year visiting in Florida.  We had so many good times, so much laughter, so much good food and so many good card games together!

Mele was such a joy to be with.  She was always smiling and quick with a laugh.  Through the good times and the bad, she always had a positive attitude.  She took the cards she was dealt and never complained.  She would often use a phrase we learned in high school, “It’s a great life if you don’t weaken”.  

Most of all, Mele was a great sister.  I was lucky enough to know her for 95 years.  In all that time, we always got along real well.  I will miss her and hope to see her soon!


Aunt Mele was so positive and fun to be around. She has been an inspiration to me. She was my Godmother and I remember the great times we shared as our families were growing up. Summer visits from the Hartlaubs were wonderful.  

I was so thrilled that she and Aunt Wan (along with Karen, Ray, and Tim) made the trip to visit John and me at our farm in Marshall, NC just after we moved into our newly built home. It was wonderful to share our new life with them, especially since my parents were never able to visit. 
I will treasure Aunt Mele's spirit in my memory. She was very special.

I could never begin to fully express how lucky I was to have had such a special Grandmother. She will always be an inspiration to me and the rest of our family of the kind of person one should strive to be. To list off just a few of her attributes Grandma was of course as loving and caring as you can imagine but also someone who enjoyed life to to the fullest, was so proud of her family, and loved to have fun. She had a wonderful sense of humor and you would seldom see her without a laugh or smile on her face. I loved to play games and cards with her and wish we could share just one more game of Sets, but I know she can play to her heart's content now. Just to add to all of these qualities, Grandma was very smart with a sharp mind as well as a strong willed person with deep faith who was able to take the rough patches of life in stride. I loved all her stories and am thankful she shared so many with us over they years that we can reminisce on to keep her memory alive. A large consolation is being able to reflect on how many wonderful years and memories we were so fortunate to enjoy with her but there will always be a hole in our hearts until we can meet again. She was truly one in a million and I will miss her beyond words, but I count among my greatest blessings the fortune of having her as a Grandmother.

"Grandmom", later known as "Gigi", was truly a remarkable person. There are so many wonderful things that can be said about her that it is hard to put them all into words.  Quite simply, she was a bright light that exuded kindness, sincerity, and love.  I don't think anyone who was lucky enough to know or even meet her, could help but be comforted by her beautiful smile and warm spirit.  She always had the ability to instill in me a sense of peace that was rare to find elsewhere.  

Some of my strongest memories of her will be her love of music (always asking her piano to be played), her fun laughter, and her fierce card-playing competitiveness. 

I am so thankful for all of the memories I have of her. I feel really lucky to have had someone as wonderful as she was in my corner for so long, and that Isabel and Flynn had the chance to be a part of her family.  She will be greatly missed, but I know that I can close my eyes and will be able to see her face and hear her voice, and she will still be with me.


It’s impossible to put into a just a few words how much Grandma meant to me and our family. She was the rock and someone we all wanted to be around.  Her smile, laughter and stories were the best! She made everyone feel welcome, no matter if it was a stranger or a family member.  I’ll never forget her love of scratch offs (what lottery luck she had!), polish food, playing cards, listening to someone play her piano and how much she genuinely cared for her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.  So blessed to have as much time with her as I did.  We will miss you so much Grandma!!!

Not a meeting went by without you thinking of others first.  There was always a how are you doing, how are your parents, please tell them I said hello.  These weren't just ice breakers.  They were genuine and I will always remember you for that.  It won't be difficult because I see those same values in your children and grandchildren and that is something you can be proud of.  We will do our best to live our lives with as many smiles as you have and maybe share some of your lotto luck!

To the Hartlaub/Pasela Family, Cousins Lee, Tom, Susan, JoAnn, Pat and Tim
We are so sad to hear of Aunt Mele's passing. She was such a special Lady-so  much spunk and spirit, fun to be with and always ready for a good time. And when Aunt Mele, Aunt Mame and my Mother were together- THE APPLE SISTERS always had great times.  You have our sympathy and prayers. And we all have fond memories of Aunt Mele!!

Gary and Rosemary Beach

Amelia/Mele was a wonderful woman. She was the world's best mother-in-law. She always made me feel accepted as a member of the family in every way. Mele was the rock of her family and I feel privileged to be part of such a loving family. It is obvious that the  entire family adore, love and respect her greatly. Mele was always outgoing and cheerful, a woman who changed with the times, who often said, "Well, that was then and this is now," her way of expressing her acceptance of modern life. As for her fun-loving side, she loved to play cards and games, especially a card game called Sets which she and her two sisters played whenever they got together. She continued that tradition  with her children, their spouses and grandchildren, playing Sets nearly every time we visited her, including every Saturday night. Mele was a kind, loving woman of deep faith and a wonderful example to her children. She was always cheerful and smiling. I loved and admired her, and her passing has left a hero-sized hole in all our hearts. It feels like the best among us is now missing from our lives but her example and our memories of her live on in each of us.

What a mother!  My mother stands out in my memory as the best of the best.   Her love for her first family, her mother and father, sisters and brothers was on going and she often referred to her mother as a saint and her loving dad as Ta-Ta.  Her sisters  ( The Applesisters)  constitued a strong bond as only sisters can.  Her brothers were looked up to with much admiration.  Her other family (in her married life) were her world.  Her six children meant everything to her and she was proud of each one and raised them with love and devotion. Her grandchildren and great-grand children  were such a blessing to her.  Our mother will be missed everyday but knowing she is at peace and with Our Lord brings us much comfort.    God Bless her always.  And as mom always said,  "Its a great life if you don't weaken".







Our family was so very lucky to have such a kind, generous, loving, funny, strong woman as our mother, grandmother and great-grandmother. Gigi was honestly one of my favorite people. I loved listening to her stories. She loved sharing her memories with us and I am so thankful she did.  Even in old age, she was feisty and her laugh was infectious. She loved playing cards, doing crossword puzzles, good food and drink (she had a sweet tooth), but most of all she loved her family. I am incredibly grateful to have had her in my life for so long and that Graham got to know this amazing woman. I loved her so much and will miss her terribly. Gigi, Nostrovia!

I have so many favorite memories with my Grandmom!! I loved always having family get togethers. Of course I was always the mischief maker and never once did she get mad at me or think of me any differently than the others. Grandmom always was smiling and happy. Never did I ever see her mad or upset and if something bothered her she always made it to where nobody knew. Her Golabki and Borscht was always a top favorite of mine.  Also loved playing sets and will miss playing with her. She loved to win win win! Never will forget playing sets. Definitely will miss playing. Man did she love her scratch offs. Going to miss my Grandmom so much!!! Always will cherish all my memories with her. She was a one of a kind lady that I am so lucky to call my Grandmom!!  ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

She was the rose of your beautiful family ... so lovely and loving ... I loved when sister visited her ... will never forget seeing the two of them together ❤️

🌻Is never never easy to say goodbye to our Loved ones on earth ..So much to remember, loved to see (I always called her mom) 🌷shopping publix,I'd  go get Jo,let her know her mom was there..Always sweet conversations. Just a soul, filled with kindness, Will miss words with you..❤

Aunt Mele was always the “fun Aunt”.  She always had a smile on her face and loved to laugh.  We have so many good memories from her visits to Maryland at Streamwood Drive, Aunt Mame’s shore and the farm and our visits to Miami, Miami Lakes and Tallahassee.  Even though she lived hundreds of miles away, she always felt very close.  I was blessed to have her in my life all these years.  My daughter, Casey, described her as a “shining light”.  That got me to thinking of the shining lights in the sky and I was inspired to name a star for Aunt Mele with the Star Name Register.  So now, in the constellation Leo (in honor of her late husband and father of her children, Leo) there is a bright star named “Amelia” in her memory.  I asked them to inscribe the certificate, “In Loving Memory.  May your star shine as brightly as you shined in our lives.”  

It was our good fortune during Tim's Seagrove days to get to know Amelia. She was a wonderful woman, who had a Joie de vivre as we say in Louisiana. She loved life,  to laugh, to make jokes, to play games she had the heart of a child, the soul of a saint and a mind of wise person. But most of all we met a woman who loved her family,  her children, her grandchildren and understood the responsibilities of each generation to pass the torch to another. May her light shine into enternity, with love Leah & Willie

Mom, what a kind wonderful woman you were. You were loved by so many. I have so many fond memories of you over the years. We had so many fun trips together, shared so many celebrations and so many memorable conversations. What a wonderful Grandmother you were to Kim and Michael.  We can’t forget our Saturday night card game of Sets. You always looked forward to playing. Up to the end you were still the score keeper and  the rule was you didn’t play unless each of us put our 50 cents in. I have become the person I am because of you. You will always remain in my heart.
 Love you Mom. ❤️

"Ms. Mele" is how I fondly call my mother-in-law,  Amelia Pasela.  She was popularly known within my family and friends, in the Orlando area, as "Ms. Mele" as well.  It was our form of respect, that we lovingly accorded her.  Her sweetness and thoughtfulness will be surely missed by all of us, especially the grandchildren, that she consistently remembered, on their birthdays and special occasions.

For those that have played with Ms. Mele on Scrabble and Uno, you know that she was a winner. She fought to win on card games, and she did! She was a sharp, beautiful, and a loving soul. I am blessed to have her as a mother-in-law!
                                                                                              

My memories go back to when I was a little kid.  From time to time I would live with my Grandparents,  Aunt Mele and Aunt Wan in Pikesville.  They would take me to the movies and elsewhere, even when they were dating. They were so good to me and I love them for their efforts. Aunt Mele was always smiling. May she rest in peace and may perpetual light shine upon her.

Mele was always a favorite person of mine. She was the Grandmother to my 2 daughters and GreatGrandmother to my 3 Grandchildren. I will always have fond and loving memories of her and my sincere condolences go out to all her family...

OBITUARY

Amelia Pelczar Pasela

October 1, 1922 – August 14, 2020

Culley's MeadowWood Funeral Home & Memorial Park

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