Obituary
Christine Samal McCormick, 74, passed away Sunday March 13th 2022 comfortably in the care of hospice in Ocala, Florida after a long and courageous fight with cancer. She was born May 19th 1947, to the late Mae and Anthony Samal.
Christine was born and lived in Meriden Connecticut until her family moved to Ft. Lauderdale Florida where she lived for several years. Eventually she then spent most of her adult life in Ocala, Florida where she enjoyed being an at home mother for many years as well as later in life being a bookkeeper and executive assistant. She had many hobbies including cooking, various sewing projects, gardening, and enjoying days relaxing in the sun by her pool. She had several famous holiday favorite projects making gingerbread houses from scratch, canning hot pepper jelly, peanut brittle, and her Christmas morning crepes. She also had many other favorite traditions like coloring Easter eggs, carving pumpkins on Halloween, and picking out a perfect Frasier Fir Christmas tree each year. On thanksgiving she would make place cards for attending family and friends with her favorite bible verses in them. She was always a positive influence on her children and willing to help anyone who needed it. She enjoyed being with family and any time spent with them that was possible. She had several beloved dogs over the years being she was a general lover of all animals. She personally and lovingly looked after her mother Mae (Baba) until her passing in September of 2019. She was her mother’s hero even though it weighed heavily on her own health and wellbeing. She was formally married twice, first to the late David Brooke, father of her daughter Laurie, and then to Raymond McCormick, father of her son Ian.
She had what became a several year battle with cancer. The last more than 11 months of her life required more intensive and acute care. However, she stayed positive and looked forward to every new day. She enjoyed family visits, and the endless visits from her son Ian while in various facilities in the Ocala area and just never gave up hope even to the end. She was such a fighter even doctors couldn’t explain medically how tough she was.
Christine is Preceded in death by her beloved father Anthony Samal, and mother Mae Knox. She is survived by her daughter Laurie Brooke of Dade City, FL, son Ian McCormick of Ocala, FL, sister Donna Maddock-Cowart of Athens, GA, and sister Sandra Richmond of Loxahatchee, FL.
A memorial service is planned for Tuesday March 22nd, 2022 at 2pm at Baldwin Brothers Funeral & Cremation Society, Heritage Place Chapel, 954 E Silver Springs Blvd #200, Ocala, FL 34470.
Online Condolences as well as fond memories may be left for the McCormick family by visiting www.BaldwinCremation.com
Visitation
954 E. Silver Springs Blvd., Suite 200, Ocala, Florida
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Death Is Nothing At All
By Henry Scott-Holland
Death is nothing at all.
It does not count.
I have only slipped away into the next room.
Nothing has happened.
Everything remains exactly as it was.
I am I, and you are you,
and the old life that we lived so fondly together is untouched, unchanged.
Whatever we were to each other, that we are still.
Call me by the old familiar name.
Speak of me in the easy way which you always used.
Put no difference into your tone.
Wear no forced air of solemnity or sorrow.
Laugh as we always laughed at the little jokes that we enjoyed together.
Play, smile, think of me, pray for me.
Let my name be ever the household word that it always was.
Let it be spoken without an effort, without the ghost of a shadow upon it.
Life means all that it ever meant.
It is the same as it ever was.
There is absolute and unbroken continuity.
What is this death but a negligible accident?
Why should I be out of mind because I am out of sight?
I am but waiting for you, for an interval, somewhere very near, just round the corner.
All is well.
Nothing is hurt; nothing is lost.
One brief moment and all will be as it was before.
How we shall laugh at the trouble of parting when we meet again!
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"This poem is often read at funerals. The author, Henry Scott-Holland (1847 - 1918), a priest at St. Paul's Cathedral of London, did not intend it as a poem, it was actually delivered as part of a sermon in 1910. The sermon, titled, "Death the King of Terrors" was preached while the body of King Edward VII was lying in state at Westminster."