If you are within a 2 mile radius of the bell tower of the University Of Portland, the pealing of bells can be heard announcing and counting out each hour. It’s a highlight to hear as I deliver the mail on Mocks Crest each day; amongst the random ship and fog horns, the metal upon metal screeching from the drydocks, the whistle bursts from trains signaling their approach to the Mocks Bottom tunnel. The chiming bells signify nothing that is industrious; rather they are a call for pause in our busy lives. To be mindful of beauty (for, indeed, the pealing of bells is very beautiful). But, for some, it is a remembrance of loved ones.
For each of the 14 bells hanging in the bell tower cupola are dedicated by benefactors to their departed parents, dear friends or beloved spouses. When I hear their chimes each hour and briefly at every 15 minute interval, I am especially mindful of one particular bell, precision cast in the key of F sharp. For this bell was purchased by my neighbor and postal patron, George Galati, and donated to the university to celebrate the life of his beloved wife, Ann Galati, and to honor their great love for each other. And so, as the bells chime, it is fair to say that love is, literally, in the air, resonating across Mocks Crest for us all to hear and attend.
It was Linda Nakashima who related the story to me of George’s donation of the bell, and its dedication, on behalf of his wife, Ann. Linda suggested I mention their story here on my meager blog. Its a wonderful love story and reminded us both of another loving couple who lived on Mocks Crest, Peter and Jeannette Bouiss, who were married for 63 years by the time of Peter’s death in 2005. Jeannette was a mainstay in our daily lives; walking her dog, Cutie, stopping to talk with everyone she met as she made her rounds; always full of smiles, concern and good cheer. She was a burst of sunshine on even the darkest and rainiest of days. In his later years, when Peter couldn’t get out and around as much, they often headed to Freddies, not so much for grocery shopping as for a safe place for Peter to get some exercise; using the shopping cart as a walker, having often to stop to catch his breath. I’d often see them there, after I got off work and in search of dinner makings. They would only briefly allude to Peter’s ailing health, keeping mostly to cheerful topics, and showing far more interest in my life than talking about their own. The staff at Freddies always took great care of them, making a point to stop and visit. But then everyone loved them. They were an adorable couple, very much in love. Jeannette once told me that Peter, even until his last days, scribbled notes that he’d leave for her to find; stick figure drawings of him chasing her around with hearts in the air.
After he died, she tried to remain positive but couldn’t hide her sense of loss. She started walking more often each day, needing to get out of the empty feeling house. On one of her walks, she stopped to say hello, as I loaded up my satchel,. She felt so thankful for the love of her dog and for each of her neighbors kind enough to stop for a chat. But she missed Pete so, and the loneliness was so hard for her. Fortuitously, George Galati happened to be out on his daily walking sabbatical and, hearing her comment, stopped to take hold her hands. He shared that it had been 3 years since he had lost his Ann, and so he so very much knew how she felt. It doesn’t get any easier, he said; we live on and are thankful for our friends. But the deep feeling of loss remains. These were kind words that he gave; something that only a person who had been in a long and loving relationship can truly understand and appreciate.
Over the next 3 years, Jeannette’s steps became more frail, and the street blocks became so much longer for her. Some friends would have a deck chair waiting for her to rest, along the way, to have more of a visit. Neighbors checked in with her, offering to get items at the store. When she expressed concern that someone might break into her house, and her being unable to defend herself, I installed security devices on her ground floor windows. Eventually, it was necessary for her to move into an assisted living facility. She died on July 5th, 2008. As Linda and I were talking about Jeannette the other day, she said, “I miss her so much” and so do I. She was a unifier of our community by the goodness of her heart.
The bell tower which stands at 106 feet tall, can be seen from any place on the University Of Portland campus. At its base, the plaza holds a Marian garden, where a Italian bronze statue of Mary is forever holding a lily amongst the flowers, trees and the four basalt stones chiseled with the mysteries of the rosary. At the tower’s dedication in 2009, then President Rev. E. William Beauchamp, C.S.C. said, “This is a spot where heaven itself seems to touch earth. It reminds us that life is far more than we ever dreamed, far more than the pursuits of our day.”
This garden is considered the most sacred place on Wauds Bluff; from it emanates paths to all residence halls, classrooms, the chapel and dining hall. It was a gift by George and Ann Galati in 1996. Each hour, the pealing of the 14 bells emanates out and beyond the campus, and into the neighborhood along Mocks Crest, reminding those who know that love is in the air.
