“She always told me, when you get to be my age, you’re gonna understand this and that. And she’s absolutely right. At 20, we know everything, right? But when I turned 40, I’m like, yeah, you were right about a lot of things. I wish I would have really believed you back then. But, she was always there for me, no matter what.”

Joshua Jones reflected on the values his mother, Robin Wisocky, instilled in his life at a Celebration of Life held to honor Wisocky, who passed away in a house fire in Palmerton in August.

Family members, friends, neighbors, co-workers, and former patients met at the Sokol Club on Lehigh Avenue, Palmerton, on Sunday to share stories about Wisocky and to celebrate the life of a woman who touched many lives and brought a smile to all who knew her.

Jones shared how, when he was 17 years old and a senior at Palmerton High School, he and several friends left school early. A friend was driving Jones’ car, and at 6th and Franklin streets, the friend lost control of the car and hit a parked car.

“So I had to go home and tell her. I first told my mom, ‘hey, I left school early today.’ And she starts yelling and flipping out. And I’m thinking to myself, that’s not even the full story. Then I had to tell her about the accident and pretty much the car was gonna be totaled. And even though she was mad at me, a couple months later, she got a car loan because I was only 17 and got me a new car.

“My mom still believed in me even though I made mistakes, that she was able to forgive,” Jones said. “That was true throughout all of my life. She might have given me the lectures and then yelled at me and all that stuff. When things calmed down, she was Mom. And I think she made me the person I am today.”

Pastor Ken Melber, St. John’s Lutheran Church, Palmerton, led a short prayer service in Robin Wisocky’s honor. Several others shared their stories and just reflected on how important Robin was to them. A table was set up showing various family photographs, and everyone shared some good food and fellowship.

Randy Wert remembered working with Wisocky at the Palmerton Hospital.

“I was there for 30 years, and she was one of the cooks there. She basically helped me get started. Then, after she had trained me, she said, ‘I’m done cooking,’ and she went to be a hostess to work in the cafeteria. She was fun to work with.”

“She called us up a couple of times, ‘I love you guys so much. I love you!’ she would say,” Darlene Wert added.

Bernadette Walck worked with Robin for 21 years at the Palmerton Hospital and two years at St. Luke’s and said she was a bright spot in the cafeteria line.

“We became fast friends right away from day one,” Jennifer Froneheiser, a former co-worker, related. “She was really funny. We just always had a good time. If she needed a ride to work or to go somewhere, I helped her out and she helped me out. I will miss her friendship.”

“She always called me Mama June,” Jennifer’s mother June shared. “I had taken her down to McDonald’s the Saturday before she passed away. She wanted something and her car was in the shop. And then the last I saw her, I can still see her getting out of the car and saying, ‘Bye, Mama June!’”

“We were really good friends,” Kim Navatier said. “She lived in a house up on the other side across the street from us. She was in my wedding. I was in her wedding.”

Robert Serfass was a patient at a nursing home in Lehighton when he met Robin.

“She was very, very caring; she helped me. She was a nice woman; she and I got along really well.”