With profound sorrow, Glen Cove struggles with the loss last week of a dynamic community activist, Terry Petikas. Terry--wife, mother, sister, Godparent and the essence of the word, friend. She transformed a personal breast cancer diagnosis into a very public, unwavering and compassionate movement to educate and assist all whose lives have been affected by the illness. Part of the movement was the founding and nurturing of Glen Cove CARES, (Cancer Awareness Resource Education Source). Her efforts were often rewarded with plaques and other forms of public recognition, but the only thing Terry wanted was for cancer awareness and positive health choices to be at the forefront of everyone's daily routine.

Terry touched hundreds of lives in a multitude of settings. She had a positive influence on the Connolly, Middle and High School students, faculty and PTA membership; the Glen Cove School District's BIONIC program; the Glen Cove Community Scholarship Fund; the Resurrection Greek Orthodox Church parish and, most extraordinarily, Terry worked vigorously to ensure the continued good health and heightened cancer awareness of everyone in our North Shore community. The projects were many, the time was measured, the debt our community owes her inestimable. "Terry was a credit to her community, a smiling face that everyone loved to see. She was a woman who earned our utmost respect. When we see the 10,000 pink tulips bloom this spring, we'll see her spirit 10,000 times," said Glen Cove Mayor Mary Ann Holzkamp.

Projects always began with a phone call. In response to "Hello," an enthusiastic voice would say, "Hi, it's Terry. I have an idea. Can you come over for tea so we can discuss it?" And so, it was off to Terry's house to plan another project while seated at her kitchen table. With a cup of decaffeinated tea in her hand and animated tones in her voice, Terry would outline her idea and listen to suggestions. By the end of the day, a committee would be in place with a date, time and place set for an event. The Nassau County mammogram van and the Glen Cove CARES guided imagery program at North Shore-LIJ Hospital, "Look Good, Feel Good" program, cancer awareness seminars at Glen Cove High School, free rides for cancer patients to radiation/chemotherapy treatments, bilingual breast cancer workshops, cancer-of-the-month press releases, "Walk Because We Care" walk-a-thon are just a few of her efforts in our community.... and this is just the short list. The Glen Cove CARES golf outing and the annual Glen Cove CARES dinner dance fundraisers made most of these programs possible. This past fall, Terry, Glen Cove CARES and the Glen Cove Beautification Commission joined forces and planted 10,000 pink tulip bulbs throughout Glen Cove. When she came up with the concept, Terry said, "Imagine. All those pink tulip bulbs can serve to remind women to make and keep an appointment for a mammogram. They will bring cancer awareness and at the same time our city will look beautiful."

All Terry's achievements were possible because her husband, Ted, and sons, Nicholas and Michael, loved her deeply and supported her through the good and difficult times. Terry defied the illness for a miraculous dozen years because of her desire to see her husband and sons each attain personal milestones.

Terry Petikas will be missed; her mission will be sustained through Glen Cove CARES. Terry exemplified the type of person whose life must be memorialized for all to see. Eternal be her memory.

"In Paradise I have marked out an island

You all over--and a house on the sea

With a large bed and a small door

And I have thrown into the unfathomable deep an echo

To mirror myself every morning when I wake up

To see you going by half immersed in the water

And to lament the other half of you in Paradise."

---The Monogram, by 1979 Greek Nobel Laureate for Literature, Odysseas Elytis.