Gabriela Adriana Hudak

Gabriela Adriana Hudak, 12, of Hamden passed away on Thursday, April 4, 2013 at Yale New Haven Hospital. Daughter of Joseph S. and Adriana Pastorova Hudak, she was born in New Haven on December 8, 2000. In addition to her parents, she is survived by her sister, Maximiliana Laska Hudak, grandparents Bozena and Jan Pastor, aunts, Lisa Filarsky and Monika Pastorova, uncles John Filarsky, Jan Pastor and Peter Hudak and cousins Robert Pastor, Monika Pastorova and Christian, Dylan and Steven Hudak. Gabriela was a free spirit, adventurous and special in every way. Perfect. Pure and innocent. She loved music and dancing and swimming. She'd swim anywhere - a pool, the ocean, a lake - loved to be in the water (unless it was a bathtub). She loved Italy and was learning Italian (she was also fluent in Slovak). She played the saxophone. Gabriela was kind and enjoyed helping children at school who didn't learn as quickly as she did. She loved people and animals and nature. On her last morning she took a hike with her mother and sister, Laska, and was amazed at how beautiful everything was. She never took the beauty around her for granted but experienced it continually as if for the first time. Gabriela had energy and was always in motion, moving, moving, moving - or singing songs with the radio - and whatever song played, she knew it. She invented dances - crazy dances that made people laugh. He mother Adriana would always ask Gabriela, 'Do that dance again - you know, the one where you move like this...' And she'd do it. Though she never took formal dance lessons, the 'dance' was in her and she couldn't help it. When she heard the music, she had to dance - or sing - or both. She had great hair - goldilocks. She liked to wear loud, colorful socks that didn't match. And lemons, my goodness, lemons to Gabriela were the best. She couldn't get enough of lemons, lemon zest, lemon candy, lemon cake, lemonade, lemon fragrance. But green was her favorite color. I suppose a lemon with a green peel was, for Gabriela, God's most exquisite creation. Her sister Laska was her closest friend and confidant, though the two of them couldn't have been more different. Laska liked art and writing and taking moments through the day to slow down or reflect or take a break. Gabriela was a scientist (as early as second grade she knew she wanted to be a neurosurgeon) and had to keep moving and was fearless. Laska might say to her sister, 'You've got to be more careful.' Gabriela would say: 'Don't boss me around - you're not my mother!' Well, even if she was, it wouldn't have made a difference. Once Gabriela made up her mind, that was it. No one could change it. She loved her father, Joseph, and both Adriana and Laska agreed that 'As far as Gabriela was concerned, dad could do no wrong.' In any argument or dispute, she always took her father's side. She was her father's strongest advocate. As for baths or brushing teeth or cleaning up, they were just too time-consuming and needless for Gabriela. There were always more urgent and exciting things to do. 'Gabriela wasn't interested in baths or brushing her teeth, ' Adriana said. 'She'd rather be stinky and do other things.' But wherever she was, at home or on trips, Pepe went with her. Pepe, her blanket from her earliest years, was her most precious possession. Laska said, 'That blanket didn't smell that great, but Gabriela would take it in both hands and press it to her face and inhale deeply and say, 'Ahhhhhh...' ' Gabriela loved her aunt and uncle, Lisa and John - loved to go with them to the mall and eat junk food and shop. Her favorite song was 'Home' by Phillip Phillips. Which is where she is now. She has gone to another home, and our lives will continue to be enriched by the vivid memories, the dances and songs and the tremendous love that Gabriela shared the twelve years she was with us. A Memorial Service will be held on Sunday, April 7, 2013 at 2:00 PM at Dunbar United Church of Christ, 419 Dunbar Hill Rd., Hamden. Rev. George Manukus will officiate. Arrangements are in care of BEECHER & BENNETT, 2300 Whitney Ave., Hamden.