Jody E. Vlodek Berren

Jody Elizabeth Vlodek Berren, 39, was called to heaven, Thursday, January 17, 2014 after a courageous 7 1/2 year battle with breast cancer. Jody passed away peacefully with her husband by her side. Jody was born in Waterville on March 20, 1974 the only child of Ken and Sandy (Foster) Vlodek. She attended Waterville schools and was a 1992 graduate of Waterville High School. As a young girl, Jody was a social butterfly and often times was prayed over by the nuns at Mount Merici that she would stay in her seat and be less social! Jody danced for many years and was the captain of the Waterville High School Hockey Cheerleaders. Jody also loved swimming and being outside in the sun. So it was a natural fit for her to be a lifeguard, swimming instructor and the Pool Director for the City of Waterville during her high school and college years.Upon high school graduation, Jody attended Keene State College in Keene, NH and was an active member of Delta Phi Epsilon sorority. In August 1993 Jody met her beloved husband-to-be Fred at a fraternity party and they dated the rest of her college career. Originally a Psychology Major with a Dance Minor, Jody fell in love with the field of nutrition and received a Bachelor of Science degree in Home Economics/Nutrition in 1998. Fred and Jody were engaged at Nubble Light House in York in 1997 and were married August 21, 1999 in a beautiful ceremony in York, Maine. Their reception was in Kennebunkport at the Shawmut Ocean Resort. Fred and Jody began their married lives together in a spacious 2-bedroom condo in The Garrison Condominiums in Dover, NH. It was there that they experienced a rich community and quickly made many friends. Upon completion of her Dietetic Internship at the University of New Hampshire, Jody passed her Registered Dietitian (RD) exam and she began her career in the field of Dietetics. In August, 2002 Jody and Fred sold their condo and moved into their current home in Sanford as they were beginning to start a family. In November 2002, Colby Edward was born followed by his sister Brooke Isabella in August 2005. Jody was an extremely proud and involved Mommy to both of her babies. As the kids got older and began playing sports, Jody would be on the sidelines cheering Colby on during baseball, soccer and hockey. She would also be front and center during Brooke's softball games, soccer games and dance recitals, never criticizing, always offering words of encouragement. A lifetime hockey fan, Jody enjoyed her season tickets to UNH Men's Hockey. Attending those games would be an excellent family event! Until recently, Jody also danced at Diane's School of Dance in Sanford. It was amazing to see both Mommy and daughter perform for several years in their dance recitals. Jody was highly respected in her industry by her peers and clients in both New Hampshire and Maine. Jody had a wide-spread reach in the field of Nutrition beginning with her time as a Nutritionist for the WIC Program in Exeter, NH and also worked as an inpatient Dietitian at Frisbee Memorial Hospital in Rochester, NH, Avis Goodwin Healthcare in Dover, NH and SMMC in Biddeford. For the last 6 years, Jody was a Registered Dietitian for Home Health Visiting Nurses in their Diabetes Education Program (previously SMMC VNA). In addition to outpatient consulting, Jody also conducted supermarket tours, gave presentations on healthy eating/choices, and sat on the conference planning committee for the Maine Association of Diabetes Educators Fall Conference. Jody also worked as the Dietitian for the Sanford/Springvale YMCA and truly enjoyed her time with Merilee and the Y family. Jody was diagnosed with breast cancer in October 2006. It was a long and winding road navigating one setback after another. Throughout the illness Jody faced each and every challenge with grace, dignity and courage. She never stopped fighting and pressing forward even in the darkest days. Jody was a beacon of hope, perseverance and beauty, handling each obstacle with optimism and resilience and was an inspiration for everybody who knew her. She was definitely "one tough cookie". Jody was a selfless and devoted mother, wife, daughter and friend and always put others' needs before her own. Her family and friends meant the world to her. She could light up the room with a wink and her infectious smile and quickly put you at ease with encouraging words if you were having a bad day. She LOVED her babies and her family to the moon and back! Jody was passionate about cooking healthy and nutritious meals for her family, and most recently had begun mastering the art of baking. Jody also loved to garden, go the beach, run, work out and the yearly family vacation to Marco Island, Florida....her Heaven on Earth.Jody was extremely proud to be an active member of Curtis Lake Christian Church. She loved her church family and found the services extremely helpful in her fight against cancer and her pursuit in being the best person she could be. Jody volunteered in the nursery once a month and went on a life-changing mission trip to Romania in 2012. Jody is survived by her loving husband of 14 years, Fred Berren, son Colby, age 11 and daughter Brooke, age 8 all of Sanford, her father, Ken Vlodek and his fiance Sally Gould of North Vassalboro, paternal grandmother, Beatrice Vlodek of Waterville, aunt and uncle Joyce and Scott Atkins of Oakland, cousins Amy, Joe, Kevin, Chanterelle and Julie, maternal grandmother, Millie Foster of Hallowell and aunt and uncle Kathy and Jeff Tardiff of Windsor, aunt and uncle Cathy and Mark Foster of Northboro, MA, cousins Colleen, George and Lydia. She is also survived by her in laws, Don and Arlene Stake of Orange City, FL., Mike and Sheri Berren of Lake Mary, FL, Bruce and Irene Stake of Apopka, FL and Melissa and Phil Donnellan of Beverly, MA. Jody is also survived by many second and third cousins in Connecticut and Maine. She was predeceased by her mother/best friend, Sandy, grandfathers Edward Vlodek and Shirley Foster and a special cousin, Jeanne Vicnaire.A Celebration of Jody's extraordinary life will take place on Saturday at Curtis Lake Christian Church, 38 Westview Drive in Sanford. Relatives, and friends are invited to call from 10:00AM - 11:45 AM. A Memorial Service will begin at 12:00 PM followed by a reception. An interment service will be held in the summer at St Francis Catholic Cemetery in Waterville, Maine. One of Jody's passions was being the team captain for the American Cancer Society's yearly fundraising walk Relay For Life of York County. This year, her team "Hope On The Move" will be walking in her honor. In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to her team as Relay For Life was very close to her heart. The family wishes to extend its appreciation to all the medical professionals who cared for Jody and her family throughout her illness, especially Dr. Mark Wrona and his team at The Gibson Pavilion at Maine Medical Center in Portland, who provided us with exceptional care and compassion during the last 13 days of her life.Arrangements are through Black Funeral Homes & Cremation Service, Sanford-Springvale. Condolences can be expressed at the Condolences tab at left.