I lost a friend and I can't tell you his name or show you his picture. His final instructions were very clear: "that there should be no announcement or publicity of my passing".
He was WWII veteran of the US Navy; a Coxswain on a destroyer. He defended the fleets that laid down bombardments on South Pacific islands before my own father, a US Marine, stormed those beaches. There’s some chance that I am here today, because he was there then.
In high school, I remember him as a staunch supporter of women in sports. He was a booster long before Title IX legislation- long before it was “fashionable”. Now I have two daughters who play sports and there's some chance that the work he did then is benefitting them now.
He was active in Church and not just his church. If a church was open and filled with people, he was there adding his voice in song and praise. He prayed at weddings and funerals for people he knew and even those he didn’t. There’s some chance that the religious anchors my own children hold dear are due to his example.
He was a teacher whose classroom was the world. He learned from life’s experiences and passed those learnings on in clever, subtle ways. Seldom did you know you were being taught. And there's some chance, that the number of people he educated can never be known because they themselves learned without knowing.
Consenting to give his daughter’s hand in marriage, he became my second father. I pray that there's some chance his daughter sees in me what she saw in him.
Ted,
ReplyDeleteVery touching tribute to your father-in-law...sorry to hear of his passing.
My own father passed away many years ago. He was always involved helping people and causes, while working two jobs. He always said he was not a success, referring really to financial success.
The night of his wake, which was to start at 7:00PM and end at 9:00PM, they asked us if they could let people in at 6:45 due to a very long line. We consented. At 9:45 they informed us that they had posted someone at the end of the line to turn people away. The wake lasted past 10PM.
I changed my definition of "success" that night. Would that I would touch that many lives in my life time.
Steve
Ted:
ReplyDeleteSorry to hear about your family's and the community's loss. He sounded like a heck of a guy.
Jerry G.
My thoughts and prayers are with your family, Ted. Your tribute to Mr. M. brought many fond recollections of my occassional encounters with this wonderful man. His legacy lives through his wonderful family and the community he so loved and served.
ReplyDelete