My dad died on January 7. He had a long life, which he lived very well. In remembrance of a true family man, I would like to share the closing comments that my brother made at my Dad's memorial service.
" Many of you have told us over the years and in the last week that our Dad was a great man. He was indeed a great man and usually at these moments people look for the great definer of the great man. Our Dad wasn't rich or the captain of the football team nor was he ever mayor of the city, though he served under many mayors. No, our fathers' greatness came from who he was and what he stood for. He was a man of this place, " his place" , truly a part of the fabric of our family and the community. If anything, he was the "great encourager". He encouraged everyone he met and all of his children to be more that they were: to be more adventurous, to give more of themselves to make their communities and families better, to start a project or journey rather than be frozen by fear of failure or the unknown. And not only did he encourage, he carried part of the load. He volunteered for everything. If something he believed in got stalled or never started, he would just start talking to whoever needed more "encouraging" to get things moving.
Many of you have asked how you might remember or honor our father. May I suggest that you honor the man by being a little bit more encouraging yourself: by giving a little more of your time and treasure to others, by being a little more friendly to all and by walking a bit more humbly along the path of your life " J. Thomas 1/13/2011
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