I feel compelled to send out a mass email, but I know that is annoying…so I put my thoughts here.
One of my close friends from high school died unexpectedly at age 43. I had lost touch with him for a dozen years or so but was able to totally randomly see him again for 2 minutes a month ago. He was always a great guy and I just can’t think of anything wrong or bad that he ever did. I’m stunned; my friends are stunned. He was such a good person. Somehow the measure of his character is reflected in the number of people he touched in his community and shown by the number of his mourners. I’ve been through terrible trials in my life and been beaten down and come back successful in so many ways. But I’m sure I’ll never have a 1000 mourners and be as good a person as Fred where it really counts.
Here is an email I got from one of my friends; go to the websites he’s listed to see more:
Just wanted to report on how the funeral went.
It seems that a good part of Windsor was there as well as many familiar, and aging, faces from our youth. I would guess the attendance as near a thousand. Many professional associates, young people Fred had worked with through scouting, school projects, etc. The service was very touching and meaningful. The photo slide show was tough to watch and I teared up frequently with familiar images of days past. The most notable memorial came from his seventeen year old daughter. She is a musician and has a band. Apparently she composed a song in tribute to her dad, and they preformed it well. There was just a heartbreaking bridge in which Kaley, who sings back-up, sang out either “I love you dad” or “I miss you dad”. We were all sobbing so much it is hard to recall exactly. I suppose in this day and age, that a video posting is available if on knows where to search.
I’ll re-post what I think I sent as far as contact information on Tuesday the 3rd. Saundra is obivously very distraught and suffering greatly.
http://www.sedaliademocrat.com/news/mourns-20097-advocate-death.html