Pastor's Note

SOME PERSONAL THOUGHTS
August 12th, 2007

I admit that I am writing these thoughts about the death of my brother, Ken, partly as my own therapy. Often it is in writing that I sort out my feelings.
For the last month, I have been preparing for the death of my brother-in-law, Mike, who is in hospice care. Mike is the husband of my oldest sister. That will undoubtedly be a challenge when he passes. However, I was completely surprised and unprepared when my sister called with the news that Ken had died suddenly. I had just seen and talked with Ken at the family reunion a few days earlier. Besides that, he is just a few years older than I. Somehow, dealing with the death of those in our own generation is harder.
Ken, Larry, and I grew up together in our part of a large family. A few years older than I, Ken often inspired me because he read a lot and was knowledgeable about things – history, sports, nature, and current events – before I was. I looked up to him.
Although people think of me as an outdoorsman and nature lover, Ken was all of that to the nth degree. He was a writer and eventually wrote almost exclusively about nature. His weekly column in the Providence (Rhode Island) newspaper was a favorite for many years.
Perhaps the quality that I most admired in Ken was his commitment to his family. He found the best way to contribute to his kids’ growing up was to coach them…in almost every sport. And when his kids had children, Ken became the quintessential grandfather. I recall his telling me he had no idea that being a grandparent would be so much fun!
Ken was always active in his life, never babying himself, even when he was diagnosed with cancer some years ago. (It was his heart, not cancer, which finally stopped him.)
Ken found joy in simple pleasures and all that was alive. May he come into eternal life! (I am certain that ‘rest in peace’ would not fit him since he would rather be active than resting.)