It is difficult to believe that a year has come and gone,
but it has. On this day in 2013, I
learned of John’s passing. I was overcome
with sadness and had so many questions.
I still am, and I still do. John
was so many things to an innumerable amount of people. His positive and upbeat disposition was
absolutely contagious. If you ever came
into contact with John, you remembered him and you probably had a great story
to tell about your encounter. That’s
just the kind of guy he was.
To me, John was my coach when I was younger and a colleague
when I came back to Lincoln to begin my career.
As I became involved in local boards and local organizations, John was
always there. He was not involved
because he wanted the notoriety, or the power, or the prestige. He certainly was not in it for the pay,
because there was not any to be had.
John was involved with the community because he loved it. By volunteering, he reciprocated the love everyone
in the community had for him. He contributed
his time to our community willingly and unselfishly.
His incredible impact on the community, and beyond, has been
readily apparent over the course of the past year. A golf tournament that was held to raise money for veterans in his honor
boasted a spectacular turnout, with golfers traveling great distances to participate. A local basketball tournament which
he spearheaded the creation of was renamed in his honor. People turned out in droves to attend his
visitation and memorial service. The
list goes on.
He wore many hats during his lifetime, but the most important
hat he ever wore in my presence was “friend.”
From the impromptu “bachelor party” he threw me in Chicago, to having a
candid discussion about an issue facing a local organization, John was always a
friend. He valued input and, even if we
disagreed, he always showed me an incredible amount of respect. Mostly, he always cared. For that, I will be forever grateful.
As I learned many years ago, death cannot kill that which
never dies. I still wish he was physically
with us, but his friendship and spirit are immortal. Until we meet again, cheers my friend.
