memorial

Saturday afternoon we'll be going down to Louisville for the memorial service of my Uncle Bruce, who passed away a couple weeks ago. My brother will be coming down here Friday night, we'll spend most of the day on the road or at the service Saturday, and then Sunday is up in the air.

As for my uncle, I regret to say that I don't know a great deal about his personal life. Most of what I know is rather basic stuff, but also of his effect on my aunt. My Aunt Patti is one of my two godmothers, although my brother has always been closer to her than I have. There are two very good reasons for this: first, my brother is seven years older than me, and therefore the difference in age between the two of them is about 10 years (I'm not exactly sure). And secondly, when Matthew was growing up, Patti was a much happier person. I don't mean this in a callous way, she's had an awful lot in her life that made her much less happy. I don't really want to go into the details for why this is, nor do I even know the majority of those details. But what I can say is that Bruce was able to help her in ways that no one ever thought possible.

Bruce was an exceptionally kind and gentle man. I know he worked in the unions, he was very much a resource for people in both Cleveland and then Louisville. As much difficulty as I had when I worked a union job, I am aware of how much people like Bruce did to help us all. He was very giving, and always willing to help someone out. I know he had 3 children who are spread around the country (Vermont to California). Unfortunately, I know of only one vice that he had; Bruce had the unfortunate habit of smoking multiple packs of cigarettes daily. Ultimately, this vice killed him.

Bruce had been in a great deal of pain in the final few years of his life, as emphysema and cancer took a great toll on him. The final months of his life were remarkable for the tremendous swings in his state of health. I received multiple calls from my mother saying that the doctors thought he was near the end, and I received multiple calls from my mother saying that he's experienced a remarkable recovery. Unfortunately, it was in the midst of one of these periods of great health that the final countdown started, as he and Patti were out on a trip to the Grand Canyon when he could not continue.

When my Aunt Tave died last year, I attended her memorial service similarly lacking in knowing much about her. As far as I knew her, she was always this kind of shriveled older lady who always tried to help at family gatherings, even long after she was able to. At her memorial service, I learned that she was a fantastic woman, who experienced more things in life than I likely ever will.

I hope that Saturday I learn so much more about Bruce than I know now.