DEATH STEPS IN AGAIN AND AGAIN

 BRYCE ON LIFE

- I've been losing too many friends lately.

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I lost my wife in December. If that wasn't hard enough to bear, I also lost six good friends in the last ten months, which seems a lot to me. Normally, you hear of someone passing away now and then, but six? These were not just acquaintances either, but good friends. I guess I am coming of the age where friends pass away more steadily. It's an odd feeling too, kind of like in Ayn Rand's book, "Atlas Shrugged," whereby certain business leaders suddenly disappear from society (later to reappear secretly in John Galt's valley).

Here is who I have lost.

Mike Ambrose - we lost Mike just a week before my wife's passing. He was an old friend who I knew through Little League softball, where we both served as umpires, and on co-ed teams in an over 40 league. Mike made a good living selling medical equipment. He was warm and generous and possessed a great sense of humor. He lost his wife, Ro, about a year earlier and was never quite the same without her. I miss his smile and sincerity.

Wendy Moss - Wendy was a neighbor down the street who suffered from MS as well as other ailments. Despite her problems, she had an indomitable spirit that wouldn't allow her to feel sorry for herself. I have known her since our children were in elementary school. Wendy kept a bottle of my favorite Scotch whiskey in case I dropped by, which I did on several occasions where we would talk and laugh. Even though I was a Republican and Wendy was a Democrat, we didn't let politics get in the way of our friendship. In fact, we often discussed it whenever I visited. She was a classy lady who suffered an accident at home which shocked many of us. A lot of people attended her memorial service and grieved her passing.

John Siggins - from Jamestown, New York, John was the first radio personality to have me on his show. He loved his family and was extremely proud of the Jamestown area. His knowledge of history was impressive and we would talk at length about pertinent historical events on his show. He was a good man and Mason with a wry sense of humor. Alas.

Sarah Solo - Sarah was another neighbor in our community. She was proud of her Irish ancestry, and you could hear it in her voice. I would love to listen to her talk and see the twinkle in her eyes. She was very down to earth and was the realtor who sold us our house years ago. Unfortunately, she suffered with a prolonged illness which she eventually succumbed to this summer.

Jerry Spetseris - from Houston, Texas, Jerry and I were college fraternity brothers. He was a smart guy who earned a Masters degree in Geology and worked for the oil companies in Houston. From time to time we would pick up the phone and call each other just to talk, particularly during the Houston hurricanes. We would laugh and talk about old times. Jerry was also an ardent Democrat and we would tease each other about politics. In college, we played rugby, and because Jerry was relatively short, he was the "hooker" on our team and I was his "prop." We won a lot of scrums thanks to his size and our ability to hold him up. He always appeared to be physically fit, but was tragically struck down by an undetected heart problem.

Louis Vavoularis - A local Greek restaurateur who had retired just a few months earlier. He was a wonderful man who passed shortly after Easter and amid the COVID-19 panic. Lou immigrated with his family from Greece to Chicago back in the 1960's, It was a hard transition for him, but he acclimated and went into the food retail industry. In the 1980's, his family moved to Palm Harbor and opened Emily's Restaurant, a popular family style restaurant. Patrons came not just for the food but for Louie's warm personality. His passion was restoring cars from the 1960's, he loved to discuss politics, and was a huge fan of Al Bundy. The suddenness of his passing caught everyone off guard. I saw him just days before and he looked fit. I still cannot believe he is gone. What a good man.

I mourn the passing of all of these people, they left us much too soon. It seems like I was just talking to them and "poof," they were gone. This is why we need to relish every moment with our friends and take nothing for granted.

I then started to consider what they had in common, even though some lived far away. All of them were honest and hardworking. They had no problem assuming responsibility and gave of themselves generously. They all possessed inquisitive minds and a great sense of humor, and they all loved to laugh. And I guess it is this "birds of a feather" phenomenon I will miss. I just hope they knew how much they were loved by the people around them. I also hope they are happy in John Galt's valley.

In coelo quies est - In heaven there is rest.

Keep the Faith!

P.S. - Also, I have a NEW book, "Before You Vote: Know How Your Government Works", What American youth should know about government, available in Printed, PDF and eBook form. This is the perfect gift for youth!

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Tim Bryce is an author, freelance writer and the Managing Director of M&JB Investment Company (M&JB) of Palm Harbor, Florida and has over 40 years of experience in the management consulting field. He can be reached at timb1557@gmail.com

For Tim's columns, see:   timbryce.com

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Copyright © 2020 by Tim Bryce. All rights reserved.

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