See you later, John
My older brother John, who got me into the Beatles and probably influenced my flirtation with technology, died last week. He was 45.He died unexpectedly and suddenly of an aortic aneurysm. Prior to this, things were looking up in his life. Hopeful times are the best times, and we are comforted by the fact that he was aware things were on the upswing.
My family reconverged on Massachusetts after a series of family reunions last month.
Many of my siblings, including myself, had not seen John in several years. We got together and worked, ate, drank, talked, sat, stood, sat, stood, knelt, sat, stood, knelt (it was a Catholic ceremony), and joked about it over a few days.
St. John the Evangelist Church in North Chelmsford is right across the street, and I mean directly across the street, from Dolan's Funeral Home. Yet a motorcade of hearses and like-hearses proceeded from the parking lot of Dolan's across the street to the church after the viewing.
Funeral vehicles, as you can see from the picture, are getting fancier.
Once we got to the parking lot of the church we started circling around it. It would have taken a lot less time to walk across the street. Suddenly I felt like I was back in Los Angeles paying someone to valet my car 20 feet away from where I stood.
My brother Andy leaned over to the limo driver and asked, "You going the long way?"
The limo driver goes, "Yeah, but the fare's the same."
My sister Anne was delivering one of the readings, and it was the Revelation (aka The Apocalypse of John) verse that begins with "Now I, John, am the one who heard and saw these things..." After she returned to her seat, I said, "Nice that you worked John into that," and she said, "Yeah, it originally said 'Luke'."
Like the birthday card passed around the office, John's employer sent around a condolence card. It was interesting to read the comments, some of which reflected the awkwardness of not really knowing the person one is being asked to write about.
His boss wrote: "John was one of the most professional employees I have seen in a while" and signed it "John's supervisor" and another employee wrote, "Heaven must have been short an angel".
I'd like to think that John would have had a laugh about these things.
John did not like crowds, yet one showed up for his service. My sister Mary noted this in the eulogy. "I think he might be exasperated," she said.
Altogether this was a sad time, punctuated with the humor characteristic of an Irish funeral.
posted
by Marty Barrett at Sunday, September 17, 2006
10 Comments:
my thoughts are with you... i admire your bravery and sense of humor during a sad time
It's not brave, but thank you. I'm not afraid of his supervisor coming after me.
Sorry to hear of your loss. I never met John and I don't really know how close you two were, but I hope that the sadness in your heart is fleeting and that only the fun memories remain.
Condolences. My prayers are with you and your family.
Sorry to hear about your brother. Hope you got to spend good time with your family.
You emphasizes the value of humor in life and death so very eloquently, my friend. I am truly thankful that someone like yourself is still here to show us.
Dear Marty,
Black Jesus here, Be at peace. Your brother is in my loving embrace and just so you know? He's squirming a bit. Guy's got to discover his feminine side.
Le Grand Fromage
Whoa.
I think you've got to recalibrate the Funny there. Might be better for the Uday Hussein messageboard but not for someone you don't know. Kudos on the anonymity though.
I knew I'd pay for that post about the Arthur Lee tribute.
Marty,
I'm so sorry to hear about your brother. You and your family are in my thoughts.
Marty,
:(
I'm sorry.
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