A reflection by Jeff:

Dad found a way to live a good life. As I’ve been reflecting on how he did it, I think he just did what he loved. 

Dad loved music, so he played music. He loved sports, so he watched and played sports. He loved adventure, so he hit the road. He loved to paddle, so he went paddling. He loved to ride bikes, so he went riding. He loved skiing, so he sponsored a high school ski club for free lift tickets. He loved golf, so he bought and sold golf clubs. Same for motorcycles. He loved to eat, so he ate it all. He loved God, so he spent time reading and praying and worshiping and writing music to God. He loved people, so he shared all of the above with them.

That last one stands out to me. He included people, whenever possible. He wanted to have fun, and he wanted to share the experiences with people, so he joined friends and hit the trail, slope, river, or performance stage, and shared meaningful conversations along the way.

And when he didn’t like his job, Dad quit teaching music and became a minister of music. And when he was done with that, he quit and went back to teaching but not to being an administrator as he had done before. He didn’t really like being chair of the department, so he didn’t do it again.

Dad didn’t complain much even though he faced some pretty frustrating chapters; he just kept chasing the stoke wherever that led. Life is short—love God, love people (especially family), and do what you love.

So many people have been sending comments: Your dad was the only person who understood me. Your dad was the first person to see any value in me. Your dad was the first teacher who believed in me.

I relate to that. In the hospital, I said I was losing my cheerleader. He was at the front, cheering and encouraging me even when he should have known better. Whether it was driving me to Atlanta as an 18-year old to look at a guitar school, going on a long walk in college discussing whether I should change my major to economics, or later in life talking over whether I should get back into communication. He was always cheering me on to try, to give it a shot, to go for it. Life is short, do what you enjoy, and you won’t know that until you try. That’s what Dad did and what he encouraged others to do. Give it a try; give it a go!