ὅν οἴ θεοί φιλοῦσιν ἀποθνήσκει νέος
(Pronounced “hon hoi theoi philousin apothneskei neos” meaning “he whom the gods love dies young”)
Menander
It’s hard to fathom that it’s been two years since Dave left us as the result of a motorcycle accident on a road trip combining his passion for the open road on a cycle and having a bit of tasty BBQ!
I think of the many years he and I spent working together in a start-up medical records IT firm in Chapel Hill and of the many discussions on wide-ranging topics including his strong and steadfast spiritual beliefs.
He was the sort of person that was always there for you if you needed him. On 9/11, we were sharing an office facing Franklin Street when the news bulletins came in that the planes had struck the Twin Towers and he was there during the next few hours where we’re going through the motions in a sort of daze and finally give up and head to a nearby pub before finally heading home for the day.
He was one of the most genuinely nice and faithful people I’ve ever known. What you saw on Sunday is what you got the rest of the week and I honestly can’t recall him ever getting angry even when he’d have been justified in a bit of performance art rage.
Whenever I think of the day I followed him to an Audi dealership so he could have his A4 saloon mended at their garage, I laugh thinking that apparently my superpower is silently projecting menace such that the service manager about fell all over himself to let Dave take out an Audi TT he’d been wanting to drive for about *FOREVER* as a loaner which apparently had never happened for Dave in previous visits.
If you hung round him for even a little bit, it wasn’t hard to fathom his three bedrock foundations: his lovely wife Susan who is a hors categorie awesome science teacher, his family, and his faith. Full stop.
It it any wonder that those of us who are still hanging about the mortal plane think of him often?
I know I certainly do and I won’t try to sugar-coat how much I miss one of the dearest friends I ever had the honour and privilege to know and serve with.
But the tears I’m shedding right at this very instant are not ones of sadness but rather joy knowing that even though he left us far too early, he is most certainly seated where he never had any doubt he would be when his work upon the Earth was done.
And I’ve no doubt that he will be most certainly smiling upon all of those participating in the ride to Carthage and looking for them to have a safe and wonderful ride and remember a truly special person and the good memories that will live in us forever.
That’s why there was no possible way I could miss seeing Susan and the riders off on today’s journey.
In his last years, it was obvious to anyone who was blind in one eye and couldn’t see out the other that Dave had found the calling of his heart amongst his brethren on the bikes and through them found a unique way in order to minister to those in need whether it be physically or spiritually.
And even though they didn’t know him as long as some of us have, it doesn’t take a genius to see that his short time in riding with him had as profound effect upon them and their hearts as he had on the rest of us!
If I may and if you’re able, do consider putting something in the kitty for the scholarship fund that was established in his name so that a hard working student in seminary might find the training and the inspiration to do that essential work of ministry in Dave’s memory. 🙂
