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| My Friend Tom |
But I digress.
Yesterday, Dave and I attended the memorial service for a great man, Rear Admiral Thomas W. McKean. He left a huge family, including his wife, Kim, plus hoards of friends. I am blessed to be among them. I got to know Tom 20 or so years ago when he asked me to teach his Sunday School class. He had the distinction of being the only person who asked for my resume before teaching a Sunday School class.
Besides being an Admiral, Tom was an oral surgeon. After retiring from the Navy he became chairman of the Florida Hospital Foundation Board and he was the founder of an international medical missions team at Florida Hospital.
Once, several years ago, my friend was leading a mission team from our church. Tom signed up to be a team member. My friend was nervous about this. She was sure she would be totally intimidated by Tom. But that didn't happen. They got along great. She said Tom understood "chain of command" and had great respect for her as the leader.
I was reminded yesterday of Tom's courage in standing up for others. In the Navy, he risked advancement by taking a stand for civil rights and women's rights.
As his children so eloquently told us, Tom left quite a legacy. I guess this is why I love funerals. I'm still feeling inspired by their words. I want to be like Tom. It's not likely that I'll join the Navy and be an admiral, but I want to continue to live a life that matters. And I am blessed to have had people like Tom in my life to help show me the way.
We learned that Tom died quietly last Saturday morning while sitting on a bench after winning his final Bocce Ball match. Dave plays Bocce Ball every Friday morning. He leaned over to me in the pew and said, "That would be a good way to go."
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