One more tribute

It has been one week since Father's Day. I listened today to 3 sermons, and 2 of them were recorded on Father's Day, but that day this year was two days after Daddy breathed his last breath, and one day before he was buried. Our family sort of "postponed" Father's Day. It was a bit too painful. JB and CB celebrated yesterday. Boo and M went through the motions. The three girls who were home for the day gave Muffin a great card, and we all smiled, but still there was a sadness that prevailed. So, I'm posting one last tribute, read at the Celebration service by an "older brother" from our church youth group who has remained a faithful friend to our family all these years.

Memories of Daddy Dub
I have so many memories of the man that I was privileged to call Daddy Dub. Some are far too personal to be shared with anyone other than Momma A., or Sister J. or Brother R. But distilled to its very essence my one overall memory of Daddy Dub is this: he was a really good man. Somehow to say simply that he was a really good man doesn’t seem intense enough or powerful enough a statement. But when I think of what that statement implies it seems to be most appropriate.

Daddy Dub was a really good husband. He really loved Momma A. He was faithful and loyal to her “‘til death us do part” as it says in the marriage vow. Daddy Dub was the epitome of what God intended when He established the institution of marriage. In my mind Daddy Dub was the model of what a Christian husband should be.
Daddy Dub was a really good father. He really loved Sister J. I know that he would have done anything in his power for her. I know he sacrificed to provide J with the opportunity to develop her God-given gift of music. He didn’t do so because he considered it a duty or obligation. He did it because he really loved her. He also saw to it that she was well grounded in the Christian faith and knowledge of her Savior, Jesus Christ. What better could a father do for his daughter?
Daddy Dub was a really good grandfather and great grandfather. He really loved his granddaughters. Take it from me—I wouldn’t lie to you about something like this. I wasn’t around much while the granddaughters were growing up, so my first-hand knowledge of that is limited. But, I heard things.
Daddy Dub was a really good member of his church. He really loved Grace Church. When persons present themselves for membership in a congregation of the United Methodist Church, they are asked: “ Will you be loyal to the United Methodist Church, and uphold it with your prayers, your presence, your gifts and your service?” Anyone who knew Daddy Dub knew that he really lived up to that vow.
Daddy Dub was a really good friend. If you had Daddy Dub for a friend, you really had a friend. He was a friend that you could share a confidence with and know that it wouldn’t go any further. He was a friend that you could seek counsel from and know that he would tell you what he really thought, not just what you wanted to hear. And most of the time his advice and counsel was right on the money.
Daddy Dub will really be missed. He will be really missed by his wife, Momma A. He will be really missed by his daughter J and he will be really missed by his granddaughters. He will be really missed by Grace Church. And he will be really missed by his many, many friends who respected and admired him.
Daddy Dub will even be missed by great grandchildren too young to fully appreciate who he was, and even those yet unborn. Someday they are going to hear their mothers and grandmother talking about Dubbie and they will want to know about him. Perhaps a good way to start to tell them about Dubbie will be to say, simply, “ Dubbie was a really good man”.