Thursday, August 7, 2008

Goodbye

I am posting the eulogy that my husband wrote about his brother and will be reading today at the service.

A week ago today I received the terrible news—“Todd is gone.” Those words drove me to my knees in shock and disbelief. It was much too soon.
Todd was only 39, but in his short life he experienced quite a bit. He traveled much of the world as a United States Marine, Army Soldier, and Air Force Airman. He probably witnessed things that many of us hope never to see. But Todd loved his calling to protect and serve his country, and he never hesitated at the sacrifice it demanded.
He joined the Marines at 17, eagerly anticipating the challenges of Parris Island. He left for basic training a month before I left for the Air Force, and he still had several weeks left in training after I graduated Air Force BMT. Todd loved to hack on me for joining the Air Force. At the time he didn’t consider the AF as part of the “real” military. (My brother Chris still doesn’t.) Personally, I took more pride in Todd’s service and accomplishments with the Marines than I did from my young career in the Air Force. Todd was always a Marine at heart.
It was difficult for me as I drove around Fort Collins yesterday. I knew this was Todd’s home and he traveled these streets daily. I visited Todd only a few times here in Colorado, but I recognized several of the places we visited and remembered the things we did during those visits…every corner seemed to rekindle poignant memories of him. I’m certain you all are having similar experiences.
I first visited Todd and Dana here during the Thanksgiving holiday in 1993. Todd was so proud of his young family and he was so excited about their future in Fort Collins. He loved being a father to little Andrew, and that pride and love for kids swelled with the birth of Nickolas and Arrionna. He worked hard to provide a good life for his family, and he can be proud of his charge as a husband and father.
Of course, the memories of Todd go much further back in time. I remember him serving humbly and faithfully as an altar boy for years. He enjoyed serving our Lord and was very polished in the role.
I remember him practicing his clarinet in our Florida room, running through the note scales time and again. The clarinet…he wasn’t so good at that. I remember on one of our many lengthy summer visits back in New Jersey, Todd trying to demonstrate to a group of aunts, uncles and cousins how to properly seat the clarinet on his pursed lower lip. It was so funny and we were all laughing until our sides hurt.
I remember him with a bandage wrapped under his chin and around the top of his head, after he sliced open his chin on a sharp edge as we jumped boulders at our aunt and uncle’s house in Bucks County, Pennsylvania. He had a hard time keeping his glasses on because the bandage was so bulky. He thought he looked cool, though.
I remember playing hours of wiffle ball well after sundown on our Florida street. Todd was so intent on not making the last out of the game that he refused to swing, no matter how good the pitch was.
I remember him in his Navy JROTC uniform, getting an early start on his military profession. He was proud of his uniform and wanted it to sparkle. Unfortunately, he once took a fateful extra step by soaking his white formal hat cover in bleach. The fabric disintegrated in his hands when he tried to fit it back onto the shell. He was just flabbergasted.
I remember Todd helping me change my bike tire at our neighborhood Hess gas station. As I was working
the tire off the rim, Todd started to fill the new tube with air. It took just a moment until the tube ruptured violently, and with the tattered tube hanging in his hands, Todd stated in a stunned voice, “The damn thing blew up on me.” It was hilarious.
I remember Todd’s corny jokes and his somewhat dry sense of humor. Oh, how we loved to share Seinfeld quotes and quips and discuss the scourge of liberalism whenever we got together.
Todd tragically lost his dear mother when he was only a few months old. He was the beloved baby of our entire extended family, and he had a special bond with all of our aunts, uncles and cousins. Todd was so sweet and innocent, and when we moved from New York to Florida when Todd was only four, it was tough on all of our Yankee relatives. They’ll have many wonderful memories of Todd, too.
There are so many memories that paint a mosaic of who Todd was as a person, but I’ll summarize the beautiful portrait this way. Todd was a son who honored his parents, Todd was a proud and protective brother, Todd was a dedicated friend, and Todd was a professional and selfless Marine, Soldier and Airman. Most importantly, Todd was a loving, devoted and faithful father and husband. Dana, Andrew, Nickolas and Arrionna, you have a bounty of precious memories to remember who Todd was to you.
Yet we all loved him dearly, and he will be sorely missed by those who knew him. Even though Todd’s passing leaves an infinite void in our lives, each of you has a collection of memories to help fill that void left by this departed friend, nephew, brother, father, and husband.

So smile when you remember Todd, and know he’s at peace in God’s loving and comforting arms.

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