Our Friends Are Gone

Strange title that. Yes, strange.

Today, August 1 2012, I lost a great friend, a man who taught me many things, a confidant, and neighbor. He was an unassuming man, quiet if you did not know him and modest.

He was also a man with a heart of gold, one who would help anyone he could, was skilled in so many things it would be impossible to account for, an amazing designer, an artist and a builder of solid homes and developments. He was an avid car lover, a traveler, ( he once flew Concorde just because it was there ), a man known by many.

He loved his wife and family more than anyone I have known. He adored his wife, he loved his children more than most and his grandchildren were his enjoyment. He was close to some and I am lucky that I was worthy of this associations.

You see I knew this good man for over 47 years.

I shall miss him terribly I am afraid. I am also happy that he was my friend.

In the last weeks we have all lost a few men in our lives who devoted themselves to others.

Mayor Cole is another Wyckoff man who passed away. Here was another man who was a family man in the traditional sense, a man of service, a man who was a volunteer to protect his community. He was our Mayor and did his "job" with distinction and honor.

"Therefore, send not to know for whom the bell tolls, it tolls for thee." I believe that Mr. Donne had it right.

"Every man's death diminishes me." And that it does. Wyckoff lost two good men. One who was a Mayor and a man of service to all of us, one who was a quiet friend to many in his own way.

We give these men the honor they are due in our own ways. Each, according to his faith and traditions.

It is a difficult time to understand the why's I suppose. Having been down this road a few times in the last two years with a number of my own family now gone in such a short time, answers I have not. What I do have is the hole in the core of your being when a death is close. We all mourn these losses. I hope we also take away something good and great from each.

I know we can take, from both these fine men a sense of duty, a sense of involvement, a sense of honor and a sense of family and faith. They both served others, in their own ways, but of service they were.

I am sure we all can take that sense to heart and possibly honor their memories of being of service, to each other. We serve each other in so many ways, or we can. We can join up with the Fire Department, the Ambulance Corps, and other community organizations. We can serve each other by becoming involved in the life of Wyckoff. We can honor these men, their memory, and their examples with some kindness and assistance to our neighbors. I am sure we can all find a way

For those of us who are Christians, Saint Paul writes in Ephesians 5:21 we should be subject to one another. He enjoins us to serve each other without hesitation or complaint. I am sure this can also be applied outside of an ecclesiastical setting and extend it to our community also. And frankly I ask, "Why Not ?"

It would be my hope and prayer that some feel the need to be of some service by attending township committee meetings. Others would be subject to one another by putting in a application to the Wyckoff Ambulance Corps or the Wyckoff Fire Department. Or maybe we can provide a cold drink to the mail carriers on a 90 degree day ? Or the same for the men who pick up our solid waste. Maybe spend some time bringing all those old recyclables up to West Main Street for proper disposal and lower the SMW costs. We can also look out for our seniors who may require some small assistance now and then.

We can live up to the memory of two men who passed from this life and we can honor them by being of service to one another and becoming involved in the life of the Township of Wyckoff.

Myself, I will do what I can. I would ask you all to reflect a moment on you're own thoughts of what you can do. And I would suggest you visit the Township Committee meetings and find out what happens in Wyckoff, meet the Committee, and learn all the aspects of Wyckoff where you can be of assistance.

John A. Unglert