In Memorium

I had planned, this weekend to write about Memorial Day and how it started and what it really means for those who don't know.

But instead I will write about my good friend BG, who passed away last night.

As you may remember, he came in to work one day in April and wasn't feeling well and ended up in the hospital. Then into the ICU which scared the crap out of all of us. He told us that he had a bleeding ulcer which gave him anemia and blood clots in his legs, but that he was getting better and would be back to work soon.

What he didn't tell us was that he also had cancer.

That is so much like him. He was such a private person that it took a bright light and rubber hose to get any personal information out of him most days. I was his partner for five and a half, almost six years, and it took four years before I found out that he had a brother. Of course I didn't find out his brothers name until almost three years later when I met him in the hospital.

That was so much like him.

I didn't get to see my friend after he got out of the hospital. He didn't really want to see anybody anyway, being embarrassed about being sick and all. I figured I had embarrassed him enough seeing him laid up in the hospital. He was a true stoic.

And a Luddite, for all intents and purposes. BG didn't own a computer, a cell phone, a DVD player or even a VCR. He still got his teevee signal from an antenna on his roof and spent alot of time listening to AM radio.

He was also a notorious miser. He would do ridiculous things like not turning on his water heater until right before he needed hot water. A few minutes ago his brother told me "He could pinch a penny and get miles out of it."

BG was an avid collector of antique glass and other things like presidential campaign buttons, stereoscope pictures and cookie jars. He was also an expert on local history, old cars and almost anything older than him. He was a fountain of fascinating information.

BG was also the rock that the Hive was tethered to for many many years. He helped shape and solidify alot of the policies and procedures that made the place run as well as it did. And he helped shape me into the officer that I am today. I've tried to live up to someone that he would be happy to work with.

If he could see me now, my eyes brimming with tears threatening to drip onto my keyboard he would snort and say "Don't be a fool, Rev. Get up from behind that stupid machine and get some work done." I'll try to do that.

The visitation is on Tuesday and the services on Wednesday. The Honor Guard will be there to represent us and to be his pall bearers. I think BG would be secretly proud of that. We will all be there, too. As many of us as can come.

On that note, I'm going to get up from behind this stupid machine and try to get some work done.

BG's work is done. Ours continues.

Rest well, my friend.