My deepest condolences. May these few words from the Holy Scriptures bring you comfort in your time of grief...
John 11:32-45
32 And so Mary, when she arrived where Jesus was and caught sight of him, fell at his feet, saying to him: “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” 33 Jesus, therefore, when he saw her weeping and the Jews that came with her weeping, groaned in the spirit and became troubled; 34 and he said: “Where have YOU laid him?” They said to him: “Lord, come and see.” 35 Jesus gave way to tears. 36 Therefore the Jews began to say: “See, what affection he used to have for him!” 37 But some of them said: “Was not this [man] that opened the eyes of the blind man able to prevent this one from dying?”
38 Hence Jesus, after groaning again within himself, came to the memorial tomb. It was, in fact, a cave, and a stone was lying against it.39 Jesus said: “TAKE the stone away.” Martha, the sister of the deceased, said to him: “Lord, by now he must smell, for it is four days.”40 Jesus said to her: “Did I not tell you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God?” 41 Therefore they took the stone away. Now Jesus raised his eyes heavenward and said: “Father, I thank you that you have heard me. 42 True, I knew that you always hear me; but on account of the crowd standing around I spoke, in order that they might believe that you sent me forth.” 43 And when he had said these things, he cried out with a loud voice: “Laz´a·rus, come on out!” 44The [man] that had been dead came out with his feet and hands bound with wrappings, and his countenance was bound about with a cloth. Jesus said to them: “Loose him and let him go.”
45 Therefore many of the Jews that had come to Mary and that beheld what he did put faith in him;
Please go to the following link for more information regarding the Hope expressed in this passage
http://www.watchtower.org/e/200809/article_01.htm
Bill old friend, I am so sorry to see you go. Even though I know that you are at peace in a better place, it’s always hard to lose one of the good guys.
I agree that our parents were a part of “the Greatest Generation” and I’m equally sure that we were a part of “the luckiest generation” - just yesterday when we were young.
Good luck on your journey and say Hi to Eve. We will keep your family in our prayers.
Bill was a classmate & friend. After high school our paths went in different directions. It was always great to rekindle our friendship at class reunions through the years. I will always remember that last visit in 2011. I will really miss the frequent emails and all the fun facebook pokes I received from him. Great Friend-Good Memories.
All that had the pleasure to have known him have lost a great friend! Bill and I were good friends through high school and then comes the so called growing-up where you depart those we were with through so many fun and memorable years and times. We always remember each other and sometimes yearn to return to those times. As age wears on us we sometimes are able to return for a short time. Mine was at the HS reunion. Bill and I renewed times and it was a pleasure to learn of his life experiences. What a wounderful and fulfilling life it was, a great patriot, family man and friend. I will truly miss his almost daily e-mails that were both informing and fun. I wish him well on his new journey and know that we all will have a great new exciting reunion where the hurts and pains of the present no longer live. Have a great flight, Bill. Enjoy the ride! See ya soon.
