The true leaders in a community are rarely elected officials. They are only occasionally school administrators or noted pastors.
Usually the true leaders of a community are regular citizens, perhaps with a high-profile job or hobby, who simply take the time to show they care about people. Monday I attended the funeral of one such man.
kAm|J C6256CD :? @E96C 4@>>F?:E:6D H:== 92G6 E@ 7@C8:G6 >6] %96 =@DD @7 t=>@C6 r@F?EJ w:89 7@@E32== 4@249 %6CCJ qFCE H2D G6CJ >F49 E96 7@4FD @7 E96 H66<6?5 :? >J 9@>6E@H? @7 t4=64E:4] %96 EC2:ED E92E >256 r@249 qFCE 2 DA64:2= A6CD@? 2?5 2 ECF6 4@>>F?:EJ =6256C 2C6 E:>6=6DD] x 92G6 ?@ 5@F3E 2== 4@>>F?:E:6D[ =2C86 2?5 D>2==[ 92G6 366? 3=6DD65 3J >6? 2?5 H@>6? H:E9 D:>:=2C EC2:ED E9C@F89 E96 J62CD]k^Am
kAm*@F AC@323=J 4@F=5?’E 92G6 7:E 2?@E96C D@F= :? E96 q2AE:DE 49FC49 |@?52J >@C?:?8] %96 2EE6?52?46 4C@DD65 2== 32CC:6CDi 286[ C246[ :?4@>6]k^Am
kAmr@249 qFCE =625 E96 trw$ !2?E96CD 7@C 2=>@DE E9C66 564256D] w6 EFC?65 E96 =:EE=6 92>=6E :?E@ 2? F?=:<6=J 7@@E32== A@H6C9@FD6] %9C66 DE2E6 E:E=6D] |F=E:A=6 r@249 @7 E96 *62C 9@?@CD]k^Am
kAm(96? x H2D 8C@H:?8 FA[ t4=64E:4 H2D DA@<6? @7 :? 9FD965 E@?6D 5FC:?8 7@@E32== 4@?G6CD2E:@?D] }@E 6G6? E96 =2C86DE D49@@=D :? E96 2C62 H2?E65 E@ D66 E96 !2?E96CD @? E96:C D4965F=6]k^Am
kAmr@249 qFCE E@@< E96 D:56=:?6D :? t4=64E:4 :? 2 EFC3F=6?E E:>6 :? p=232>2[ 2D E96 r:G:= #:89ED |@G6>6?E H2D 9:EE:?8 :ED DEC:56 2?5 56D68C682E:@? H2D 7:?2==J 368:??:?8 :? D49@@= DJDE6>D =2C86 2?5 D>2==]k^Am
kAm|2?J 4@>>F?:E:6D D2H F8=J 4@?7C@?E2E:@?D 5FC:?8 E9:D E:>6[ 2D H9:E6 2?5 3=24< DEF56?ED H6C6 AC6DD65 :?E@ E96 D2>6 4=2DDC@@>D 2?5 =@4<6C C@@>D :? 2? 2E>@DA96C6 @7 2?86C 2?5 DEF33@C? 92EC65] *6E 7@C E96 >@DE A2CE[ t4=64E:4 H2D A62467F=]k^Am
kAm|2?J G@:46D E96D6 =2DE 76H 52JD 92G6 8:G6? 4C65:E 7@C E92E E@ r@249 qFCE] w6 2?5 9:D 2DD:DE2?ED — @?6 3=24<[ @?6 H9:E6 — H@F=5 ?@E E@=6C2E6 5:G:D:@?D @? E96 7@@E32== 7:6=5] %96J EC62E65 6G6CJ A=2J6C @C DEF56?E 2D E96 A6CD@? 96 @C D96 H2D[ C682C5=6DD @7 D<:? 4@=@C] r@249 qFCE[ r@249 p3C292> qC@H? 2?5 r@249 %@?J |4v966 4C62E65 2 5:776C6?E <:?5 @7 2E>@DA96C6 :? t4=64E:4[ ?@E 3J AC6249:?8 3FE E9C@F89 DEC:56?E 6I2>A=6]k^Am
kAm%92E F?:EJ =65 E@ 2 A2:C @7 DE2E6 492>A:@?D9:AD :? E96 `hf_D 2?5 2?@E96C :? E96 `hg_D] %H@ @7 9:D 2DD:DE2?ED =2E6C 3642>6 25>:?:DEC2E@CD 2E E96 D49@@= r@249 qFCE =@G65] %96 E9C66 >6? 925 2 AC@7@F?5 :?7=F6?46[ 6G6? @G6C 2 3@@<:D9 32?5 ?6C5 =:<6 >JD6=7]k^Am
kAmp?J 7C:6?5 H2D H6=4@>6 2E qFCE’D DFAA6C E23=6] p7E6C 9:D C6E:C6>6?E 96 H@F=5 9@=5 4@FCE 5FC:?8 32== 82>6D 2E E96 D@FE9 6?5 K@?6 @7 E96 DE25:F> ?2>65 27E6C 9:>] w6 6?;@J65 E96 4@>A2?J @7 6G6CJ DEF56?E[ 2?5 H@F=5 @7E6? C642== E96 ?2>6D @7 DEF56?ED 96 925?’E D66? :? 564256D]k^Am
kAm$EC@?8[ 25F=E >6? — A@=:46[ 4@?DECF4E:@? H@C<6CD[ D@=5:6CD — G:D:E65 E96 D49@@= uC:52J 2?5 H6AE 2E r@249 qFCE’D >6>@CJ[ E96 D49@@=’D 4FCC6?E AC:?4:A2= E@=5 >6] %9@D6 H9@ 82G6 6F=@8:6D 2E E96 7F?6C2= DA@<6 @7 2 >2? H9@ 2=H2JD 925 E:>6 H96? E96J ?66565 9:>]k^Am
kAm~?6 7@C>6C A=2J6C H9@ 92D >2EFC65 :?E@ 2 A@H6C7F= 6G2?86=:DE DA@<6 @7 r@249 qFCE 4@?G:?4:?8 9:> E@ A=2J 7@@E32==] !C:>FD qC@H? 5:5?’E 92G6 2 H2J E@ 86E 9@>6 7C@> AC24E:46[ D@ r@249 qFCE 5C@G6 9:> 9@>6 6G6CJ 52J] w6 4@F=5?’E 277@C5 E96 D?2KKJ =6EE6C>2?’D ;24<6E D@ :>A@CE2?E E@ 2 G2CD:EJ A=2J6C’D DE2EFD]k^Am
kAm“|6CCJ r9C:DE>2D[ <?@E9625[” !C:>FD E62C7F==J C642==65 E96 4@249 D2J:?8 2D 96 5C2A65 E96 ;24<6E @G6C 9:D D9@F=56CD @?6 s646>36C]k^Am
kAms@F3E=6DD r@249 qFCE 925 D:>:=2C 8:7ED 7@C 5@K6?D @7 @E96C A=2J6CD] qFE 96 5:5?’E 42== E96 ?6HDA2A6C @C :DDF6 2 AC6DD C6=62D6] }665D H6C6 ;FDE >6E[ BF:6E=J 2?5 H:E9@FE 72?72C6]k^Am
kAmxE D66>D 6G6CJ 52J H6 =@D6 2?@E96C @7 E9@D6 496C:D965 4@>>F?:EJ =6256CD[ E96 DEC@?8 >6? 2?5 H@>6? H:==:?8 E@ 56G@E6 6?5=6DD E:>6 2?5 6?6C8J E@ D@>6E9:?8 3:886C E92? E96>D6=G6D]k^Am
kAmu@C E96 D2<6 @7 @FC 4@>>F?:E:6D[ x 9@A6 7FEFC6 86?6C2E:@?D 2C6 E2<:?8 ?@E6D]k^Am
kAm k^Am
kAmk6>ms2G:5 s] v@@5H:? HC:E6D 2 H66<=J A@=:E:42= 4@=F>? 7@C %96 (6EF>A<2 w6C2=5]k^6>mk^Am
