Ed’s funeral, 3-25-2022
I was asked by Chiho, on short notice, to prepare a short note to be read at his father’s funeral. I wrote one the night before, which is short but maybe overly personal (note #2), I quickly drafted another next morning supposedly more suitable for the occasion (note #1). Chiho decided to read both.
Note 1
Ed and I go back a long way. We first met as students in the early 60s in SIU (Southern Illinois University), Carbondale, Illinois. We went on together to other universities for advanced studies eventually getting our MS degrees in 1965 from Fort Hays Kansas University, Hays, Kansas. Ed then returned to Canada to start his teaching career, while I came to LSU for further studies and then to New Orleans to work as a research chemist for the USDA. We have visited each other often through the years and been in close contact all the time.
Ed is always well organized and focused in planning ahead. I simply follow him step by step from getting marry to forming a family to pursuing other interests in life. In later years, for instance, he led the way for both of us developing plans on traveling or cruising adventures all over the world.
I am blessed to have a friend like Ed, and I appreciate and cherish our friendship forever.
Note 2
Hi Ed, I have been dreaming of you often lately. In my dream last night, you and I were in Hays, Ks like it was almost 50 years ago. As poor students, we could afford to live only in a coop-up basement, but we had fun parties almost every night. And of course, as always, you were in charge of the cooking, and once you even cooked a road-kill rabbit for dinner. Those were good old days and I wish I would never wake up from these dreams.
You being no longer with us is unthinkable and unacceptable. Waking up in the deep of the night, I would be overcome with grief. Rest In Peace, old pal! I am sure we will meet again somewhere sometime, and have a great time together like we always do.