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Proverbs 17:17 says that, “Friends stick together through all kinds of
weather; and that families stick together in all kinds of trouble.”
The best way that I can describe my friend Dan is as a friend that would
stick by in any weather; he is the type of friend that would stand in a storm,
with rain pouring down on his head, holding an umbrella, calmly and carefully,
to make sure that my own head did not get wet.
He would ride through a blizzard, to pick me up, if my car had driven through
a ditch; in fact, Dan did do this for me on more than one occasion. Dan was much
more to me than a friend, he was someone that I would consider my family. When
times got tough, and troubles hailed all around, the first person I could rely
on to be there was Dan.
Throughout life there are friends that would come and go, but Dan was always
there. It was almost as if Dan had a sixth sense about me. Sometimes I would be
sitting in the middle of the night, feeling blue, solitary and alone, and the
next morning I would wake up and find an email from Dan, asking me how I was
feeling. That is just the type of connection that Dan had to me.
Dan and I spent over 10 years together, having the kind of friendship that
most people only dream of. We went through financial gains and losses together,
enjoyed the births of our children together, and the weddings of our children.
Dan was a wonderful person, the first to contribute a kind word of thanks, or
word of wisdom when one was called for. He wasn’t the type of person to call
attention to himself, unless he felt it would help alleviate tension in a room
where tension or stress was building.
He also had a remarkable sense of humor, and quick wit, which I found
refreshing, as my own sense of humor is somewhat dulled.
I met Dan in college, while studying statistics of all things. It isn’t they
type of subject one might expect to find a fellow with a sense of humor. Yet Dan
was full of surprises. Dan and I paired up to start a non-profit together
shortly after graduating, and have been working together since, providing
community outreach programs for agencies during the daytime, and spending our
free time causing trouble whenever we can.
Dan will be sorely missed by all of us who loved him, and appreciated his
commitment and dedication to giving time, devotion, and a sincere appreciation
for people regardless of how long he knew them. He was a genuine person that
gave not because he had to, but because he wanted to. Thank you Dan, for being
such a good person, with an abundance of love and generosity.
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