Wednesday, May 29, 2013

Larry Paul Wakefield

NOTE:  I received a telphone call during supper yesterday asking if I could conduct a funeral service this morning for a beloved member of Central Christian Church, where I served as an Interim for two years.  The congregation's pastor, Johnna Mansuetto, was in the hospital and the caller was hoping I could cover for her.  The rest of the night consisted of a visit to the funeral home to check in with the family, a visit to the hospital to speak with Johnna about her insights for the funeral service, another visit with the family in the home.  The rest of the night was spent in writing this witness.  That I hadn't had much contact with Larry since leaving Central Christian became a hindrance in knowing what to say.  Fortunately, Johnna's perceptions and information helped to bridge the gap across the intervening years.  I guess this episode illustrates how in the midst of sudden circumstance changes, resources are sometimes available to fill-in, and what is needed is provided.

Larry’s pastor, Johnna Mansuetto, was admitted to the hospital unexpectedly yesterday and is undergoing medical testing today.  Surely, we are all concerned about her and pray that whatever her medical circumstance, it will be resolved without complication and she will soon be able to return to work.  She did ask me to convey her deep regret at not being able to be here for this celebration of the life of Larry Wakefield, and to let you know that her thoughts and prayers are with Margaret Ann and the others of you closest to Larry.

            Because of Larry’s faithful involvement in the church, which is where I knew him and came to appreciate him, the opportunity to have a part in this time of commemoration is gratifying.  Probably the characteristic that stood out most for me about Larry was his unpretentious, pleasant manner.  He was a man who had accomplished much, a person who traveled to more places than probably most of us here, and maybe a man who gave much more of his time and resources to worthwhile causes than any of the rest of us, but you would never have known that from spending time with him.  Only after his death did I learn the extent of his achievements and largess, which were considerable.

            His generous spirit was expressed in many ways including sizable donations to service organizations, establishment of college trust funds, a significant donation to the WVU Children’s Hospital, taking individuals who could not afford it to Mountaineer ball games, working as a paramedic with the Marion County Rescue Squad (a few moments ago I learned that Larry always reported for work at the squad wearing a white shirt so heavily starched that the creases were sharp enough to scratch your skin; yet, he didn’t shy away from the worst of scenes that first responders encounter, getting down in the sometimes messy business of saving lives).  Larry also volunteered to transport veterans to the VA Medical Center in Clarksburg.  These are just a few examples of Larry’s generosity.

              He was supportive of his church.  Most Sundays you could find him, Margaret Ann and “King” sitting together in the same pew where they always sat.  Larry could always be counted on to help out with the Christian Men’s Fellowship activities.  Quite the cook and baker, many are the times when Larry prepared sumptuous dishes and baked goods for church functions, and during one long stretch lasting several months, he provided made-from-scratch muffins, cakes, cookies for the Sunday coffee hour.  It’s no wonder that somehow Larry became in charge of keeping the church kitchen in shape, somewhat mystifying really that such a responsibility was wrested from the women.  (Makes you wonder just how thorough the women’s care of the kitchen was.)

            So an attribute that stands out for me when thinking of Larry is his generous spirit.  Larry and Margaret Ann could have lived far more lavishly, but they chose a simple lifestyle, perhaps so that resources could be conserved for where they can do the most good.

            Larry was also a lover of life, of nature and all things beautiful.  One of his favorite spots was Ascension Island, located near the equator on the Atlantic Ocean, half-way between the African and South American continents.  He was captivated by its wildlife, vegetation and clear waters and enchanted by its simple splendor.  His enjoyment of nature also included his own flower pot garden and an herb garden.  In the last days at Tygart Center, he received a gift of hand-picked flowers from a church member’s garden, but because his immune system was severely compromised, the staff placed it on the opposite end of his room.  Larry immediately ordered it brought closer so that he could see the colors better, and besides, he said, there was no need now to worry about his immune system.  His love of beauty took precedence over pointless medical routine.

            Larry was a man of his time musically, resonating with the rock and roll sounds of the Sixties and later.  Actually he was a Mick Jagger “groupie,” and he along with Margaret Ann and often their like-musically-minded friends traveled far and wide to attend Rolling Stones Concerts.  I must admit that imagining Larry, who to me was a pleasant, soft-spoken, quiet kind of guy, at a Mick Jagger concert is kind of jarring.  But it says something special about Larry’s zest and zeal for the expressions he found meaningful.

            Perhaps the most significant characteristic of Larry’s life we need to recall today is his deep devotion to his wife, Margaret Ann.  Because Larry’s work included extensive traveling for extended periods of time, he arranged it so that Margaret Ann could travel with him, and the two of them could continue their life together without long periods of absence.  Fortunately, Larry’s employer was enlightened enough to help facilitate such an arrangement, and Larry and Margaret Ann shared experiences of traveling together.

            Consequently, the two of them have forged a relationship that enabled them to face together the changing circumstances of their lives through the years.  And the quality of that relationship has been nowhere more obvious than in these recent years of overwhelming illness for both Margaret Ann and Larry.  Their devotion to each other through really life-altering developments has been inspiring to observe.  Indeed, Pastor Johnna reports that near the end, she asked Larry what one thing he wanted the world to know, and his response went something like this: “How much I loved my wife, and how much I want her to be cared for when I’m gone.”

            There is a time to be born and a time to die, wrote Ecclesiastes.  There is a time to resist death with all our being, to not go gently into death’s dark night.  Certainly, Larry did that.  He raged against the darkness of his worsening condition as long as he possibly could.  But there is also a time when death is welcomed as a friend; where it is a threshold one must cross to get to the other side, where death is a transition from life to life, a completing of the life lived to a new beginning in God’s continuing love and grace.  And Larry did that as well.  He told Pastor Johnna that he knew the end was close, and he was ready.

            It is not good that Larry suffered so long and died, but it is good that his suffering is over, and it is very good that he lived.  We have witnessed the goodness of God in the life of Larry Paul Wakefield, and in his death we can be thankful.

PRAYER

Gracious God of love, we praise you for the goodness we have sitnessed in the life of Larry Paul Wakefield.  The years slip through our minds like minutes when we think of him, and remembering the days we have had with him, we thank you for the providence that let us call him husband, brother, uncle, neighbor and friend.  For his love of people and faithfulness in relationships and his genuine care for others, for his devotion to his wife and other members of his family, for his unwavering service to the church and to other helping, healing agencies, for his steadfastness in the surging flood of daily duties and his unswerving perseverance in the face of overwhelming obstacles, for the delight he derived from the beauty of creation and for his enjoyment of life…that there were times when members of his family and his friends could share his burdens or smooth his road or ease his pain, these thoughts and memories are precious to us, O God, and we speak our gratitude for all that we have shared with Larry.

            Help us, O God, to know that Larry is safe in the loving embrace of your everlasting arms, a sheep of your own fold, a lamb of your own flock, and that he is at peace. Through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

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