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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