In memoriam

This week, the world suffered a great loss. No you may not know him by name, by face and he was never someone of great importance outside of his family.

But the world will suffer anyway. Who is this man? His name was Lee Berry, and he was my uncle.

Now passing by this man you would have never known just the kind of man he was. An Intelligence specialist he helped train military survival skills. Most won't ever remember the gentleman back in the 90's during the first Iraq war that survived on the lands for awhile, he earned a medal for it. And who trained him? Lee. He too earned quite the recognition through the years for his hard work and his abilities.

He was a smart man. The few that played Jeopardy, Trivial Pursuit stood no chance against him. But you would never know it. He wasn't the kind of man to flaunt his knowledge. Instead he spoke of things that he could share which at times wasn't much. He was  usually quiet, but when he spoke everyone listened.

He was a good man, a kind man. He shared what he had with his family, with his stepson that he welcomed in like his own son. He gave when he could. He was a wealthy man, though you would never know it. Not by the way he dressed, or even spoke. He was not one to speak of such things, sure they went places. They did things but he was not the kind of man to throw his riches in front of you. So no you wouldn't guess it. But  He was just about a millionaire.

But in the last few years, he was not this great man I remembered as a child. Diagnosed with Alzheimer's at an early age he hid it well including his own family for years before finally announces it and sharing his pain a couple of years ago. In recent months it had gotten so severe that my aunt put him in a home after the struggles to care for him became to much for her to do it on her own. The great man I used to know, barely knew who anyone was. His wife, his kids, who he was.

His daughter got married and he didn't recognize any of it. We sat there with him, at his side as he watched on. Asking who that beautiful girl was. I try to recall if there was even a father daughter dance, but believe it was bypassed due to everything.

I can't help but think how awful it must be. To know that one of the most intelligent men I had ever known just fall like that. I can't imagine waking up not knowing who anyone was, let alone my own self. It was a sad affair to watch, one often painful even at times.

He hung in there far longer than I think any of thought. Back in August word was passed around that he lost the ability to remember how to eat, and so began the slow process of preparing for his death.  My aunt put the house on the market, sold it and moved to a smaller house just down the way. My cousin had a daughter, the other began teaching dance lessons. Life went on. And still he lived.

Until Tuesday. When word was finally out, that this great man had passed in the early morning. Quietly. Peacefully.

And as I sit here, I do not remember him as the man he had become, the tired, older man. But for the man he was. The great man who will always be.

One of the greatest men I will ever have the privilege of knowing.