In a lucky class

Delayed reunions a chance to contemplate life

Achildhood friend and high school classmate, Dr. Frank Buddy McCutcheon Jr., has been on my mind lately. Back in the day, Buddy and I grew up together in the same Fayetteville neighborhood and attended the same public schools. Our two families were close, often spending time together.

Fifty-two years ago this month, Buddy and I, along with our classmates, graduated from Fayetteville High School. That rite of passage is on my mind because, after being delayed for two years by the pandemic, the FHS Class of 1970 will soon finally have its 50th reunion.

Sadly, Buddy won’t be there. He was senselessly murdered in 2016. Some may have seen the “Dateline” episode on television last Friday which told the story of his tragic death. But this piece today isn’t about how McCutcheon lost his life. It’s about the way he made a life and lived it well for 64 years.

Good at everything he cared about, Buddy was a brilliant and knowledgeable person, blessed with a wide array of talents and interests. If he had an interest in learning how to do something, he mastered it. Among his many endeavors, he learned to fly an airplane and sail a boat. He read extensively and studied American history, especially Civil War history, often participating in Civil War battle reenactments.

McCutcheon was the epitome of what it means to be a Renaissance man.

A naturally gifted and well-trained plastic surgeon who was immensely respected by his patients and colleagues, McCutcheon often volunteered his time and expertise to provide cosmetic restorations for children and for veterans with war injuries.

From the first day he picked up a guitar as a young kid, McCutcheon loved music. He became an accomplished musician who had a great voice and through the years taught himself how to play multiple instruments.

Buddy McCutcheon, the doctor, skillfully practiced medicine with his head and his hands. Buddy McCutcheon, the musician, wrote and sang songs and played musical instruments with his heart and his soul.

Buddy loved his friends and the feeling was mutual. More than anything, he loved his sister and three brothers and they loved him right back. For those who knew him, including his old friends from high school, Buddy’s death was a profound loss.

When the FHS Class of 1970 gathers for its reunion, McCutcheon will be fondly remembered as will so many other wonderful classmates who are no longer with us, many of whom died way too young. They are all deeply missed.

It’s hard to fathom so many years have elapsed since that long ago evening in 1970 when the 354 students in our graduating class were handed our high school diplomas. We were baby boomers, the proud sons and daughters of America’s Greatest Generation. And we were blessed to grow up in Fayetteville and to receive a quality education in its public schools, the kind of education that helped prepare us for adulthood and the next steps in life.

In high school, we knew each other when life was simpler and everything still seemed possible. We knew each other before families and careers were started and built. We were ever mindful of that old saying, “you are only young once.” So we laughed and had a lot of fun.

You don’t get to choose your classmates; your age does that. I got lucky because I had some mighty fine classmates, most of whom have done very well in life. They have persevered through whatever life has thrown at them, successfully making a living and a life for themselves and their families. I’m proud of them. They became the people they were meant to be. They have mattered. They have made a difference for others.

In high school, we were in the first quarter of life. Time was on our side. Now, those in our senior class lucky enough to still be here are known as “senior citizens,” meaning only we have far fewer tomorrows than yesterdays. Yet, we are thankful for the greatest gift of all, life itself, and we’re determined to make the most out of the years we have left.

I’ll be out of the country when my class reunion is held and will greatly miss the opportunity to see and visit with old friends. But I’ll be there in spirit, hoping to live long enough to be at another gathering in the future. Until then, I wish my classmates, especially those courageously battling serious health issues, all the best.

We are never too old to still feel young sometimes. So for my classmates, I leave you with these lyrics from Bob Dylan’s song “Forever Young”: “May God bless and keep you always May your wishes all come true May you always do for others And let others do for you

May you build a ladder to the stars And climb on every rung

May you stay forever young.”