Heaven has gained two good Canton men
Work families have many similarities to blood families. In some cases, we spend more waking hours with those we work with than those we live with. We share the ups and downs of each other’s lives. We also have our own good times and bad. Work families are families. They very much mirror the definition of the word family.
In a business with a small number of employees, the closeness to one another is magnified. We know more about each other than we would if we worked in a large corporate environment. This is great when things are going well. When bad things happen, it hits close to home.
I’ve worked in both environments. Now, in my second career, I work in a business with a small number of employees. This week has been tough on everyone who works with me. We lost a part-time employee to an unexpected death. We lost another recently retired part-time employee to death. Another one of our part-time employees was involved in an automobile accident. Thankfully, he is at home healing. Part-time employees are an important part of our business. Without them, we couldn’t make it.
This past Monday, one of our recently retired co-workers went home to be with the Lord. I first met Hank Houston nine years ago when I started my new job. He retired a couple of years ago due to health problems. Hank was also a man of high moral and ethical standards. He was always quick with a joke. He had a gift of making others laugh. In a business which deals exclusively with death, you can’t put a price on the levity he brought to the table. Had Hank’s health held up, there is no doubt he would still be standing shoulder to shoulder with us anytime we needed him. His presence has been missed since the day he retired.
The very next day, we lost another member of our team. It was also nine years ago when I first met John Heard. I had heard of him because of his time on the Canton City Council. John was a leader in the community. His leadership extended far beyond his time as a councilman. Many folks reached out to John for guidance. I was one of those people. When I asked John a question, he would process it before answering. The short wait was worth it. I knew the answer would be morally and ethically sound. Like Hank, John was a man of high morals and ethics. He loved people regardless of who they were. Most importantly, he loved the Lord.
One day later, this past Wednesday, one of our co-workers Robert Barber was involved in an automobile accident. Luckily, though banged up, he is home recovering. We will miss him as he recovers. I’ve known Robert longer than I’ve known John or Hank. We met many years ago in church. Like John and Hank, Robert is a good man. He has a kindness which makes him approachable by anyone. He serves as a Deacon at New Hope Baptist Church. But his service to God goes far beyond the walls of the church. He is often sought out for his wisdom in spiritual things. And thankfully, God still has more for him to do. To God be the glory for sparing him from a worse outcome in his accident.
Robert Barber is in his eighties. For his age, or any age, he is in remarkable shape. We should all be so fortunate. I look forward to working with him again soon. But we must say good-bye to John and Hank. They will be missed not only as co-workers, but as friends. The events of this week have taken a toll on the relatively small number of employees I work with. And just like the other families we serve, we will find a way to continue on, despite our losses.
Both John and Hank added wisdom, kindness, and humor to my life, and the lives of many others. The most important thing both shared with me was their faith. They each had a deep-seated faith in God. Now, they are with Him. It is because of that; I can type these words with a smile on my face. While we as a community lost two good men, heaven gained the same.