Gilmore Hilton summoned us to his store on a rainy Wednesday morning. The disheartening tone in his voice contrasted sharply with his usual spirited mood. He generally held court on the first Sunday of the month so we were anxious to hear the reason for this meeting.
“Bradford Stevens died last night. He was older than we but still a close friend. His widow asked me to be a eulogist, and I owe it to his family, friends and community to praise his memory. His most outstanding characteristic was that he never created a situation so embarassing that the truth was not an option, but tell me more. Help me.”
We all contributed a favorite story about Brad and gathered at the small chapel in Simplex Pond on Saturday morning and heard Gilmore. His words were glorifying, dignified, thoughtful and memorable.
“At some point, the word ‘funeral’ was replaced by a ‘celebration of life.’ This term is most apprpriate for Bradford Stevens, so let’s celebrate.
“First you notice from his handshake a strength and warmth. His hands are huge and muscular, but his cordial smile offsets the iron grip. You feel welcomed.
“You must notice how infrequently he uses the pronoun ‘I.’ He wants to know about you. ‘Great to see you. What have you been up to?’
“A loyal and loving family man, Brad had numerous children, grandchildren and great grandchildren. I asked why so many and he said, ‘I want to populate the world with people whom I like.’
“A spiritual man, he studied many religions and gleaned the best from each. You may call him eclectic. He would never begin a discussion with ‘Because I am an Episcopalean…’ and then pontificate.
“Frugal? Yes, but don’t call him cheap. He deprived himself so that he could contribute generously to the community. If nature could make it, he’d never buy it. He never purchased bottled water, soil, a Christmas tree, ice or firewood.”
Gilmore continued and ended with “All of Nature might stand up and say, ‘This was a Man.'”
It was a monumental homage.
Morton Soule is a Latin teacher at Cape Elizabeth High School. He can be reached at mortsoule@gmail.com.
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