Wednesday, March 22, 2017
Jerilyn and Karter:
You may not remember me, nor does it really matter if you do... Because, I remember Phillip... and always will. I only worked with Phillip for 2 months, yet, in that time he became a friend.
I was immediately impressed with his tireless work ethic, his keen problem solving skills, his breadth of knowledge and experience with respect to construction, manufacturing (almost everything), his quick/clever/yet kind wit and, more than all of these mentioned, his obvious integrity. He was truly an honourable man, in a world where such is hard to find.
Phillip was definitely a "man's man", a man everyone respected. Yet, even when given the opportunity to, he never participated in comments about other women. Men notice when other men refrain from those conversations. I noticed, and I respected him all the more for it. It was obvious to me that, for Phillip, there were only his wife and his son.
I am much older than Phillip, yet, I found myself looking up to him. I knew that he was of German decent from his name (and accent), My mother is as well. So, on a daily basis, we would speak "At" each other in a little German - he in his dialect, me, in mine. Though, I would never have told him (nor, he me) I really related to him...In truth, I absolutely loved the man.
I only found out about his passing yesterday and have been troubled ever since. This will be one of those things that I argue with the Almighty about. I am profoundly saddened for your loss and can only pray that, somehow, the Lord will bring you and your son into long seasons of joy and light even amidst the heartache that will surely endure.
The Apostle Paul said, " We do not grieve as those who have no hope" (concerning the departed - Thessalonians 4:13) ... yet, he never said that we still do not grieve... We do! We just don't have to grieve with the despair of ultimate loss, because we will meet again, never more to part.
Please know that you are in our prayers as you continue to live and raise your son in a way that honours his father and that which his father honoured.
May the Lord keep you in the Palm of His Hand.
Sincerely,
Jeff Watts
Algoma Mills, Ontario
