Just two weeks ago we buried a cousin way too soon.
All-around great guy
“Leroy” was a good man. He was older than me and many of my siblings, so he didn’t hang out with most of us. Still, he was a wonderful family man and all-around great human being.
We could go YEARS without seeing him around (even though most of us live in the same city), but when we did, he’d give that bright, earnest smile and you knew there was love.
Last year my twin sister June and I were out at dinner when we ran into Leroy and his lovely wife Jeannette. She decided to come over to greet us and he quickly stood, grabbed her chair and pulled it out for her – like only the debonair men in the movies do. My sister and I swooned.
We mentioned to Jeanette how ‘cute’ that was and she said, “Oh, he’s done that for as long as we’ve been together.” Their marriage lasted some 30+ years.
When she finished her conversation and returned to her table, again he stood up, grabbed her chair and pulled it out for her. And again, we swooned. Anyway, they soon finished their meal and was on their way out the door, waving goodbye.
Later, we were waiting for our check to arrive and finally asked the waitress to please make sure we got it in time…we were on our way to the movie theater and didn’t want to be late. Her response was, “Oh, I’m sorry. That man who was over there paid your bill when he paid his.”
June and I were shocked, but we shouldn’t have been; that was Leroy’s way. He just did good stuff “just ’cause it’s Tuesday.” Leroy was the personification of those “…acts of random kindness” bumper stickers you see in traffic. In fact, that day added a new bar for which I will forever measure all other men (which might explain why I’m still single).
And so this post goes out to our wonderful cousin Leroy Echols. Husband, father, son, brother, uncle, cousin, friend and so much more.
He will be missed.
***Life lesson: Life is short. Make a positive impact while you can. Leroy certainly did.***
Lessons from Home 