Eulogy as written and spoken by Lauren McGowan at my dad's funeral.
Good afternoon. I'm Lauren McGowan and I've been a part of this family for 26 years now. I'm married to Jim McGowan who is Sandy's first cousin. During these 26 years I had the opportunity to get to know Lonnie and to ultimately come to love him.
My first impression of Lonnie was, "What a large, vibrant, vivacious man full of life!" I guess since I was the newest member of the family at the time, and I had the freshest ears, Lonnie quickly shared with me his adventures of sky diving. He talked about the breathtaking views, the exhiliration of the jump, the rush of the free fall... I remember just looking back at him and asking, "Can you show me those scars again from these exciting jumps?"
Well, I never did get to jump with him, but he did take me on my first catamaran ride in the Gulf of Mexico when we shared a beach vacation one summer. I insisted that I was just fine sitting on the beach watching the sail and taking photographs, but for all of us that knew Lonnie, that did not happen. I soon found myself on the boat taking my first ride. And oh how grateful I am today for those memories and experiences.
When Jim and I were first married, we could not fix a leaky faucet or an ornery dishwasher. Who did we call? Lonnie! He was always willing to come to the rescue and solve our little maintenance problems. He taught Jim a bit about electricity and a bit about plumbing, and a LOT about generosity.
What was always evident to me when observing Lonnie was his love for his wife Sandra. Oh, how he adored her! And I know he is grateful for the loving care she bestowed on him during his final weeks.
And Lonnie Junior...how proud he was of his son! He was a gifted student in so many ways, and Lonnie diligently researched the best educational settings for this child. he would ask me my opinions as I was now an educator, but i was just a teacher of little kids and couldn't offer much assistance. Loving his son as only a father could, Lonnie guided Lon's younger years trying to give him a sense of direction and purpose. As Lon grew in years, I found them to be similar in so many ways...perhaps too similar at time, right Sandy?
With the addition of Candice and Collin to the family, Lonnie's heart could only grow larger. He loved these new additions and was just as proud of their accomplishments as he was of Lon's. He loved his family.
And just when he thought life couldn't get any better, baby Sarah was born. These two were kindred spirits from the earliest days. They seemed to have a special connection - a heart to heart connection. Their connection was almost unbelievable, as if it had come from the spiritual realm. It is this change that I give to all of us present here today, that we work to ensure that Sarah's Paw remain alive for her. And that she may know that because of our hope and faith as Believers in Jesus Christ, we will be reunited in God's Kingdom as promised to us in the scriptures.
In these upcoming days when the grief and sadness seems unbearable, may the words of Scripture leap from the pages and encompass us with comfort, healing, and the promise of eternal life. Happy Birthday, Lonnie. We will all miss you.
Lauren McGowan
12/28/07
