I found your obit this evening; wish I had known of your passing I would have tried to fly back.
I hope you know that you are my favorite uncle. I loved you as a very young person, and I love you still today.
The visits with you and your family are still warm in my heart even after all these decades.
Do you remember when I stowed away in your car trunk when you brought me back from a week-end visit and rode all the way to your home in the trunk? Then you had to take me back to my mom's place. Boy did I catch it. I think you stepped in to save my tail! I wanted to stay with you and Lois so bad when I was little. I was always excited when I would find out a visit was pending.
Family things were so skewed after Dad passed with the endless parade of stand-ins. The peace and calm, strength and caring, interest and openness I experienced when visiting you and Lois is etched in my soul.
Do you remember the Shepherd Family Reunion and you playing softball and kickin' back with us. I was the only representative of Jimmy's branch of the Shepherds that attended. All the Aunts and Uncles were still around. You were so relatable. Very cool.
I remember discovering that you ate your breakfast cereal with Milk and Coffee (together in the bowl) - You said something like you needed the calcium and really didn't like the taste of milk any more so you added coffee to cover it up. Yeah, pretty cool dude.
Thank you for your patience with the weird out of the blue phone calls when I was younger.
I think of you and Lois often.
With all my heart 'fair thee well - rest well with your Lord'
Kevin
(Joyce - Did you know I played trumpet & coronet in middle school. first chair even!)