Born August 8, 1918
Called to Glory August 13, 2002
CALLED TO GLORY AUGUST 13, 2002
LAID TO REST AUGUST 16, 2002
The first two stanzas of the hymn speak of God’s great works, of God’s creation. We sing of the majesty of a mountain, the sweet sound of a singing bird, the mighty thunder of a rainstorm. And, of course, there is Mitchell, another of God’s creations. Everything God creates has a purpose in His divine plan. I am convinced that this is certainly true of Mitchell. Throughout my 51 years of life, I have had the chance to see a generous and loving man who cared deeply for his family and friends. Mitchell never married, and never knew the joy of having children. And yet, this did not pose a problem for him. Mitchell once explained to me that, while he had no children of his own, he knew that his blood flowed in the veins of his nieces and nephews. He was proud of each one of us, and he showed it. The first 24” bicycle for myself, Bob, Karen, and Marleine came from Mitchell. Over the years, Mitchell made gifts of coin collections, stocks, bonds, and other items to his beloved nieces and nephews. He also found other ways to help us. I still remember the day I passed my drivers test and received my first license. In those days, this could only be done during weekday daytime hours, and Mom and Dad worked during the day. Mitchell worked second shift. He set an early alarm, picked me up, and together we went to the Secretary of State’s Office. Posing as my father, he signed the papers and watched as a nervous 16 year old went through the paces with the examiner. At the successful conclusion of the test, the examiner told Mitchell: “Your son is going to be a fine driver.” Mitchell’s chest puffed out several extra inches, and his smile said it all. But I was not the only benefactor of his generosity. I have a vivid memory of a warm summer day when I watched Mitchell help Walter nail together 2 x 4’s and boards to build a screen porch on the back of the house on 87th place. Mitchell’s generosity extended beyond the family, as well. For years, Mitchell was active in the Loyal Order of the Moose. He became involved in Mooseheart, an institution operated by the Moose to benefit disadvantaged and orphaned children. The young boy he was sponsoring wanted a plastic model of Kit, the sleek black car from the TV series, Night Rider. Mitchell searched everywhere until he found that model. I would be willing to bet that he also sang “It Ain’t Gonna Rain No More, No More” with that child, just as he did with me in the backyard on Leavitt Street. And one Sunday morning, while Mitchell was attending mass at St. Hedwig Church, he listened to the pastor explain that the sewer in the basement needed repair, and the parish did not have the funds to do this. Before the pastor ever made it back to the rectory, he had a check to fix the sewer. I’ll let you guess where it came from.
This explains the first part of the celebration of life: Mitchell’s love and generosity, especially for those in need. To understand the second part of the celebration, we need to look at the third and fourth stanzas of the hymn. We sing that God gave his only Son to die, so that we might have eternal life. And one day, we, too, will receive our crown of glory in His kingdom. Mitchell believed this. And so, the second part of this celebration of life marks Mitchell’s triumphant transformation to life eternal. How can we not be full of joy, today, for our brother, our uncle, our friend?
And, so, God created the heavens, and the earth. And, a few years later, He created Mitchell, and gave him to us for 84 years and 5 days. Now He has taken Mitchell back to Himself. But what remains with us are the fond memories, and the promise that we, too, will one day join Mitchell in glory, in eternal life. And that, my brothers and sisters, is why, today, we do not weep for Mitchell’s death, but rather, we celebrate Mitchell’s life.