 |
| Uncle Junie and me at Easter 1956 (?) |
Our world lost a very special man Sunday. My Uncle Junie
slipped quietly away to Heaven.
Uncle Junie fit everyone’s idea of the perfect uncle—loving,
giving, selfless, protective, and fun. He loved children and pets and always
made a joyful fuss over each one of them. I can still hear him saying to our
dog, “Awww. Seety old boy!”
As a kid, I spent a lot of time with him and Aunt Jan. We
only lived a block apart, so running up the hill to Jan and Junie’s was a daily
occurrence, especially during my elementary school years.
Since Jan and my mom are sisters and Junie and my dad were
brothers, we even went on vacation together. I remember the time Uncle Junie
agreed to transport my cat in his car so I could take him out to Pogue with
us--and Junie didn’t even get angry when the kitty threw up all over the back
seat.
As an adult, Uncle Junie still made me feel like a precious
little girl. He went out of his way to be thoughtful and kind. He and Aunt Jan
hosted both my wedding and my 25th anniversary in their backyard.
When my cat unexpectedly passed away, Uncle Junie drove over
an hour by himself to visit me and offer me comfort on my loss. That type of
lovingkindness was a huge part of who he was.
When faith questions arose, Uncle Junie always humbly
attested to God’s faithfulness and care. Despite the challenges he and Jan
faced throughout life, Uncle Junie often commented on how blessed he felt.
My husband Dick said Uncle Junie embodied the description of
love in 1 Corinthians 13:
Love is patient and
kind; it is not jealous or conceited or proud;
Love is not ill-mannered
or selfish or irritable;
Love does not keep a
record of wrongs;
Love is not happy
with evil, but is happy with the truth.
Love never gives up;
and its faith, hope, and patience never fail.
Love is eternal.
I am not the only one Uncle Junie showered his love upon. He made everyone feel welcome. Although he never had grandchildren, he was known as “Pap” by a passel of
little kids. Everyone who got close to Uncle Junie loved him and will miss him.
Although he cannot come back to us, we can one day go to be with him, if we
believe, like he did, in Jesus as our Savior.
Blessings!
©2017 Pamela D. Williams
