Memorializing B.G.

We gathered today to memorialize my great-uncle B.G. Brown at Rosemont Baptist Church, where he served as pastor in the 1960s and 70s. It was really a beautiful service. For ye socks who were unable to attend, here's how it went down (to the best of my feeble memory):

* Aunt Diane started things off by keeping her promise to play the piano.

* Their grandson Andrew Howerton read a poem written by his sister, who couldn't be at the services because she is stationed in Iraq with the US Air Force.

* Their daughter Debbie read some selected Bible verses.

* One of B.G.' classmates from Stetson spoke. He said it was something they had agreed over 50 years ago, that whichever one of them outlived the other would speak at the memorial services. And, he had always hoped it would be the other way around.

* Their son David read some remembrances of his dad, which reminded me a lot of a similar reading he had done at his grandmother's funeral several years ago. Both, were very well written and delivered.

* The floor was opened for anyone in attendance to say a few words about BG. Among those that stood up were Kenny Burns, Aunt Dot, Uncle Richard, some guy who was ironically named Bill Morgan but apparently not related, the car dealer Bill Norman, Priscilla Burns, and several other people I didn't know.

* Their son Danny memorialized B.G. in song. His voice is almost operatic.

* Walter Routh, who had served alongside B.G. when he was pastoring the old Miller Street Baptist Church in Orlando, and who is now suffering from Parkinson's Disease too, delivered the benediction.

I'm sure I left a few things out, but that should give you a basic feel for the events of the day if you were unable to make it in person.

If it wasn't clear before today, everyone who walked away from the services were made profoundly aware how very many lives B.G. touched before he was taken from us.