His wife worked in the office at the school and his daughter was in junior school when I was a senior.
When I was in university, my friend's kid brother (who went to the boys' school) was grumbling about how no one ever showed up to cheer them on at their curling matches. My friend and I started going to them, and then it became a habit ... made all the more pleasant because Rev. Green was the coach. I asked him how he got the nickname Jeep. He told me that, when he was a kid, there was a cartoon called 'Eugene the Jeep'. His first name was Eugene, so he got tagged as Jeep.
Fast forward to middle age (mine) ... I was taking music composition lessons from a friend. She wouldn't accept any money for it, but I wasn't comfortable taking something for nothing. She was the organist and choir director for All Saints Westboro Anglican Church on Richmond Road, and mentioned that she could use another Second Soprano. So, I started going to that church and was delighted to discover that Rev. and Mrs. Green were living in the parish! It felt so good to see them each Sunday, as the choir processed and recessed.
When my father died in 2003, I turned to Rev. Green to perform the funeral service. I couldn't imagine asking anyone else, and I couldn't have asked for a kinder, more thoughtful person. Rev. Green may not have recalled my father from my high school days, but he didn't say so. It was a lovely service.
Jeep Green will be deeply missed and, given how many of my friends are asking for details about his funeral, I'm not the only one who will miss him.
No comments:
Post a Comment