Funerals are never fun. Over the past 30+ years of ministry I have done more than my fair share (around 300). I have done parents, in-laws, grandparents, a sibling, a daughter- in-law and several church members, friends, members of the community and strangers. It’s never easy but is a necessity as a Pastor.
One of the positive sides of funerals is getting to see parts of their life as you visit with the family. They seem to share parts of the individual’s life that was not known to many, if any, outside of the immediate family. I had the privilege of doing the funeral service for great man just this past week. His name was Pete. Pete was quite a man. When I met him 27 years ago he had recently retired from education. You see, I got to be Pete’s Pastor for a couple of years. He was a Deacon and Sunday School teacher at the church I was called to Pastor.
Pete was very well known in the Gore community. You see, Pete grew up and graduated from school in the Gore area. He went to college and received his teaching degree and came back to Gore and coached and taught in the Gore Public School system.
Later he pursued his administration degree and became the High School Principal. He then became the Assistant Superintendent and eventually the Superintendent. He did all this in the same school district, the same district he grew up, attended school and graduated from!
I could always tell when someone was a former student of Pete’s in school as they never called him Pete but Mr. Bennett. And I especially enjoyed the stories of character shaping he accomplished using the Board of Education (aka paddle). Many men told of Mr. Bennett having to discipline them (and always deserved) and how that impacted (changed) their ways.
Those who worked with him in administration speak of his fairness and problem solving abilities. He was a good man to work with and for.
Pete was just an ordinary man though. He always introduced himself as Pete and that was what he wanted you to call him. He wore his slacks and dress shirt with a tie to church on Sunday’s but outside of that you would see him in overalls or just a pair of blue jeans and polo or t-shirt and pair of tennis shoes.
Pete knew his Bible. He taught an adult Sunday School class and by the end of class you knew you had been in class as you would leave with a better knowledge of Scripture. Funny as this is though, he would start the class with a lesson but the class ended up teaching itself. He had a way that would make you think, ask a question and derive answers… Scriptural answers.
In my preaching, I always cautioned about preachers spewing text references but not the texts. I reminded them that a person should never take the preachers’ word, that it was correct, but to look it up for themselves. One Sunday I gave several references without reading the text. Pete went home, looked them up and came back that evening and congratulated me that they were all correct.
Pete was a big man but had a soft heart. He was the size of a grown grizzly bear but had a heart of gold that could break in an instant (I called him the gentle giant).
When my wife, Terri, was sick with cancer and going through chemo treatments, this man would come over and watch my youngest daughter (not yet in school). He would spend the day watching her and playing her favorite game with her… Barbie Dolls. The six foot something giant would get down on the floor and play Barbies with her for hours. (Got him his very own Barbie for Christmas!)
Pete loved his church. I am not sure how many years he was a deacon, but he became a member of First Southern Baptist Church April 21, 1963. He believed what he lived and lived what he believed. He was an instrumental part in the building of the new building, being the construction manager. He even helped with the custodial duties at one time.
Pete was a husband of 61 years, a father of two boys, a fantastic grandpa (raised a granddaughter and was raising a great grandson), a brother and to so many…a friend.
I loved Pete most because when he retired, he retired. He did what he wanted to do… camping in Colorado, watching the eagles in the winter at Tenkiller dam, drinking Diet Coke while eating a sausage and egg biscuit for breakfast at Rainbow Mart figuring out where to go eat lunch (he bought my lunch more than once).
Pete was my friend and I will miss him. But, I know that I will see him again. That is a promise we have as believers. Thank God for friends like Pete and become a friend like that to someone.
Bro. Tim
