In Memory

Last night we found out that our next door neighbor died. This made me sad because Mike always made me smile. He always had a something witty to say in response to a greeting. If I asked Mike how he was doing he would reply with a grin, “Oh, I’m alright...but I’ll get better.” And at church, as the elder Brother Shumway would slowly shuffle to class, Mike (who was normally clad in a black vest over his short-sleeve white shirt) would playfully accuse him of running in the halls. This made Brother Shumway smile too.

Mike Wood was a retired trucker (I’m guessing he was in his sixties) with short-cut gray hair. A lifetime bachelor, he worked in the temple once a week, liked to ride his motorcycle to church, and was almost finished restoring an 80’s era El Camino. He had the engine professionally rebuilt (it had a beautiful growly purr) and put a two-tone blue and gray paint job on the body. He had owned and used the car for twenty years and just decided recently that it was time to restore it. He was still working on getting some of the chrome trim and bumper pieces installed as the parts became available.

Mike was a helpful sort of guy with an easy-going manner. Just a few weeks ago he was offering to help me make a space-saving frame he had designed to hold 55-gallon water barrels. He let us pick lemons when they were in season. We still have enough of that juice in the freezer to make one more batch of lemonade. Last year when I cleared out the gravel from my side yard I had to replace it with fill dirt before planting the grass. While I was pondering about the best way to level the yard, Mike grabbed a rake and in about five minutes had the dirt leveled. Thanks, Mike!

So I’ve been melancholy today thinking about my departed neighbor. His death was a surprise because he didn’t have any major health issues that we know about, and earlier that day he had been seen working outside. When hearing about his sudden passing, my neighbor across the street (who is Catholic) said that Mike had been “called home”. I think she’s right.

I’ve been working on a piano solo for a special musical number in sacrament meeting this Sunday but up until yesterday still hadn’t decided which song I would play. It’s definitely going to be “Nearer My God To Thee”, in memory of Mike.

Mike, we’re glad to have known you and loved being your neighbors. Save us a spot next door to you in heaven.