A Few Words About My Illustrious Friend...

There are certain people that come into your life that are unequalled. You find a kinship with them that seems to be automatic, and you look forward to the next time you’re both in the same space together. For me that has been an all too rare occurrence, but I did have those things with someone who just passed away. I’d like to express some thoughts.

When I was younger my mom worked for a popular chain store location in the “big” town near where I’m from. Everyone knew her. She was a local celebrity. We couldn’t go anywhere in the area without her running into someone she knew. I was always kind of thrilled with that, but in time I came to realize that people like her existed most everywhere. I wasn’t aware, though, that I had met another person like that in the late 90’s when I joined The Illustrious Clients of Indianapolis. There were so many great folks who greeted me, and I'm still friends with almost all of them, but we know that life causes paths to change and sometimes those paths are not on a return route. One of the folks who made an immense impression on me was the (then) President of the club, Donald E. Curtis. Known as ‘The Illustrious Client’, their leader was a kind and funny man with a smile that could only improve your day. Don was a Sherlockian celebrity – a Sher-lebrity as one of my friends once titled it. He was known all over the world for many things and had lived a life that was equivalent to that of Wilson, the next-door neighbor on Home Improvement. He had fascinating stories, great jokes, and could tell you about any meal he’d ever had. (I’ve never met another person with such a meal memory.)

What I’m getting at is that he was wonderful. I never knew a moment when he wasn’t. He didn’t really have an appreciation for chronology, so we never had in-depth conversations about it, but there were so many other things to discuss. Most of the time it was some aspect of the Sherlock Holmes hobby, but other times it was personal and private. He was an educated man with a sharp and quick wit, and laughing was very nearly always the end result of our time together.

Don died in November just a week or so after his 85th birthday. It hit all of us like a kick to the chest and was the kind of news that didn’t seem real. His family lost an incredible member, the world lost a humanitarian, the hobby lost a scholar, and we all lost a friend. Personally, I cried so much and so hard that I wore myself out physically and mentally. The last event to hurt me as much was the death of my father in 2007. Speaking of which – if I had not known and loved my own dad, Don would’ve been the kind of man I would’ve wanted in that role.

Don’s first wife was named Sharon. I didn’t know her especially well as she died just a couple of years after I joined The Clients, and I know she was dealing with health problems which kept her away from our meetings most of the time. By all accounts, she was a gracious lady with a huge heart and plenty of love to go around. I remember it was at her funeral that I called Don “Mr. Curtis” for the last time. He actually stopped me as I was leaving the service and told me I had to start calling him Don. From that day on I did. (On a side note, I found myself calling Don’s son Donald N. “Mr. Curtis” when I recently saw him. I guess I’ve still got that old habit idling in my brain somewhere. Don N. and I work for the same organization, and we see each other sometimes, but we get together at least once a year to imbibe on cigars, drinks, and steaks. We also consistently find something to laugh about, just like I did with his father.)

In 2004 Don E. re-married. Her name is Teresa, and she survives him. She is a wonderful, beautiful, and caring woman, and she and Don made a nearly perfect couple. There just aren’t enough positive adjectives to describe them. Teresa and I will be friends until we each say goodbye to this world for the last time. There will be lunches and dinners and the occasional text about how each other is doing, and I hope it’s always just like that.

I know this isn’t a post about chronology, but I had to write about this man and what he meant to me. He encouraged me to take the chronology baton and run with it when I told him that’s what I wanted to do. He welcomed me in as the new 'Illustrious Client' when he stepped down and I was elected in. He loved to tell people the story about me eating display pancakes in Baltimore, Maryland. (I’ll have to tell you about it someday. It was one of his favorites.) His affect on me was immeasurable, and I hate that he is gone. I will miss him for the rest of my life.

Thank you for reading.