Leroy Toliver ...a friend

It's hard when friends leave us, especially when it is too soon. That's what happened this past weekend. A dear friend passed away, way too early. Leroy Toliver, a great friend to me and a great friend of our church, suffered a fatal heart attack just past midnight early Saturday morning. My wife and I got the call at 2 AM and immediately went to the house. The EMTs had left the house in a mess...

...as they were only focused on saving a life. Joanie called me to come upstairs and we picked up, straightened the furniture, and tried to make the bedroom as normal as possible for Linda. After the dust settled I prayed with the family and we went back home for a bit of sleep.

At 7 Saturday morning the reality of the night began to set in. No, it wasn't a bad dream. Yes, he was really gone. My friend, confidant, fishing buddy, and fellow home owner at Gulf Shores had passed. Before you knew it the Toliver home was packed with a steady flow of friends, family, and clergy, coming by to pay their condolences and offer whatever assistance they could.

On Sunday afternoon I met with the family and began to plan the memorial service, then we went to the funeral home to finish up the final arrangements for Leroy. It was clear the family was not in the mood to simply mourn. Through their tears they wanted to celebrate the life of this man they loved and will always love dearly. So we set about to celebrate Leroy, who was so wonderfully full of laughter. The choir would sing, the congregation would sing, we would tell stories, laugh, cry, smile, and eat.

And that is exactly what happened. Tuesday morning people began to arrive and fill the auditorium. Before it was over approximately 900 people had gathered on a cold winter day to celebrate a life filled with warmth. We sang, we celebrated, laughed, cried and were comforted by our belief that Leroy is now with the Lord in Heaven.

I was reminded this week to keep smiling, keep laughing, and keep loving. Leroy was seldom without his trademark smile and warm greeting. This highly respected attorney was eulogized by representatives from the pharmacutical industry, lawyers, family, and friends from Sugarloaf UMC. All implied the same thing, "Leroy was full of love."

My prayer is that we will all learn to be as generous and kind. Thanks Leroy. You will never be forgotten. You had a great impact on my life. And next time I'm at the beach ...I'm really going to miss you.