[stevieray]

Encore! Encore! (lights lighter and waves back n forth)

A couple of more things about the bashes.

In the beginning Joe and Kathy not only hosted, but also catered the food.
It was always a great spread, down to multiple desserts to finish it off. Once the bashes got bigger, Joe started to ask for donations, to help cover the cost. Of course everyone obliged and even then, thy donated a portion of the proceeds to one of Kathy's local charities. That's who they were.

Prolly the coolest was that you didn't need a ticket to come to the bash. Joe didn't go to all of the games, so if you wanted to come hang with the planet for a weekend, but couldn't afford a ticket, you had a front row recliner waiting for you on gameday.

I took these pics from the display. I feel these pics perfectly capture Joes' joy, easy going nature and determination, qualities that would shine through him in the difficult times, up until the very end. Not once did he see himself as a victim or searching for sympathy.

Eloquently illustrated in the video he shared.






It was an eerie feeling driving up to the church on Thursday, after being there not too long ago help Joe bury Kathy. Humbling. Kind of crept on you the whole time.

The service was very well done. I was moved by Joes' childhood friend. She was very honest and poignant. I could see why she was Joes friend much later in life. His life long business associate and niece also did a fine job in something is not very easy to do. Something like this never is. I wish Katie could have made it, so that Joe's impact on the planet could've been recognized.

I mustered up the courage to talk to Joe's dad. I introduced myself from the planet and that i' had known him almost twenty years. Told him how happy I was that he had recommitted to the Lord and how his legacy would be so different had he not. Joe looks like his dad. He has his eyes. While I was shaking his hand, I kid you not, I saw a flash of Joe in those eyes.

I gasped, and he saw it, and I blurted out I loved your son, you raised a FINE boy. He teared and thanked me and told me that it meant a lot to him. Oh sir, you'll never know how much you reciprocated that day. Godspeed to you and your family.

On the visit right after he was diagnosed, he requested that I pick pallbearers from the planet. I don't know if this got lost along the way, or the family decided against it (which is well within their rights), but we found out the night before that it wasn't happening. Our desire was to wear suits and then put Chiefs jerseys over when we laid him to rest.

When we were in the foyer, the funeral director came up and thought we were the pall bearers. So while it was disappointing, we were dressed to the nines and represented the planet in fine fashion, albeit in a subtle way. I noticed that people are dressing more casual at funerals, so we stuck out a little. I hope we made Joe proud.

We got together at Joe's hangout in St Joe (54th st grill) and toasted and reminisced. Great memories, good times and laughs were had by all. just how Joe would've wanted it.

Friday was HARD. Just a sense of loneliness that is now starting to slowly get better.

Now, it all feels like a compilation of sorts. A rock solid testament to an era that most likely never be replicated, duplicated or paralleled.

For that, I am blessed and grateful to have experienced some amazing times with some really, really great people.



God Bless