There’s a niggling belief that bad things always happen in threes. From natural disasters to household mishaps, if it’s happened twice, it’s definitely going to happen a third time. Popular culture says this particularly applies to deaths.
However, studies show that people — we — like patterns and three is defined as a pattern. But it did happen while we — my wife and I — were in different latitudes getting better attitudes this past month: Three local callings and/or services I missed.
“Niggling” by the way is a word I came across while reading during that sojourn. I like it. And it fits in that first sentence.
1) No sooner had we left town than retired N-B sports editor Paul Beitler called to pass along that a mutual acquaintance, Jim Hopkins, had died unexpectedly.
A 1969 Bluffton High School grad, Jim was the sports editor at the Decatur newspaper for quite a few years. While Paul and Jim became friends as their paths crossed numerous times, I was at first a co-worker of Jim’s and then his boss.
His BHS classmates will know that “Hop” had a unique personality. A likable guy, he was also a born contrarian and, well … perhaps a bit short-tempered. Over the course of more than 20 years, we had a couple “breaks” in that relationship — one was his idea and the other was not — but in both instances we each realized we had a mutually beneficial relationship. He loved to write about sports in Decatur (and did it well) and I would pay him to do it. We got along.
We actually got along better after I moved to Bluffton and he began attending our church in Decatur. I remember he once made a comment wondering why some people at church can be so difficult. I gently pointed out to him the irony of that statement. We had a good laugh.
2) Checking the N-B online edition a couple days later, we learned of the passing of Dave Park.
Unlike Jim, Dave was of a different generation. He graduated from high school the same year I was born and retired from his business endeavors within a few years of my Bluffton arrival. But we got to know each other enough to realize we shared something in common: We each grew up as the son of a local icon, which can be a benefit and/or a curse. But, I believe, we both welcomed it as a challenge.
Gene Donaghy’s email sharing his Dave Park story is most appropriate:
“Dave was the head of the Bluffton economic development and I was president of the Ossian Development Corporation — the ODC — and had our own campaigns to promote our communities. Of course basketball rivalries kept Ossian and Bluffton from working together on anything. Even the Ossian ambulance was dispatched from the nursing home for years.
“Dave and I finally realized prospects didn’t know where Indiana or Fort Wayne was let alone Ossian or Bluffton. So Dave said “I’ll throw down my tiger tail if you throw down your bear paw” and the rest is history. The chamber became Wells County and economic development was a joint effort.”
3) Without question the most distressing loss was that third shoe. We had known Jim Philabaum had been placed in hospice care before we left home, so I was most saddened to have not been able to attend his visitation or services.
Beyond his years of service on the city council, Jim was a true gentleman in every sense of the term and, as Mayor Whicker pointed out, a man who lived his faith.
At some point after I’d settled into my new role at the N-B, he learned of my Methodist connections. He and Howard Rich invited me to join the First UMC Men’s Club in their annual retreats, which consisted of a weekend of Bible studies and discussions. And then in retirement, Jim took over Glen O’Laverty’s insurance book of business that Glen had kept in his retirement which included the News-Banner’s health plans. So I got to know Jim as quite the servant … a servant of his city, of his customers and of his God.
Another threesome. A pattern. Nothing niggling about that.
miller@news-banner.com
