March 6, 2011 Lester Miller

From the moment that we are old enough to understand the concept of death, we all know that one day we will have to face the end. Yet, thankfully, we somehow put off those thoughts and go about our lives assuming that there will be a tomorrow for us and all of our loved ones. But then there are days when those thoughts must be put off because of the loss of someone close to us.

Yesterday, Julia’s grandfather, Lester Miller, passed away. Lester was a wonderful man that lived a long and rewarding life. Yet, even at 96, we all feel the sting of his passing. It just didn’t seem to be his time. He was still too vital despite being slowed down by the grips of aging. His health had been deteriorating for the last few years and it was just a few short weeks ago that Lester found out that he had a form of leukemia. He had been amazing in his fight with prostate cancer that should have taken him over a decade ago. We had every reason to think that he would be able to conquer this demon, too.

I have known Lester for almost 24 years. I was never lucky enough to know either of my grandfathers but he quickly became my surrogate. He brought a certain wisdom to every conversation that made you think. He and I were on different sides of the political table, but that didn’t keep us from having good discussions in those areas. However, it was our love of baseball that really brought us together.

Lester had been a Reds fan forever and his passion matched mine. In fact, the only time I ever caught a ball at a major league fan was when Lester was in the seat next to me. We would talk Reds just about every time we got together. If it wasn’t his love for the Reds, it was watching Justin and Jason play.

He was there for Jason’s first home run, a walk off grand slam when he was 10. He was there when Justin struck out 14 in a seven inning game and then sprung for a steak dinner after the game. He was there when Justin hit tape measure home runs in each of his first two at bats in the American Legion State Tournament in Athens when he was a junior in high school. He loved to watch and he loved to tell everyone at the game that they were his great-grandchildren.

Lester was a proud man and even more proud of his family. He could never stop talking about his grandchildren and what they had accomplished in life, this coming from a man who had met Presidents. He was especially close to Julia and her brother John. The three seemed to have a special connection. In fact, he had requested that they give the eulogy at his funeral when the time came. How they will be able to speak those words, I don’t know as I am sure their emotions will be overwhelming.

Lester had accomplished a great deal in his life, coming from a very modest background to eventually lead the National Rural Letter Carriers Association. So respected in the industry, he was commissioned to write the history of the Letter Carriers and was asked to speak at the Smithsonian to commemorate its publishing and the 100th anniversary of the Association. His negotiating skills were so valued that he continued to assist in contract negotiations with the postal service in his eighties.

He was a man that was a friend to everyone. His funeral will be attended by hundreds. There would be thousands if so many of his dearest friends hadn’t already passed. Everywhere we went; there was someone there that knew Lester. When he and Marge, his wife of over 70 years, moved from the only home they had ever shared a year ago, they were both amazed at how many people they knew in their new retirement community. When people came into the lunchroom, they would have to stop by Lester’s table and say hi. People loved to hear him speak and he certainly was happy to oblige.

We are all in a state of mourning as we have lost a great friend, husband, father, grandfather and great grandfather. We mourn, not for his loss, but for ours. There is now a hole in our hearts knowing that we will never again see his smiling face and loving hug. It is for us that we mourn, not Lester. We all know that he is now with God. We now have to decide how we remember him and keep his great spirit alive.