I want to thank all of you who posted such fond memories of Joe, and to thank Larry for such an appropriate tribute.
The last time I saw Joe I was visiting Maryanne, and he was expecting another Grandchild during the beginning of COVID. While Joe taught me much about birds, birding and birders, I'm most grateful for what he taught me about life - to enjoy it and take the risks that matter. During the times we birded together we often had long talks in the car while getting to our destination (which we often drove passed because we were too busy talking).
Joe knew the fine line between friend and Dr, but made sure to help me understand that enjoying every day mattered; that no matter how bad a day might be, there was always something to laugh about. I remember the time he convinced me to pull over and call one of my Drs to tell them I was going to Australia even if I had to go with IV medications. Little did I know that he called my Dr that evening and I got a "go and have fun" message from my Dr the next morning.
Then there was the innocent side of Joe attempting to open my glove compartment when I got pulled over for speeding. He wasn't able to, but we had an engineer in the back seat. Without thinking Joe kindly got out of the car to switch seats; yes, a bunch of dorky birders were a bit stunned to have guns pointing at us. While the officer was writing my ticket, Joe still found a bird to look at, so long as we stood up and looked through the sunroof. I can just imagine what the officer was thinking….
Joe did an amazing job of continuing the RBA after Joyce retired. COVID and e-bird changed the RBA; Joe and I disagreed about continuing it, but I know Joe held no grudges. RIP my dear friend. You are already missed.
No comments:
Post a Comment