This is the eulogy my dad's best friend wrote and read for us at his funeral. My mom asked me to write and read something as well, but for the first time in my life, I was at a loss for words. Ed sums up a lot of what I wanted to say.
This is for Pat, July 25, 1988
I want to share with you my feelings for Pat. This is difficult for me to do. I’ve never had to ask myself why I love Pat. I guess that’s the kind of person Pat was.
Nobody that I know of ever had to think about being his friend. He naturally shared himself with all of us so that we could naturally call him a good friend.
I met Pat when we were about 15 years old. In the 29 years that I’ve known Pat, I can’t remember him speaking unkindly about anyone. He was a man who was not afraid to share his opinions with you. He opened himself to all of us with many of his thoughts. Seldom negative, always uplifting, and encouraging. Whenever I told him of my problems, he would listen carefully, interested in me.
We are sad now, but Pat gave us a lot of happiness. He did just that. Pat was the life of the party, always stayed the latest, always sang the songs the loudest. Sitting around campfires, talking endlessly while everyone else had fallen asleep. Bragging about being best camper around CYC camp. Trying to keep his “Charlie Brown” trees alive. Trying to convince us that the archbishop and he ran the Cathedral parish when he was an alter boy there. Spending thousands of dollars on a rec room because he bought a pool table. Driving a BMW that always needed fixing. Always trying to think up “hairbrained” schemes to make a million. Taking all those “mulligans” on the golf course. He even got an award for this at the “Finley Breezy Point” tournament. Going to the White Castle and saying, “Give me fifty dollars worth of hamburgers and French fries,” for Corcoran’s party. Never got past the dock on the one man sailboat. Playing poker, pool, and so much more. This was Pat.
In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus tells us, “Do not worry about your life and what to eat, nor about your body and how you are to clothe it. Think of the flowers growing in the field, look at the birds in the sky. Now if that is how God clothes the grass in the field, which is there today and thrown into the furnace tomorrow, will he not much more look after you, you men of little faith? Set your hearts on his kingdom first, and on his righteousness and all these other things will be given you as well.”
The author of Ecclesiastes said, “A faithful friend is a rare treasure. A faith friend is beyond price, there is no measuring his worth. A faithful friend the elixir of life, and those who fear the Lord will find one.”
I found that rare and true friend in Pat, and I am grateful to the Lord for the time we had together. Thank you Pat.
Ed Charbonneau