Goodbye John

Today we said our final good-byes to Uncle John.

During my long work week, I found out that my Uncle passed away (Tuesday). I knew from discussions with my mom, asking for regular updates on how everyone in the family is doing, that Uncle John was having his fair share of medical issues over the past five or so years. Even though his health was poor, his passing took us by surprise.

The funeral was this morning. As funerals go, it was phenomenal. The kind of funeral that you might see written for the big screen - the kind people hope to have for themselves... Hannah, the voice of the Meseroll's, delivered a beautiful recounting of John's life and what he meant to all of us. There were many, many laughs to be had. Tears too. Songs were sung. Pictures viewed. Quite a few people stood and shared what Uncle John meant to them, which for me correlated directly into what he meant to me.

The procession to the cemetery was lead by over 20 Harley Davidson's, in which his daughter Jeanette road with her boyfriend on her dad's bike. She was joined by Eric, John's nephew who road his Harley. Traffic voluntarily stopped as we drove by. People in downtown Gahanna walking along the streets stopped and paid their respects as well. One of the two motorcycle escorts stopped at the entrance to the cemetery and saluted as we passed.

I couldn't have, or would have asked for anything more. It was a beautiful way to close the final chapter of John Meseroll, beloved father, brother, uncle and friend. While this is the final chapter this book stands no chance of collecting dust any time soon. This man will be remembered for a long time to come.

R.I.P. John Thomas Meseroll (1950-2009)