Tag: neighbor

Doug Rose

(Photo from Channel 12 News.)

Yesterday, spouse B, daughter T, and I attended the memorial service for our neighbor, Doug Rose.

Doug had lived a life of service, including being a police officer, but was known to most in our town for his fifty years of service with our volunteer fire department. He began volunteering at age 16, eventually becoming chief and training dozens of firefighters. The colon cancer that took his life was considered in the line of service, bringing to mind that firefighting is a hazardous endeavor with a lot of toxic exposure. Even during his illness when he could no longer go out on calls, Doug continued working for the department, doing planning, advising, and reports.

The fire department stood by Doug and his family, keeping vigil in his final days and helping with the memorials. Uniformed members of the department filled a third of the church at the memorial service, with emergency vehicles ready to be part of the cortege.

The most touching part of the service was when Doug’s daughter shared memories and stories of her dad. There were touches of humor, which were welcome at such a sad time. It was also a reminder of how we knew Doug and his family as neighbors. His children were a bit younger than ours but still close enough to play together and then be in school together. The whole family was service-oriented. Doug’s wife was a nurse until her retirement. His daughter now teaches at the same neighborhood elementary school that she, her brother, and our daughters attended. His son began volunteering with the fire department at 16, as Doug had, and now works as a dispatcher. Our neighborhood and town are safer and more cared-for because of Doug and his family.

A number of the stories shared involved Doug’s size. I remember the first time we met that he had to duck a bit to enter our house, his 7’2″ (220 cm) frame putting his head perilously close to the ceiling. B remembers seeing him directing traffic when he was a police officer, towering over the roof of his squad car. T recalls that, even though he was so big, she wasn’t afraid of him when she was a child. He was a dad looking out for the kids; she didn’t know that he was also well-known for his ability to break up bar fights.

Doug’s family was very important to him. He became a grandfather but his grandson, who was born early, only lived a few days. Because my faith tradition believes that we are reunited with our loved ones after death, I am imagining Doug now cradling his grandson and telling him stories about his family still on earth. As we were reminded by the reading of 1 Cor 13 at the memorial service, “Love never ends.”

Rest in peace, Doug.

not the way to start the day

Yesterday morning, our doorbell rang quite early. I had Baby ABC on my arm when I went to answer it. Our across-the-street neighbor was there, letting me know that there was a dead cat in our driveway.

We do not have a cat and, due to severe allergies in my family, I try not to even touch cats, because the dander and saliva that cause allergic reactions can be carried on my clothing. I am also not a fan of people letting their cats roam the neighborhood because they tend to stalk the birds and chipmunks with whom we share our yards.

From my neighbor’s description, I knew the cat was one I had seen frequently in our backyard. It always ran in the direction of the neighbor to our right, so I had assumed it was theirs, as their previous cats had often wandered in our yard.

I had to leave soon to head to church to facilitate a study group, so I grabbed a towel, wrapped the frozen cat in it, and carried it to their house. All the cars were gone, so I left the cat near the front walk, instructing T to write a note to them and bring it over to the house. By the time T arrived, the grandma of the household was there, but it turned out that the cat wasn’t theirs. She had the idea to contact one of our younger neighbors who is a volunteer firefighter and out and about more frequently in the neighborhood and who stood a better chance of knowing the real home of the cat. By the time I returned home, the cat was gone, so I am guessing that the family must have been located.

A plea: If you take a cat into your home, please keep it safe indoors; if you do choose to let it wander, please put on a collar with your address so people can find you if need be – and a bell to help save our endangered songbird population.
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