[rubicon]

Originally Posted by senior citizen

Beautifully said. After reading the article on ocala.com, I thought they were much too young to pass, but then again, perhaps it was just their time as so many of the young and innocents (like the children in Washington State) have had their short lives ended.

Read below sentiment, often read at funerals..........
To anyone who does genealogy, tracing back generations of ancestors, it makes sense. There is always someone waiting "on the other side" ....

Gone From My Sight

I am standing upon the seashore.
A ship at my side spreads her white
sails to the morning breeze and starts
for the blue ocean.

She is an object of beauty and strength.
I stand and watch her until at length
she hangs like a speck of white cloud
just where the sea and sky come
to mingle with each other.

Then, someone at my side says;
"There, she is gone!"

"Gone where?"
Gone from my sight. That is all.
She is just as large in mast and hull
and spar as she was when she left my side
and she is just as able to bear her
load of living freight to her destined port.
Her diminished size is in me, not in her.

And just at the moment when someone
at my side says, "There, she is gone!"
There are other eyes watching her coming,
and other voices ready to take up the glad
shout;
"Here she comes!"
And that is dying.

by Henry Van Dyke, a 19th Century clergyman, educator, poet, and religious writer


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Requiem

Thank you so very much it was quite comforting and joyious

[PPreu]

This tragedy has affected me, on a personal note, a lot more then I thought it would have. One of the deceased young boys' name is Eric Baker. Those of you that frequented CG in the evenings might recognize him by his baby-face, clean-cut look as he whisked around the restaurant clearing tables of dirty dishes.

Eric was an aspiring professional golfer, enrolled in PGA College, just three weeks shy of graduating.

His warmth, kindness and genuine affability never ceased to amaze me. He never failed to stop by and say "hi" to my wife and I as we dined.

On Friday afternoon, at 4:00, I said goodbye to Eric, as he ran off a golf course where we had been playing, so he could be at work at CG on time.

I sat with his father for a while, telling him how enamored of his son, that my wife and I had become. His dad beemed with an obvious pride that a father has for his son.

Ten hours later, gone, way too soon.

Ironically, a year ago, my wife and I moved to The Villages from Ocala. This accident happened near our old house.

Eric Baker was 21.

R.I.P. friend.

[angiefox10]

Originally Posted by PPreu

This tragedy has affected me, on a personal note, a lot more then I thought it would have. One of the deceased young boys' name is Eric Baker. Those of you that frequented CG in the evenings might recognize him by his baby-face, clean-cut look as he whisked around the restaurant clearing tables of dirty dishes.

Eric was an aspiring professional golfer, enrolled in PGA College, just three weeks shy of graduating.

His warmth, kindness and genuine affability never ceased to amaze me. He never failed to stop by and say "hi" to my wife and I as we dined.

On Friday afternoon, at 4:00, I said goodbye to Eric, as he ran off a golf course where we had been playing, so he could be at work at CG on time.

I sat with his father for a while, telling him how enamored of his son, that my wife and I had become. His dad beemed with an obvious pride that a father has for his son.

Ten hours later, gone, way too soon.

Ironically, a year ago, my wife and I moved to The Villages from Ocala. This accident happened near our old house.

Eric Baker was 21.

R.I.P. friend.

PPreu,

You just put a face to one of the young men. You gave us some information about him, who he was... to you.... and to his family.

This was hard to read and I have tears running down my cheeks as I read it, but I needed to.... I needed to read it! I needed to know who he was.

For this I thank you.

[2BNTV]

Originally Posted by angiefox10

I've been watching this thread since it started this morning and just haven't been able to post. This is so very sad. So young and such a loss. I am so heartbroken about this that I honestly have no words.

My thoughts are to the families.... to the friends they left behind and the friends they were yet to meet! The wives and children they will never have. I don't just see a loss of these young men but the future they may have brought had they had the chance.

My heart is breaking for these young men whom I have not even met.

Sending positive thoughts and vibrations to the families, and to all who knew them.

I'm only sorry that my words.... or anyone's words will not change a thing....

Lovely thoughts.

So young and so sad.

[PaPaLarry]

Go to Ocala.com and look up Feb 11nth. Accident on front page

[graciegirl]

Originally Posted by PPreu

This tragedy has affected me, on a personal note, a lot more then I thought it would have. One of the deceased young boys' name is Eric Baker. Those of you that frequented CG in the evenings might recognize him by his baby-face, clean-cut look as he whisked around the restaurant clearing tables of dirty dishes.

Eric was an aspiring professional golfer, enrolled in PGA College, just three weeks shy of graduating.

His warmth, kindness and genuine affability never ceased to amaze me. He never failed to stop by and say "hi" to my wife and I as we dined.

On Friday afternoon, at 4:00, I said goodbye to Eric, as he ran off a golf course where we had been playing, so he could be at work at CG on time.

I sat with his father for a while, telling him how enamored of his son, that my wife and I had become. His dad beemed with an obvious pride that a father has for his son.

Ten hours later, gone, way too soon.

Ironically, a year ago, my wife and I moved to The Villages from Ocala. This accident happened near our old house.

Eric Baker was 21.

R.I.P. friend.

My heart aches for you and for his family and for his co-workers at Cane Garden.

Thank you for your words about this dear young man, Eric Baker.