A tribute to Joel and Dave
Well, this morning I got some very bad news. An old friend of mine, Joel Walker, died yesterday (5/25) from lung cancer. We became friends nearly 30 years ago during my last year of high school. He had already graduated, but he and his buddies liked to hang out at the JB’s restaurant my little gang of friends and I liked to haunt. Once we got to know each other, we all became great friends.
Another old friend of mine, Dave Crawford, passed away a month ago (4/25) from colon cancer. I knew him from about 3rd grade on, and we were always very close. During our high school summer vacations, Dave and I lived together in a tent and worked in mountainous Stanley, Idaho. I consider those days to be some of the best of my life.
Joel and Dave were as different as night and day. Joel was introverted and reserved. Dave was extroverted and never met stranger - in fact, I believe it was Dave who first started chatting with Joel and his friends back when we all met.
Both men honored me by participating in my wedding nearly 24 years ago - Dave as the Best Man, Joel as an Usher/Groomsman. It’s a shame neither lived long enough to witness our 25th wedding anniversary.
The catchphrase I will always associate with Joel is, “Well, beats sitting around watching TV”. He used to say that to me when I’d call him up to go have a beer or coffee somewhere. He said it to me again about a year ago when I was bragging/complaining about all the projects I had going on around the house. I will miss his thoughful, yet dry, humor terribly.
One of Joel’s favorite past-times was to grab a couple six-packs of beer and head out onto the desert or into the foothills north of Boise. We spent many hours up on hilltops looking at the city lights, drinking beer, listening to music, and solving all of the world’s problems.
Dave will always have a very special place in my heart. He was one of my first real friends, and was always there for me when the going got tough.
One of the best stories I remember about Dave is when we were working in a restaurant in Stanley. Dave wanted to learn how to cook, so one day he asked the cook (Joanne, I believe) how she knew when to turn the pancakes she was cooking. “49 bubbles”, is all she said. Then, she told him to watch the grill while she started the next breakfast.We all stood around giggling as Dave tried to count all of the bubbles on each pancake before he flipped them. Finally, we heard an exasperated Dave say, “Oh, to hell with it”, as he gave up counting and just started flipping.
Here’s to Dave (clink), and Joel (clink), two of the best people, and friends, I have ever known.
(In a year’s time now I have lost both my parents and two of my dearest friends. Let’s hope and pray nobody else dies for a long, long time).
Like this post? Publish It On Your Own Blog
