Remembering Gary

I received sad news yesterday. My boyhood chum, Gary Froseth, passed away two weeks ago. His wife, Paulette, sent me a letter telling me that while they were in Nicaragua Gary suffered a massive heart attack and then a cerebral hemorrhage. He died instantly. The memorial service was last Sunday. Gary was an important part of my growing up, especially during our pre-teen years. I remember:
--laughing so hard we rolled on the ground, out of control, gasping for breath
--hanging out after school
--Gary coming with me to Mutual, needing the fellowship
--my hoping he'd be interested in joining the Church but he never was
--Gary attending my first marriage with his first wife neither of us knowing that both marriages would eventually unravel
--hooking up many years later when Melba and I lived in Virginia the first time, stopping in to see him and Paulette at their home in Harrisburg, PA and picking up where we had left off, hardly missing a beat
--over the years occasionally emailing each other with updates and subtle reminders that we were still friends and cared about each other

Thank you, Gary, for being my friend when I needed you most. My wish for you now is that you'll run into some great missionaries in the spirit world and accept the gospel. We'll have so much more to talk and laugh about when I get there.