My cousin, Philip "Butch" Rink, is being buried today in Indiana. Unfortunately, today is the first day of students at my school, and I am unable to be with the family today. I was asked to write some thoughts to be read at his funeral, and so I pass them along to you today in honor of his life.
Dear Family.
By now, I am sure much of your conversation has centered around what an exceptional life Butch lived – how his longevity far surpassed what his doctors could have ever imagined. I,for one, am glad they missed the mark by 50 years or so! Those extra decades gave us all the opportunity to know, love, and appreciate the life of someone I believe to be a remarkable person.
I am Butch’s first cousin – the youngest of all the first cousins born to the Bechtel six. Butch was the oldest, and I reminded him of that fact every time we got together. We got a laugh out of it every time, and I don’t think we ever got tired of the banter. I’d call it to his attention that he was so much older than me, and he’d fire back about how he was wiser and better looking, too.
He was probably right.
That was always the way it was with Butch when I saw him. His weezing, lively laugh was infectious, and it was in those times that his whole body seemed to dance in the laughter. I recall many Sunday afternoon visits with Butch and Aunt Evelyn where we would cackle so hard that we would cough, cry, and nearly be sick! Something would hit his funny bone, and we wouldn’t stop until we were exhausted with laughter.
My mother enjoyed telling stories of when her first nephew (Butch) was born, and looking through her photo albums again today, I found so many black and white pictures of little Butch. Don’t be jealous…there were plenty of pictures of Marcia and Roger, Diane, Pamm and the twins, too...but Butch was her first. And she loved him! She never failed to mention after a visit with him how glad she was the doctors were so wrong!
As for me, many of the milestones of my life were marked with the presence of Butch: my graduation parties from high school and college, many of my very early days of preaching, and so many funerals of those we love who have gone before us. It’s been a very long time since I’ve been to a family reunion, but I’d have a difficult time imagining such gatherings without my cousin Butch to harass and catch up with. He loved his family – his sister and brother, nieces and nephews, aunts and uncles, cousins and all. And we loved him, too.
He lived such a rich and full life! To have loved and have been loved as Butch has been is one of the greatest things that can be said of a man. At the end of the journey, there is little else that matters more. How many people have been able to pursue career, wealth, and everything expected of a man and yet meet their end empty and alone? While Butch may have been limited in some areas, he certainly was not lacking in fullness of life!
Along with so many of you gathered here today, I affirm my belief that his Hope is now realized. He has shaken off this body, and he dances in new-found liberty and in the love of the Lord, and he dwells in the company of those he has been longing to see again. Who among us would be so cruel that we would want him to come back? It’s time for Butch to enjoy what the Father has in store for him!
To Marcia and Roger and the rest of the family, I wish that I could have been with you today in person to celebrate Butch’s life. God knows that my heart is there with you. I would love to sit around and recount the stories of his life and re-live those memories that still cause us to laugh. Marcia, you are a remarkable woman to have given Butch so much (Ken, you’re not so bad, either!). I am happy that you were able to be with him and share those special moments as he made his transition from this life to the next. Those irreplaceable moments are some of the most difficult but precious.
Until we see each other again, and with much love,
Mark
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