John Gardner is an old friend of Tim's from the US. He gave a short eulogy at Tim's funeral, and we would like to share it with you.
Tim's Aunts had sent me a few remembrances of Tim that I want to share first.
When Jerry Lewis had his first Muscular Dystrophy telethon, Tim was in grade school and watching the show Tim thought that the family should go around to the neighbours and take up a collection. They did and Tim learned that some people were very generous and others rather stingy. They then rode the bus into Washington to hand in the money collected.
Another time, Tim asked his mother for money and she asked him why he needed money when she knew that he had some. His reply was that a friend of his was cold and needed a coat, so he bought him one.
Tim called me his "oldest friend". He liked to point out that it was age along with years known.
We grew up together. Not as childhood chums, but as beginners in the music business. He was just in his first group, "Timothy and Michael" and I was a technician at the club where they were appearing. As a day job, I was teaching at a local University and a girl named Cass was in my class. Somehow she and Tim got together and a bigger group was born.
When Tim moved to New York City, I also moved. The three of us (Cass, Tim, and myself, lived in an apartment over the club they were appearing at. I worked days and hung out with Tim when they weren't appearing someplace. I would stay up as late as possible mindful that I had a day job. After I went to bed, Tim would take my car keys and go off driving around with our friends. He always thought I didn't know what was going on, but when you go out to get your car in the morning and it is parked in a different place, well you must suspect something!
Once, Tim overloaded the car with friends (Cass included) and went off somewhere on an adventure. The next morning, when I went off to work, the car had no functioning shock absorbers! Confronting Tim that evening, he just shrugged and gave me that charming smile.
During a break from the music, Tim became a stockbroker. I may be one of the few people that ever made a profit from Tim's efforts. Not large profits mind you, but a profit.
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Another to succumb to Tim's charms was our dog Beatrice, a wire haired Dachshund. She would snuggle up to him knowing that scratches behind the ears or a crumb from the table were hers. The joke was that they were "betrothed". He would leave emails addressed to her along with messages on the answering machine. We were just secondary to her. |
My wife Judi, who was also taken by that charming smile of Tim's, wrote a narrative of our relationship and I would like to pass it on.
" Such confident young bucks we were.
We had the world for the asking.
But we were too consumed to know at the time.
Our paths ran parallel, vertical, hell, even crossed more than once.
Agreeing to disagree,
Disagreeing to disagree.
Our conversations were never dull.
Tears shed for those that came before us as well as those we lost along the way.
We witnessed attempts made in the name of change.
We attempted to change and even thought about changing our names.
The struggles, the victories, the losses and gains.
We commiserated, cursed, cried and certainly questioned.
But, in the darkest times, we found laughter begging to be brought forth.
Our last conversation consisted of one-liners and laughter.
Timothy, thank you for the music, laughter, and best of all being my friend.
God Speed!"
One last thing,
Lord, you have a new member to the heavenly choir. A fine singer and great musician. Make good use of him, but please remember this:
He will do it his way.