My Friend Jacques

I remember the twinkle in his eye as he danced with nearly all the women at the French Canadian New Year's party a couple of years ago.  Not because he was a ladies man, rather he felt it was his duty to make sure each and every woman had their opportunity to be waltzed around to the tunes of the orchestra under his careful guidance.  After all, many of the old gals had lost their husbands and their time on the hardwood floor with Jacques might be the only chance they would have to trip the light fantastic at this denouement of the year gone by.

When the local Homeowner's Association needed a leader Jacques stepped up to the plate.  When the Cathedral City Police Department's Citizen's on Patrol unit needed a Captain, Jacques said "I will".  When a neighbor needed a garage door fixed, a garbage disposal unplugged, a fence repaired or any number of other tasks for which others could charge hundreds, Jacques said "I can" without expectation of compensation.  He was good at any and everything and had a peculiar habit of estimating the length of time a job might take not in hours but in beers;  "Sounds like a 4 beer job if you ask me".

Jacques had a habit of saying he would only concern himself with today, today; that spending time gnashing one's teeth about that which was past or projecting into the future those things unknown was counterproductive and a waste of precious time.  How right he was now that I realize we will all need to move forward without his wise counsel, his great caring for his friends and neighbors and his take charge attitude.

What I know about today is that I no longer have my friend, my neighbor, my consigliere, my teacher, electrician, plumber, carpenter, mechanic and moral compass.  Taken by the ravages of metastatic prostate cancer he acquired as a result of his service in Vietnam in the United States Navy and exposure to Agent Orange, Jacques fought the good fight as he did with all things but this time he was defeated by an invisible, heartless, silent foe.

Rest in Peace Jacques Jean-Paul Lefebvre, I will miss you so much.