Thoughts on my father's passing

Neil Detrich, my dad, died Sept. 4, a week past his 85th birthday. He was a very organized man and, having helped many others finalize the affairs of their loved ones, he had done his best to ease the inevitable confusion for us. He made sure we all knew which documents were where, and what his thoughts were about extreme medical measures that might prolong life but would not prolong its quality. As it turned out, that information was an important guide to us as he lay dying.

The past few days have been busy, almost dizzying, as we go through all the necessary steps that must be taken before we can finally say Dad has been laid to rest. There will be more steps that will be necessary later on, and I'm expecting Dad's thoughts to be an important guide in many of those steps, too.

With a compulsion to share something more than the standard obituary information, I wrote the following to be included in the handout people will receive at Dad's memorial service.

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Neil Detrich was a public servant, an advisor, a husband, a father, a grandfather and a friend. He was committed to his community as well as his family, and will be remembered for his loving service to both.

In earlier years he enjoyed travel, bowling, fishing and golf. A hard worker all his life, when he was not in his office he could often be found chopping thistles, cutting cedars or mowing his lawn. As age began to limit his pursuits, his golf game was one of the last of his recreational activities to go, although he would probably say he never really had that much of a game to begin with.

Fond of socializing with his friends, Neil continued to attend the morning coffee hour at the Chapman Senior Center until his death. It is rumored that some of the many stories he told there may have actually been true!

Neil dedicated countless hours to community service, but will be best remembered by many as a man who tried to make it possible for others to succeed. His evenings were regularly interrupted by telephone calls and visitors asking for advice about this matter or that, but there was no complaining… this was his life.

On his last day on this earth Neil Detrich was hard at work, helping out at the Chapman Area Preservation Society and serving his community as a judge for the Labor Day parade. He then relaxed in the shade with a good friend in a golf cart, enjoyed the parade and a glass of lemonade, went back downtown to make sure things were going well, and then went home to rest.

He will be greatly missed.