During the month of July, while Wimberly was in summer camp, Elizabeth, Christian, Hudson and I made a quick trip to Massachusetts for my 25th High School Reunion. I attended Gloucester High School (yes, our mascot was the Gorton’s Fisherman). In a class of 321, 115 or so attended the reunion. Gloucester is a fishing city above Boston and was the location of that movie several years ago called: The Perfect Storm. Our reunion was in what could have been a movie set. It was at the Gloucester House, a restaurant in the harbor, surrounded by fishing boats. We rented a bed and breakfast nearby with a good friend from high school and walked in. Now, this was my first school reunion of any kind so you can imagine the feelings of walking into a room trying your best to recognize long lost friends. I have to say in looking back what a wonderful experience it was. It felt so right to be in that place in that time.
It’s easy to forget those people in your life that helped shape you into who you are today and I believe it is Biblical stewardship to make those sometimes even uncomfortable trips down memory lane. I remember it was Paul Comeau for instance who welcomed me as a new student to Gloucester High School and took me under his wing…Tom Flannagan and I still talk by phone after every major Red Sox, Bruins, Celtics and Patriots Victory. Somehow after this reunion, I understood my own wiring a bit more and further realized where some of it was created!
Well, we got back to Charleston in time for the Marriage Conference, but after the first night we got the tragic word that my Seminary Dean had died of a sudden Heart Attack. The Rev. Dr. Guy Fitch Lytle, III had died late Friday, July 15 and his funeral would be on Monday, July 18 at 2:00 pm.
In between sessions at the Marriage Conference, a trip was planned where The Rev. Marshall Huey, the Rev. Ken Weldon and I would drive up to Sewanee, TN at 6:00am on Monday to get there by 2pm. And so we did. It had been 14 years since my seminary graduation and 9 years since I had last been at Sewanee. Again another memory lane experience seeing some folks I had not seen for years. The funeral for Dean Lytle was in the new and completed seminary chapel that was his dream. During his ministry he was the one who conceived it and saw it become a reality. It was fitting the funeral should be there. The service itself was attended by dozens of his former students now priests, as well as much of the leadership of the University and many many people who loved the Lytles. The funeral liturgy was beautiful complete with incense and praise music, a complete blend of the traditional and renewal. The preaching was completely Christ centered and a true source of inspiration. The funeral reminded me of the significant formation that occurred for me there, both theologically and liturgically. 67 year old Fr. Lytle leaves behind his wife Maria, daughters Elizabeth and Ashley and 3 grandchildren. Please keep this precious family in your prayers.