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Beau Wann, Jr.
The Dodgers are bankrupt???? What the heck happened???? See, I knew they shouldnt have moved from Brooklyn...maybe they'll move back...Thats one of the subjects that Jimmy and I discussed, tongue in cheek of course...neither one of us cared one way or another about the Dodgers...he had pretty much the same sense of humor as I, as most of us...sometimes irreverent, sometimes silly, but all times funny...we discussed a lot of things, serious things, not so serious things, and made up things...
He and I talked numerous times on the phone, at Fudds and at the monthly WABEC luncheons...sometimes he and I would arrive early and just sit and visit until we had a quantum...I cant tell you how many subjects we discussed, from Anteaters to Zebras...I cant recall he and I ever disagreeing on anything, but we generally kept it lite...sometimes...neither one of us ever offended the other...he was always quick with a smile...it wasnt ever a large grin, but just enough to light his eyes up, and then you could see his heart and soul...
He pretty much left them out there for all to see and enjoy, never seemingly worried that someone would try to stomp on either...and he probably didnt care either, because he was at peace...thats one of the things that really amazed me about him, was his "at peace" with himself, life and God...even after suffering a stroke some years back, and having to learn to do things over that we all learned at a much younger age, and the death of his wife last year, and raising his grandaughter...he was at peace...that is probably the best thing I remember about him...he wasnt frantic about anything, end of the whirld, recession, depression...just at peace...
Sometimes I would make an outlandish statement, that he knew I was just trying to be funny, and he would smile and show that twinkle in his eye...sometimes he would make an outlandish statement, knowing how much I enjoyed the challenge of a retort, and I hope he saw a twinkle from me...I loved being apart of that bantering, swordsmanship...I never felt threatened by his stance, nor he mine...I loved seeing that "twinkle" in his eyes...so making him smile, made me smile and both of us happy...
I always wondered about the term "twinkle in his eyes", and generally passed it off as poetic license in the literature that I have read over the years...I dont remember seeing that in anyone in my 66 years, except in my uncle Ivan...pretty much forgot about such things, until I met Jimmy...he truly had a twinkle in his eyes whenever he would smile...almost mischevious, but never malicious, just the peacful soul and loving heart of a gentle giant...
You could see the gentleness of his heart, as well as his strength...a gentleness and strength born only of knowing who he was, and who God was, and acepting both...He never failed to say grace before every meal that he and I ever sat down to together...and he never failed to, not ask permission to say grace, but to prepare you that he was going say grace...I have broken bread with Jimmy, and prayed with him over hamburgers, fish, baked potatos, french fries, and noisy backgrounds...I never felt closer to God, even in chruch, than when Jimmy prayed sitting across from me, or next to me...
I am so glad God allowed me to be a part of, a very small part, of a mans life, that mattered in this whirld and the next...I will truly miss Jimmy, and the things that I wont get to share with him again, but I will take with me the remembrance of a decent peaceful soul, and know that I am a better person because of Jimmy...what better legacy than just one person saying that about someone, "I am a better person because of Jimmy..."
Jimmy was a bear of a man, with the gentleness and strength of the God that he loved and loved him...
"For there is nothing so strong as gentleness, and nothing so gentle as real strength..."
Rest in peace, Jimmy my friend, rest in peace...JIMMY IRA BROWN..."the finest man in the whole dang town"...
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