Jimmy’s Requiem 

I wrote before 

About Requiems which are a funeral song, hymn, or dirge for the dead 

I’ve spoken before 

About the Legacy we leave behind 

Today I speak to you the requiem of my Father 

Today I read the Requiem of Jimmy Francis 

Pardon my crying I am my Father’s son after all 

His Requiem is a loud one 

Shouted by tears, laughter, sorrow, and joy that we have all shared in as a pleasure of knowing him 

As we remember A true mountain of a man 

A True Everest of a man 

My father married the Love of his life in 1985 

A woman that he went on 1 blind date with 

And said she’s the one 

Through trials and tribulations their marriage lasted 39 years until his death 

He raised 4 Amazing sons 

Of which I am proud to call myself one 

He was a friend to many 

A role model to many 

A champion for the lost and the broken 

I’m proud to have known him to have been taught by him 

To have been his son 

We have all been blessed by his presence in our lives 

He spent around 15 years as a Scout Master and a lot of that time he was also in the Order of the arrow 

Where he was a blessing to many 

Where he came to learn three words that would become truly manifest in his life 

That would be shouted by his character 

Winmachtendienk Wingolauchsik Witahemui 

Which is Lenape for Brotherhood of cheerful service 

He was a servant to all 

And a faithful servant to God 

He was the embodiment of cheerful service he would do anything for those he loved, and those he knew, always with a smile and full of cheer 

Jimmy Wayne Francis was a true mountain of a man 

He was the Everest in my skyline 

And we are all richer for having known him 

For having received his friendship and love 

His spirit lives on in his children, his wife, and his grandchildren 

His spirit will live on in the legacy he leaves behind  

Of love and cheerful service 

Without his presence our internal maps will all be a little foggy for a while as we lose a landmark that we could always reckon by 

This is his requiem 

And our duty and our purpose now is to appreciate and thank God for the gift he gave to us in Jimmy 

And to carry on his legacy of love, compassion, friendship, honesty, and cheerful service 

Let him continue to be a role model and a beacon for us even though he is no longer with us and is now with His savior for eternity 

This is his requiem 

This is Jimmy’s requiem love your family and spend time with them  

Serve God through cheerful service towards your fellow man