My family lost a great man, William Futch last night. He had been battling lung cancer. I wanted to take this opportunity to share with you the person William was. Some of you may remember William from his time working at Prince Chevrolet. Everyone at Prince will tell you he could make the even the toughest days easy. His humor and his wit kept the workday short. He loved Prince- but it was William’s love for the farm, that made him settle out in Brookfield, GA. Even on his deathbed, it was pictures of William’s hay and tractors that made him happiest, second only to his love for his family. I, in my 24 years of coaching, have seen a lot of fathers come and go. So I think I can say this with a bit of authority- William was one of the greatest Father’s I have ever known. His daughter Kayla, as some of you know, lived with Kirk and I after she finished her MBA at UGA, and moved to Atlanta. William called me one day to inform me that Kayla would be staying with me for a little while, so that her transition to the big city would be “less scary.” It was never a question- it was simply a statement. He went on to say how I was to look after her, feed her home cooking, and report anything that needed his attention. He loved his daughter with a love that you don’t see much anymore. He never missed a softball game, but always made sure to set in the left outfield so as not to have to deal with “all those crazy gossiping mamas.” Kayla’s left outfield buddies used to return to the dugout laughing at the “one liners” William would yell out from the fence. He was the type of father that expected excellence, and respect without having to demand it. This parenting method created one of the most beautiful, successful, and brilliant accountants in Atlanta. If you ever hear Kayla need to make a point during conversation, she will pause for effect, and in her dad’s voice, deliver the “Williamisms.” She sometimes will say, “if that were William Futch- that would have gone differently” What an honor it must be- to be such a strong father that your daughter uses you as the standard to which all others are judged. To equate your method of doing something - as the method in which it should be done. There is no higher honor for a father than to be imitated by his children. William was also a husband. He chased after a young blonde named Jo Lynn for a while, and finally snagged her. Once he had her- he would never let her go. They were perfect for each other. He told the jokes, and she laughed at em. They were both short. And they both loved being on the farm. They raised their daughter together, each one inserting that little part of themselves that would make Kayla such a wonderful young lady. Jo Lynn and William shared a marriage where they were “buddies” first, and “parents” second. This was the key to their success as man and wife. You know you really love someone when a simple ride around the farm with each other is better than any vacation you could ever go on. This simple love for one another was what made their marriage solid as a rock, never faltering. One of my personal favorite things about William is that he always treated Kirk like a member of our family. No questions asked. That has meant the world to me. Kirk and I gathered around William these past few days in his home. His Christmas tree was lit; he had an endless supply of his favorite drink, Pepsi. He had his family and love all around him, and even on his last day, he was cracking funny jokes. That’s the person he was. He’s bailing hay in heaven right now. He’s looking down on my empty firewood box here in Atlanta shaking his head telling me that I should have stocked up. He made me promise to take care of his Kayla in the big city- a task that I don’t take lightly. Heaven gained a wonderfully funny angel today. And we- even through our tears, we have to smile knowing that we were here to witness his life- what a big life it was. https://imgflip/i/fkeyx
Posted on: Sun, 21 Dec 2014 16:25:04 +0000