J. Theodore Albert Ahrens
November 28, 1941 – April 24, 2016
Eulogy Delivered at Memorial Mass
by Clayton Ahrens
April 28, 2016
Thanks for joining us here today. I certainly would never have wished for this, but it truly is a blessing to see family and so many friends who love my family.
I think one of the best measures of a man’s life is the legacy he passes down to the next generation, so for the next few minutes, as I brag about my dad, I want to share a few lessons he taught me.
First of all, he taught me the importance of education. My dad truly was a lifelong learner. He never stopped studying. Two days ago, I completed a form at the funeral home that required me to fill in a blank for how many years of education my dad had. I lingered there for a minute, and then wrote 74. My dad never stopped learning. I’m so glad my dad taught me the value of education, encouraged me to go to college, and worked hard so I could go to school.
Another thing my dad taught me was to save. If you know my dad, you know he was a saver. As an example, didn’t eat out much, but when he did, his meal of choice came off the dollar menu at Taco Bell, and it was accompanied by a free, small, senior drink with free refills. It always baffled my dad why anyone would pay more money for a larger drink when you can get refills for free. We picked on him about his frugality, but the truth is, he taught Tom and me to be wise managers of the money God blesses us with, and I’ll always be grateful for that.
My dad also taught me to give cheerfully. As careful as he was with money, it might surprise you to know that he was also extremely generous. Does it sound like a contradiction that he was a saver, but he was also very generous? If it sounds like a contradiction, it’s really not; it was his discipline with money and his ability to temper his own desires that enabled him to be such a generous giver. He cheerfully gave to the church, to St. Jude, to missionaries in Eastern Europe, and to several other great causes.
And he didn’t only give money; he shared his time and expertise to help the least fortunate. Many years ago my dad had a friend named Johnny Young who was appointed as the U.S. ambassador to Sierra Leone. Several months after beginning his new assignment, Mr. Young called my dad and said there as a desperate need for books in Eastern Africa. As it turned out, he called exactly the right person. My dad launched into action, and collected so many books that he filled a full-sized tractor trailer, bottom-to-top, front-to-back and found a way to ship it free-of-charge to Sierra Leone. And, no, the books didn’t all come from his basement.
Several years later when my Mom and Dad were living in Germany, my dad connected with a mission church in an especially poor area of Poland. The pastor of the church mentioned that kids there needed clothes. Once again, my dad got to work. A few months later, eight trucks full of clothes and toys made their way to Poland.
My dad didn’t just give money and books and toys; he also gave blood. He faithfully donated platelets for over twenty years. It was his joy to help those in crisis. I remember many times my dad coming home late from work with both arms bandaged from the 2½ hour process of donating platelets. Only God knows how many lives he saved by his selflessness.
My dad was an overcomer and he taught me to overcome. I’ll have to be intentionally vague here because I want to focus on the positive, but please believe me when I tell you my dad had a terribly difficult childhood. When I look at where my dad came from and who he became, I’m amazed. It’s nice to see someone flourish in ideal circumstances, but it’s inspiring to see someone flourish in impossible circumstances. My dad is an inspirational man who overcame overwhelming challenges.
My dad taught me to be thankful. If you ever gave my dad anything, he probably thanked you a dozen times. And, as we sort through his basement, I’m learning that he probably also kept what you gave him. My dad didn’t demand that I be thankful; he showed me how to live thankfully.
My dad taught me to love God. He took our family to church every week and that’s where I committed my heart and soul to Jesus Christ who has transformed my life.
My dad taught me and showed me how to love my family. Nothing in this life was more important to my dad than his wife and his sons. I always knew how much he loved me and how proud he was of me. And he adored my mom who he was married to for nearly 47 years.
Today I’m grateful that my dad taught me to learn continually, spend carefully, give cheerfully, overcome quietly, love God whole-heartedly, and devote myself to family faithfully.
And today I’m especially grateful that my dad’s struggle is complete. I’m thankful that the next time I see him, he’ll be free of any lingering effects of a sin-stained world, he’ll be free of cancer, and he’ll be free of pain.
Many thanks to all of you who have loved my family so well through all of this. I hope you’ll join us next door as we continue to celebrate my dad’s life. Thank you for being here today.