He Was Better Than I’ll Ever Be
by Marie Maly
Editor’s note: Tony grew up in Florida and came north to Pennsylvania as a migrant worker for the apple harvest. This was something Tony loved to do, work the harvest in the fall, and the pastor of the Ripple Church got permission to sprinkle Tony’s ashes in the orchard where he worked. As said by Marie in one of her emails, “We should all be so lucky to be laid to rest in a place that brings us peace.”
Tony was a big man. “If you saw him on the street, you’d be scared,” said a friend at Tony’s memorial service. As the service continued, I learned that Tony had been big in many other ways.
Tony served his local community by giving generously of his time, treasure, and talent. He built a new congregation, a branch of the Ripple Church, almost single-handedly through his persuasive abilities and zeal.
He spent hours each week recruiting those whose voices go unheard--the poor, the disabled, the mentally ill—to a place of comfort and community.
“Come and see,” he’d tell them.
And he stood at the exit following church service, making sure everyone received a loaf of bread donated by a local grocery store.
He found joy in life’s simple moments; those who knew him described him as happy-go-lucky.
The newspaper said Tony was sleeping in a dumpster and got tossed into a trash truck. The driver stopped the crusher plate when he heard Tony’s calls for help. By the time fire fighters freed him from the truck, Tony was dead.
His friends say they believe Tony had help getting into that dumpster.
All the coroner had to say was that Tony died as a result of the injuries inflicted while inside the truck.
His eulogizing friend said Tony may have died in a trash truck, but he wasn’t garbage.
He deserved better.
He was better than I’ll ever be.
Marie C. Maly is the Senior Business Communications Specialist at Air Products, a Fortune 300 company headquartered in eastern Pennsylvania. Marie also contributes to the success of several area non-profit organizations by donating her research and writing skills.
by Marie Maly
Editor’s note: Tony grew up in Florida and came north to Pennsylvania as a migrant worker for the apple harvest. This was something Tony loved to do, work the harvest in the fall, and the pastor of the Ripple Church got permission to sprinkle Tony’s ashes in the orchard where he worked. As said by Marie in one of her emails, “We should all be so lucky to be laid to rest in a place that brings us peace.”
Tony was a big man. “If you saw him on the street, you’d be scared,” said a friend at Tony’s memorial service. As the service continued, I learned that Tony had been big in many other ways.
Tony served his local community by giving generously of his time, treasure, and talent. He built a new congregation, a branch of the Ripple Church, almost single-handedly through his persuasive abilities and zeal.
He spent hours each week recruiting those whose voices go unheard--the poor, the disabled, the mentally ill—to a place of comfort and community.
“Come and see,” he’d tell them.
And he stood at the exit following church service, making sure everyone received a loaf of bread donated by a local grocery store.
He found joy in life’s simple moments; those who knew him described him as happy-go-lucky.
The newspaper said Tony was sleeping in a dumpster and got tossed into a trash truck. The driver stopped the crusher plate when he heard Tony’s calls for help. By the time fire fighters freed him from the truck, Tony was dead.
His friends say they believe Tony had help getting into that dumpster.
All the coroner had to say was that Tony died as a result of the injuries inflicted while inside the truck.
His eulogizing friend said Tony may have died in a trash truck, but he wasn’t garbage.
He deserved better.
He was better than I’ll ever be.
Marie C. Maly is the Senior Business Communications Specialist at Air Products, a Fortune 300 company headquartered in eastern Pennsylvania. Marie also contributes to the success of several area non-profit organizations by donating her research and writing skills.