A Friend Died

A friend of mine was recently killed in a car accident. He was 83. He was the nicest man. He was a Roman Catholic. He always had a smile on his face, always asked me how I was doing, and always asked me about my kids. He was genuinely nice.
A 16 year old kid was going 65 miles an hour down a residential street and went through a stop sign, putting an end to Fred Goetz's life.
I found some things out about Fred that I didn't know about, after he died. Once a week he volunteered at St. Vincent DePaul's, to help others. He also apparantly used to disappear for a whole day, once a week. None of his associates knew where he went or what he was up to. I found out (after his death) that he and his son would go and minister to people living under the bridges by the river.
I hadn't heard from him for about three months. I phoned his house and asked his wife to have him call me. Fred called a few minutes later. He said he wasn't doing so well, that he'd been very ill. Although he was trying to be upbeat, I could hear in his voice that he was tired. He asked me about my family, and asked how I was doing. I told him to call me anytime if he needed anything done around the house, or if he need anything at all.
The very next day he was gone.
This was a rare soul. One of those people whose face shone with genuine love. He wasn't a fake. He was truly a saint.
Although I only saw him about once a month, I'm going to truly miss him.
Fred was tired. He lived a full life, and he lived a good life. I know that when Christ comes back, Fred's going to be able to reach out and touch the face of the Savior he so faithfully served in this life.
He loved God, and it showed in the way he treated other people.