Eulogy for My Father, John LaPierre’s, Celebration of Life

My father, John Arnold LaPierre was born on September 24, 1951, and he passed away on May 2, 2021. This is the eulogy I shared at his Celebration of Life at Woodland Christian Church on May 15, 2021. If you'd like to watch the full service, you can do so here. https://youtu.be/ovcfDLdLApA The eulogy I shared at my father, John Arnold LaPierre's, Celebration of Life at Woodland Christian Church on May 15, 2021. Table of ContentsJohn LaPierre's ObituaryNotes for John LaPierre's EulogyFavorite memories about John LaPierreTreehouse and importance of familyWorking hard to care for our familyA faithful, loving husbandThings to give thanks for…Recently repeated many blessings with DadDad was able to pass with dignityWe were given many good years with DadWe were blessed with a wonderful church familyThings I’m thankful I did for John LaPierre…I took CPR trainingI told my dad I loved him many timesI shared the gospel with Dad many timesGospel Presentation John LaPierre's Obituary John LaPierre was born in Plattsburgh, New York on September 24, 1951. He attended St. Joseph Catholic School through the 8th grade and then transferred to Dannemora High School where he graduated June 1969. John was active in sports, playing basketball, baseball, and soccer in high school. He attended Cortland State University for three years majoring in physical education. John and Donna were married on February 2, 1974 in Dannemora, New York. John started working for the Department of Corrections in Dannemora in 1973 until May 1979 when he, Donna, and Scott (born in 1978) moved to California. John continued working for the Department of Corrections until retiring in April 2007. John's second son, Jason, was born in 1979. John enjoyed coaching and watching his sons participate in various sports. He also enjoyed hunting, fishing, and camping with his family, and then golf during retirement. John became a Christian in 2008 and his son, Scott, baptized him soon after. When Scott took the pastorate of Woodland Christian Church in 2010, John and Donna followed him to Washington, where John also served as a deacon at his son's church. Shortly after John was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. Fortunately, it progressed slowly, so he was able to enjoy many years with family and friends. In January of 2017 John was diagnosed with throat and lymph node cancer. He went through 37 radiation treatments which successfully treated the cancer. Even when John couldn't remember the names of his grandchildren they still brought him great joy whenever he saw them. They were certainly the light of his life. John was predeceased by his father, mother, and son, Jason. Notes for John LaPierre's Eulogy I thought I would begin by sharing some of my favorite memories about my dad… Favorite memories about John LaPierre Treehouse and importance of family I spent most of my young life in MacArthur, which is in the mountains of northern California. That’s also where Katie grew up, and where her parents still live. It’s very rural. We couldn’t see any of our neighbors through all the thick trees. One day Dad took Jason and I into the woods behind our house. He said, “This is where I want to build you a treehouse.” It was pretty neat: completely enclosed with a nice roof, a trapdoor to enter it from the bottom after climbing up a ladder, and a sliding window. After Dad finished it he wanted all of us ,Dad, Mom, Jason and Ito spend the night in it. The floor of the treehouse was plywood, and we slept in sleeping bags. This made for a long, uncomfortable night. The treehouse was good size, but with the four of us rolling over and bumping each other, I don’t think we slept very much. But it was a nice, fun time that I still remember. I also mention this memory because it reveals something about Dad that stands out in my mind: he really wanted us to spend time together as a family. I remember growing up knowing family was important, and there was little Dad and Mom wouldn’t do for us. Most of you have seen how that pattern continue through my adulthood with my parents following us from Northern California down to central California, which is where we were before moving here, and then up to Woodland. Working hard to care for our family Something else I remember about Dad is he was very hard-working. People can show their love for others in many ways, and Dad has never talked much, but he showed his love and concern for his family by the way he provided for us. When I grew up the phrase, “double shift,” was common. Dad was always working double shifts: two eight hour shifts back-to-back. He would drive home, sleep a few hours, and then head back to work. I played sports throughout school, and Dad made it a point to watch all my events. Because we lived in such a rural area that meant driving all over Northern California, two or three hours to different games and tournaments. Dad was such a hard worker that it seemed like even when he wasn’t at work, if he was home, he was working. Because we lived in the mountains there were always things to do around our house, and Dad always expected us to be out there with him on the weekends during the school year, and then during the week throughout the summer. My parents grew up in upstate New York. I heard stories about my dad working on his uncle’s dairy farm, and how he thought it was the greatest thing. The summer after eighth grade I flew to New York and worked on that same dairy farm. Let’s just say I didn’t think it was the greatest thing. Even though I hated it, there was something special about being someplace my dad had spent so much time when he was my age. I got to hear stories about my dad from people who knew him when he was young. I would encourage all young people, if you have the opportunity, to visit places or people that were familiar to your parents. It will give you insight into their lives that you wouldn’t have otherwise. A faithful, loving husband Next thing worth sharing about Dad is he really cared for Mom. He was a faithful husband. I told you my parents grew up in New York, but we grew up in Northern California. So how do we get from New York to California? My Mom’s parents my Memere and Pepere – moved to California for a job in construction. Then my parents followed them. I remember one time I asked Dad, “You and Mom had spent your lives in New York. All of your family and friends were there, except for Mom’s parents. Why did you leave everyone and everything to move out to be near Mom’s parents?” I still remember Dad said, “Because I love your mom.” If I had to say what I’m most thankful for about Dad it’s this… He pointed me toward God as early as I can remember. I grew up knowing there was a God: He created me He loved me Someday I would stand before Him and give an account of my life I remember many evenings as a family kneeling down in the living room to pray. I didn’t know what a spiritual leader was at the time, but I look back and recognize that’s what Dad was trying to be for our family. One of my other favorite memories about Dad comes from the end of his life when things were the worst for him… He would walk off regularly. It was common to see Mom and Dad walking past our house two or three times per day. Dad would take three things with him: his toothbrush, his razor, and his Bible. What more could a man need? :-) I feel blessed that Dad clearly saw his Bible as one of his essentials. Things to give thanks for… 1 Thessalonians 5:18 Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.  Giving thanks in all circumstances isn’t an easy thing to do, especially when we unexpectedly lost a loved one, but it is the will of God in Christ Jesus for us. As I tried to do this after Dad’s passing, I found there were many things to give thanks for, and I would like to share them with you… Recently repeated many blessings with Dad First, the weekend before Dad passed, we were in California. That alone is something to be thankful for: this didn’t happen when we were in California and I wasn’t able to be with Mom. But the other thing I’m thankful for is this… We were visiting our previous church that my parents had attended with us. There were many people who loved Dad and Mom, knew Dad had Alzheimer’s, and kept asking how he was doing. I felt like God had been so good to us that it would almost be dishonorable to talk about Dad declining without also talking about the many blessings we received. So I wouldn’t answer people’s questions without first telling them about the ways God had blessed us, such as: My parents living near us My parents having so many wonderful friends in the church The church being so good to my parents My parents being around their grandchildren so often I kept repeating these blessings to people every time they asked how Dad was doing, so they really became cemented in my mind. I had no idea at that time that within a week Dad would pass away. But I had recited these blessings so many times they were memorized. So interestingly when Dad passed away, I kept thinking about the blessings I had shared with others, but now I was sharing them with myself…and it was really causing me to be thankful and appreciate how much God had done for us. Dad was able to pass with dignity Second, when people have Alzheimer’s they can get pretty bad at the end. We were noticing things speeding up with Dad over the last few months, but before things got any worse, I feel like God let Dad go with dignity. Jim and Vicki were with us the night Dad passed. They did a good job just being there not saying anything. When we got the news that Dad didn’t make it, Jim gave Mom a hug, and he said, “He’s free.” I thought that was a good way to describe what had taken place.