To Tom – From Your Brother Dale

When I first met you in 1969, I was only 14 years old. I had no idea what life was about, but I watched you very closely. You see, you now had something very dear to me….my sister. The first thing I noticed was your zeal for life. You didn’t know the Lord back then, but you sure knew how to live life on the edge. And boy was it contagious.

It seems like you lived several different lives…Gotcha Covered, On Any Sunday, The GreatRace, Granbury Live. And, everything you took hold of, you did it with a passion. Failure was not in your vocabulary! You taught me to work, and to work hard. But at the same time, you taught me to play hard, too! And we sure did us some playing.

I remember working at Gotcha Covered, and leaving work early to go to Lake Texoma, just so we could get in the best skiing water of the day…just before sunset. And the time you kept giving me the “speed up” sign until I was pulling you as fast as that jet boat would go…then you fell so hard I had to come help you back into the boat…you were just floating there on your back waiting on me to come pick you up.

You taught me and Mark to snow ski…well how to fall at least. And Sam, too. In fact I think that’s when she learned to count (every time she fell, she yelled “fifteen”, or whatever number that fall was).

And, the many motorcycle adventures we shared. To this day, I think you are the only person in the world to ever successfully climb “Mission Impossible” at On Any Sunday. You converted me to dirt bikes, and we went everywhere we could think of looking for dirt, mud, hills, and good friends to share it with. Hey, how about the time Sandi’s bike caught on fire that night in Paris, and we all tricked John Holden into thinking it was his bike that burned to the ground. That was your idea you know…you and John had that “one up” thing going back then.

When you found Jesus, you were as passionate about Him as anything you had done before or since. You and Sandi gave me a bible back in 1982. You wrote this in the inside front cover –

Dear Dale – A special gift for a special brother – Everything on this earth will perish with the exception of this – HIS WORD! “The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God is forever.” Isaiah 40:8

To this day, I can recall that scripture anytime, anyplace, and know exactly who wrote it, and where.

When the GreatRace came along, you included your family as well. Of course, there was no free ride – it was hard work. But, when I went back to work after spending two weeks working on the race, I could boast that I had seen the country. I just didn’t tell anyone that everything I saw was at about 60 miles per hour. It’s kind of hard to appreciate Niagara Falls without actually stopping the car you know!

And then Granbury Live. What was it – 5 weeks from concrete to concert? Was it worth it? Absolutely!

I have tried describing you to my friends before, and it usually goes something like this.  “Tom’s picture is in the dictionary in several places – entrepreneur, free spirit, passionate, generous, larger than life…Tom’s not living unless he’s going a hundred miles an hour with his hair on fire.”

I am very privileged to have been a part of your world. Your life has been one great adventure after another. You will be missed, but only for a short time, for those of us who know Christ will be joining you someday.

And for those of you who don’t yet know Christ, what are you waiting for? GET OUTTA THAT BED!

Your Brother-In-Christ

Dale