𝗦𝗘𝗩𝗘𝗥𝗔𝗟 𝗦𝗘𝗚𝗠𝗘𝗡𝗧𝗦 𝗢𝗙 𝗢𝗨𝗥 𝗖𝗜𝗧𝗬 𝗖𝗢𝗠𝗘 𝗧𝗢𝗚𝗘𝗧𝗛𝗘𝗥 𝗙𝗢𝗥 𝗕𝗘𝗡'𝗦 𝗙𝗨𝗡𝗘𝗥𝗔𝗟 𝗔𝗧 𝗠𝗔𝗥𝗞𝗘𝗧 𝗦𝗤𝗨𝗔𝗥𝗘

 

Market Square was filled to capacity for Ben Neece's funeral Saturday, actually SRO as there were three or four rows of attendees behind me as I took the photo above.

The officiating minister, a preacher who described himself as one of Ben's neighbors for "25 years," spent considerable time before his sermon adjusting the microphone, then never spoke directly into it.

No matter.  Religious platitudes provide little comfort and there's no need to hear them repeated.

To the right of the speaker's podium, a large video screen ran a montage of photos from Ben's life, even some pics from his boyhood, but what stuck out to me was Ben's pride of fatherhood, donning a hospital cap to welcome his offspring into the world, flashing the widest of smiles taking pictures with his children during their formative years.

Yes, I watched his sons sitting on the front row, patiently, graciously accepting condolences from those who knew and respected their father with the youngest and tallest of the young men intensely weeping.  Now, they all have to try to recall all the admonition, advice and counsel their father gave them as they live out their lives with their dad no longer available for consultation.

Brownsvillians from the various facets of Ben's life were represented; Adrian Foncerrada, Sr. and Adrian Foncerrada, Jr. from the local music scene, lawyers like John Shergold and Allison Bastian, fellow restaurateurs, club owners like the Joe Kinneys, friend Jerry McHale and a large contingent of Harley-Davidson riders from Los Escondidos Bike Club, Ben's affiliation.

Noteworthy by their absence were Ben's fellow members on the City Commission or either of the city's last two mayors or the current one.  Obviously, political connections are not true friendships.

Actually, most of Ben's public service, 32 years worth, was spent as Brownsville's Municipal Judge, dealing with our city's speeders, stop sign runners and insurance lapsers.  Ben handled that job compassionately, or, as the world's religious writers might put it, tempered justice with mercy.

Spiritually, Ben seemed to be an amalgamation of all the world's religions, philosophies, open to any spirit communications in a never-ending search for truth.

Yet, however you describe Ben's spirituality, it was not practiced theoretically, but practically, whether helping the homeless at Ozanam Center or doing legal work pro bono.

Describing Ben's life with a single cliche', he didn't simply talk the talk, but walked the walk.