RIP Uncle Tim

Lots has happened over the past few days......mostly good w/ a good dose of reality thrown in.  I found out that one of my closest uncles was very sick (on Easter of all things).  My dad and aunt had been trying to coax him into seeking treatment, but true to his character he had refused.  But now it seemed like things were more at a tipping point.  I was shocked seeing as this was the first I'd heard of any problem at all.  I talked to Stella first, then called over to aunt Ann's house where they were staying.  I talked to her briefly, then to my dad for a few minutes.  He then handed the phone to Tim.  We spoke for around a minute or two.  He sounded very raspy and short of breath.  I told him that I loved him and was pulling for him.  Our call ended with "Ok, I've got to go."  There was a rustle and then my dad again.  I was more in shock than anything.  I did not grasp the scope or magnitude of the actual situation.  I was in a daze driving back from Santa Cruz.  We had spent soooo much time together as I grew up in Berea.  His house (and grandma's) were right around the corner on Fowles Rd.  Our visits had to be in the thousands.  I can remember times of Russ, James, and I pulling all sorts of shennanigans with Tim just shaking his head, trying to keep us under control and the cops away.  Then there was the infamous Browns trying to get to the superbowl, playing the broncos.  Up and down game with us driving around in the old Lemans- to Pat and Margaret's.  Every time we'd leave, they'd go up.  So we kept driving around.  Lots of laughs and stories.  I have so many memories......snowmobiling, watching him dump the Goldwing coming out of the barn.  Roofing jobs- countless shingle humping hours and stress.  And him laying down shingles faster than I could feed him.  It's really a shame that Tim did not get out more in the past number of years.  He was an amazing chatter and could surprisingly talk about any current issue in the world with a good amount of information and down home analysis.  Or course over a ice cold beer.  The Burke's can definitely drink when they want to.  But honestly looking back I can't remember a time when he couldn't play hoops, softball, or ride a motorcycle after a whole day of tossing them back.  When he put in a nice half-court slab of concrete on the otherwise gravel and pothole driveway it spawned a whole new direction for the house.  The family would always stop by sporadically to say hi or party down a bit (usually both).  Games of hoops would always spring up.  And although Tim's drive left a little bit to be desired his jumper was deadly accurate.  He would shake the rim with his patented jumper.  We played BB a LOT.  He was also the uncle who would buy sweet toys (motorcycles mostly).  I remember the first time I really got to ride a MC was around the yard at Tim's on a road bike that he was watching.  Then there were the ride the lawn tractor through the woods like a dirtbike until Tim would trick me into helping him around the yard as trade for driving it.  This later progressed to a mini bike, then the 78' Kawasaki KL 250 and all the fun times that it lead to.  Then came the 2 strokes- my RM 100 and 125.  Ian rode there a lot as did the local kids- Eric and his brother.  He used to kick my ass all the time.  Passing me all over the place.  No matter how hard I tried!!  Before that Russ and I used to ride our BMX bikes from Lakewood to Berea just to drop in on Tim because we always had fun hanging out with him.  I commend him for taking care of Grandma all those years.  He single-handedly kept her out of the nursing home (along w/ the help of the whole family).  He also helped my dad for years on a wide array of construction jobs- the largest of which might be Dorthea's sheep farm.  My dad got the ball rolling and Tim joined the team to help a 90 yr old woman who lived alone on a farm with tons of sheep stay in her home and happy.  Even after a whole wing of the house burned down.  They spent countless hours and money out of their own pockets to make it happen.  Genuinely good souls!!  

Fast forward to Tuesday April 14th 2009.  Tim reluctantly agreed to seek medical attention and was admitted to the ICU.  He was found to have a football sized tumor in his chest that was collapsing his lungs, and shutting down liver and kidney function.  Super sad revelation.  I'm still in shock that he passed away on Thursday April 16th, 2009.  He was 52.  RIP Uncle Tim!!  I love you buddy!!