The death of a brother has been the most difficult experience of my life. On July 26, my world was changed forever, in an instant, when my brother Joe passed away. It was a very sad day.
I first want to thank everyone, family and friends, who felt the sting of my brother’s death and responded with sympathy, kindness, and support during this difficult time of sorrow. Thank you for your prayers and thoughts.
My brother Joe, whom I affectionately called “Banano” was always there for me when I needed him and I knew that I could talk to him about any problems I had. I know that he loved me and always wanted what was best for me.
Banano was a character. He always had a smile on his face and always seemed to have a new story to tell. His easy-going relaxed nature made him a delight to be around. He had a lot of close friends and was always the life of the party.
One of the things that I respected the most about my brother was that he was a family man. He loved his family profoundly. He was a devoted husband, son, father, grandfather and a loyal brother, uncle, and friend.
I will remember Banano as a very private but loving man whose quiet faith in God guided his actions, words and deeds. He was a true Christian. He strove always to be the best he could be.
Some of our brother’s favorite things besides his family and friends were sports. Banano loved football, basketball, baseball, softball, boxing, and of course playing golf. He was an all around excellent athlete.
I want you to know that my brother was a fighter…
For five long years Banano fought like hell to defeat that dreaded stomach cancer. Throughout his fight, he got knocked down on the canvas several times, but he always got back up and his courage alone allowed him to fight another round. Banano fought the good fight with love, faith, and family always in his corner. But in the 12th and final round of his fight he was worn down by all those chemo and radiation body shots and those aggressive cancer power punches, causing his Lord Jesus to ultimately step in and end the fight. At 4:44 p.m. the final bell rang … and God came down from Heaven to lift Banano’s hand in victory that day!
Banano is a true champion and we will miss him. We will always remember him with respect, admiration and love … always!
Article by Rudy Tameron.
Editor’s note: The Superior Sun typically doesn’t publish articles like this but this was so well written and from a brother’s heart that we wanted to share it with our readers.
