“To laugh often and much;
To win the respect of the intelligent people
And the affection of children;
To earn the appreciation of honest critics
And endure the betrayal of false friends;
To appreciate beauty;
To find the best in others;
To leave the world a bit better
Whether by a healthy child,
A garden patch, or a redeemed social condition;
To know one life has breathed easier
Because you lived here.
This is to have succeeded.” Ralph Waldo Emerson
Gerry Duffy succeeded throughout his whole life and would’ve agreed he did it “My Way.”
I thank you all for attending tribute today in respect and remembrance of my grandfather’s life. He truly would’ve been humbled. I’ve always remembered my grampy as a hero, with a kind soul, and the heart of a champion. Like the great Mark Twain once said, “Not all horses were born equal. Some were born to win.” And that’s just what he did, he won over our hearts, but sadly lost his courageous battle for his own life. His famed hero, Jim Valvano, bravely depicted my grandfather’s own feelings as he said in his ESPY speech :
“I know, I gotta go, I gotta go, and I got one last thing and I said it before, and I’m gonna say it again: Cancer can take away all my physical ability. It cannot touch my mind; it cannot touch my heart; and it cannot touch my soul. And those three things are going to carry on forever. “
Now he has gone to a better place. He has gone to his own court in the sky to which he so adored. When you see an empty seat high in the bleachers, never have doubt….. He’ll be there watching with a tender “Gerry Duffy” smile on his face and a twinkle in his eye. And when you see a shooting star across the night sky, be captivated in your own soul, because he is still continuing on in heaven- hitting that homerun in his new field of dreams. He is still around all of us if we only believe, we just won’t be able to see him, but he is here. He would encourage us all to be the best we can be and to never give up, no task is too hard. Grampy, I will meet you again someday at your shining castle of gold in the heavens…until then, we will all continue on to make you proud.
Thank you all!
God Bless
