Hey guys and gals. It is with a heavy heart that I wish to post a short memorial to my brother. In remembrance of all the great times we had during his short life.

Just let me say that I lost a good friend yesterday with the passing of my older brother. We call him Buddy. He was a few years older than me, and he was always the guy that took me fishing when I was a kid. Gave me first beer...lol. And subsequent hangover...lol.

Later in life, when I was in a bad place in my own life, he agreed to raise my first born son for me, when I wasn't the man I needed to be in order to raise him well. And he did just that, and did a fine job. Then, when things were better, he moved closer to me so I could spend more time with my son.

These are just a few things on my mind tonight as I prepare for his funeral and cremation tomorrow. I will miss him, but he was in poor health and had been for years. A long list of ailments and a few car wrecks take their tolls on a body.

He finally passed the morning of 8-1-2010 of heart failure. He had gotten up that morning, went to the medicine cabinet to take his meds. He was talking to his family about a short road trip later that day. He went into his bedroom to dress, and never came out. When his wife and my son realized he hadn't come out, they went to check and he had fallen on the bed and wasn't breathing. My son administered CPR to no avail. 911 was called, then I was called.

When I got there, the EMTs had just arrived and they took him to the hospital and pronounced him deceased.

So, for now, I will be short a brother and a friend. But someday..............

I love and miss you, Buddy.