A Good Friend Has Died, We are all Grieving

A good man, a great man died yesterday, December 16th-2007, too young, too soon, we are forced to say goodbye.

Earl Madary is one who has empowered, inspired, brought wisdom, joy to countless people. The impact of his presence, relationship and commitment in this life cannot be quantified. However, we know it is significant and far reaching. He leaves behind an incredibly beautiful family, a wife and two teenage children, who he lived for, they are his treasure.

I met Earl when I was 16, and did not see him again until he and his wife, Marci and my mother and several others began a Catholic Worker house here in La Crosse. He remembered me well and I was surprised, as I was then in my early 20’s and just began to realize his remarkable capacity for memory and compassion. He began teaching at Viterbo when I began undergraduate work there.

Through the Catholic Worker and Viterbo I came to know and appreciate Earl and Marci and their children. They are the kind of folks who are always down to earth, witty, wise, compassionate, with strong moral spines and faith made of bedrock. Earl’s gifts are many, a musician, singer, theologian, musical liturgist, teacher, franciscan, prayer leader, youth leader, the list goes on and on. His humor was fiery and rich, his truth telling was fierce and healing at the same time.

Earl prepared my husband and I for marriage and sang at our wedding. He was one of my and Melinda’s teachers in the Masters program, who helped empower us to servant leadership. Our connection to Earl is not unusual, there are countless, countless people who have received generous gifts from Earl of his spirit, it is hard to impart to you his strength and goodness if you haven’t met him. Earl died in his 42nd year of life after a brave and miraculous battle with Cancer. He triumphs today in Spirit.

The loss feels raw and terrible right now. We all are holding Marci and the children in our hearts and prayers. Our grieving has only begun, and the empty space he leaves is so large.

Earl love-love-loved to canoe and share the Sacred in nature with his family and students. He found oneness with God there, and taught so well about it. He brought many to reconciliation through his humble wisdom, extraordinary knowledge shared with profound compassion. He had a startling, liberating ability to speak the truth. Earl’s religious beliefs and all he taught about religion was confirmed as true for him in his journey through the cancer. He shared that fact with me. He is sorely missed already. I miss his humor already. I join many, many others in this grief and remembrance of him with his family. It is a sad Christmas.

There is the joy of resurrection that we, as Christians believe in, but that does not alter the grief we have to walk through. I feel so happy and blessed to have known Earl, to call him a friend, to have shared in that goodness of relationship with he and his family. I feel deeply grateful for all we have shared. As for so many, he has been a guiding force of goodness and love in my life.
Thank you Earl for your love and generosity. I have learned so much from you. Talking with you was always enriching. Your voice is still here with us (I am listening to Gilead-Earl’s 2004 recording-so amazing and beautiful) and what you have built in this life will grow and live on.

much love and prayers,

Chan

Here is a beautiful piece about Earl from the La Crosse Tribune.