Tuesday, September 15, 2009

A Tribute To Darrell McClure

He was concentrated sunshine.  The radiant smile, the kind words, often thoughtfully encouraging, the fist bump that made me feel my day had, whatever else happened, started right.  Darrell McClure, security guard at the Georgia Tech Library, died over the weekend at age 54.  All of us who worked there are stunned... he was working and seemed fine last week, and then he was gone.  All of us are finding out that we thought our relationship with Darrell was special, but he was that way with everyone.  The library staff and the students he greeted are in shock, and all feel it is impossible to imagine the Library without his steady and happy presence.  I can't imagine the loss his family is going through, and they should know what a difference he made in so many people's lives.

It is easy to get into the habit of thinking only the rich and powerful have an affect on the world, and one despairs because their effect is often harmful.  But it isn't true.  Darrell is a role model of what a life should be, the person who made everyone's day brighter.  Blessings to you, dear man.  We will miss you.

 

Posted via web from reannon's posterous

4 comments:

Unknown said...

RIP Darrell. I'll miss your familiar presence too.

Mary Amanda Axford said...

Hope everyone can attend the memorial service in the Library's Neely Room on Wednesday, Sept. 30th, from 2:30 to 3:30. His wife and daughter plan to attend.

Charlie said...

What happened? He was really nice.

Mary Amanda Axford said...

Oh, I'm so sorry I didn't see this until now... we just had a Memorial for him in the Library, and his family came. It was lovely, so many people speaking so wonderfully of what he meant to us.

Darrell died Sept. 12th of a massive heart attack. He was 54. He worked the day before (the 12th was a Saturday) with no indication anything was wrong, then the next day he went very quickly.