Remembering my friend Jack Ellis

 Walking with the fatman is all about working on our health even when there are setbacks and problems. You can follow the commercials that tell you if follow their plan you then you will look young again. Usually they show someone who has lost a lot of weight or now they have six pack abs. Weightloss, looking better, feeling better may happen in a healthy plan and often does, but the other side of health is a little more complicated as it deals with emotional and spiritual, mental and social issues that go beyond diet and exercize. We want to improve but we also want to deal things when things don't go are way.

My friend Jack lived 85 years. he knew the Lord  at least from his teen years. He loved sports and played competivily until dementia took away his cognitive abilities. Even with dementia I watched Jack hit the baseball in his early 80's well in the outfields with line drive singles. He was always on the move and was very strong until a fall put him in recovery in a nursing home where he declined and passed.

I was around 19 when I met Jack who had six kids and was quite involved in helping them walk with the Lord. Talking to Jack we had a lot in common, we were dihard cub fans who both of knew Cub baseball and history. We both loved to talk and play sports. In high school both of played multi sports. Post high school Jack played semi pro baseball and I played college tennis. We both would play any game that came along. Jack played tennis like Bobby Riggs and I played a strong serve and volly game. Jack never looked good in his farmerjeans, white teeshirt, and old beat up cubs hat. He had a dink game with a lot of wierd hits off the racket. He played to my weaknesses and gave no quarter. He always used old beat up balls to slow the game down. All the years I played he won most of the games. Looking back I can only tell you I like to play him one more time and beat him.

We played golf a lot and he taught me alot about that game. I was never as good as he was so we would play and laugh and enjoy walking the course. If you could walk there was no good reason to use a golf cart. Jack played sports into his late seventies. He often would help me with a youth activity if a game was involved. We were different ages but we were two peas in a pod. Our relationship went 40 years.

jack's body was strong until the end. He was involved with people spiritually and socially until dementia limited his interactions. In his life unless I made him mad he always had a twinkle in his eye and smile. Mentally Jack was an independant man. He was very comfortable being him. All who knew him had their own stories. My dad was a better bowler but he remembers Jack had a good game. He told me that Jack was an honest man and my dad respected Jack's faith. That is saying something. Jacks kids took care of him and were close to him at the end. In my book Jack finished well part 2 coming