We are here today to say farewell to my brother. I’m sure each of you have memories of him, and hopefully they are for the most part good memories of time spent with a man of strong opinions, fierce convictions and sometimes, unorthodox methods. Most people know Rod as a very shrewd businessman, very matter of fact, straight to the point, sometimes rude and crude. Many of you here today may even believe that he was a very uncompassionate, unfeeling and uncaring person, as he always put business first. Unfortunately that is the side most people saw of Rod. He was a very passionate man with strong beliefs about what he conceived to be important. He was actually a very easy man he would give you the shirt off his back if he thought you needed it. He always took great pride in the fact that the business ventures he created provided a livelihood for many people other than himself. And he felt a responsibility to those people, he knew they depended on him to provide them with the opportunity to make a living for their families, and he took that responsibility very seriously. Our father taught Rodney about responsibility. Dad instilled in him that, being the eldest child he was responsible for his younger brothers. And Rod accepted that role eagerly and expanded it throughout his life, sometimes even to things that were beyond his control. One of the earliest examples I recall was, of when a dog of ours named Bobo was run over by a bus while he was with Rod. It was a simple case of the dog running out into the path of the bus as we all know pets do sometimes. We never used leashes for our pets in those days, they ran the neighbor hood as freely as we did. And believe you me we ran the neighborhood. But to Rod, it was his fault solely because he was with him and that meant he was responsible for what happened to him. This must have happened when he was about 10 years old and as late as a few months ago he told me once again how he felt responsible for what happened that day when our pet ran in front of that bus. He carried that heavy burden of guilt most of his life. Growing up he was always the big brother, watching out for me making sure noone hurt me or even bothered me. I always knew that if anyone ever threatened me in any way my brother would take care of them for me. After our father passed away when we were all in our teens it left him with the feeling of responsibility as the head of our family, now responsible for our mother and our expanding family. There were only a very few very close family members who really “knew” Rod. I was fortunate enough to be one of that small select few who were blessed with his love and his devotion, and he was a very loving, caring man who would do anything for those that he loved. I knew him as the brother who was always looking for ways to help me along life’s path, to make that path as smooth as he possibly could. And many, many times he helped to make my life very happy and very enjoyable. He always shared his good fortune with me unselfishly. I never had to ask, he was always looking ahead, watching for ways to help, for things I might need or want. I know he always felt a special responsibility to me because of my handicap, but he never, ever treated me like I was any different from anyone else. The memories I hold in my heart and mind of my brother are many and varied and always filled with love and laughter. Mine are memories of a big brother who always did his best to protect me, to help me, and to love me. Probably one of the best memories I have of our adult life was in the summer of 1979. I don’t recall just how it came to be, although I am fairly certain it was conceived by Rod, but it is the stuff memories are made of. Rod, Reggie and I took off on a trip to see the state of Colorado and the great Rocky Mountains. Three adult brothers in the prime of their lives traveling around Colorado with no real plan in mind of where we were going, just going down the road enjoying each others company and stopping whenever we saw something that interested us. We spent several days just enjoying the sights and scenery; it was like the days of our childhood again, carefree and full of wanderlust. It was an experience that I often think of and replay in my mind and heart with great joy. Rod knew how to create memories. He always delighted in taking people to new and fascinating places. One of his greatest pleasures in life I believe was taking our mother to Europe. When he saw the delight and awe in her face as they traveled around looking at the far away places she had dreamed of, it gave him a great sense of satisfaction and pride. Most recently, Rod did a lot of reflecting back on his life and was quite concerned about things maybe he should or shouldn’t have done. He had regrets like we all do, and he voiced a lot of those to me. And just as he had throughout his life he tried to take responsibility for a lot of things that were beyond his control. He was always his own worst critic. Rod was a good man, with a good heart, trying to do his best, as he saw it. I could stand here and talk for hours about the things he did, the lives he touched, the memories I have of him. And that is what gives me great comfort now is the ability to replay those memories over and over again in my heart and mind, so that whenever and wherever I need him he will always be there for me, just as he always has been. The last time I saw him was a few weeks ago, and we had the most delightful visit, talking about times gone by, reminiscing about the fun things we did throughout our lives. We cried and laughed and hugged. He made me feel like the luckiest guy in the world that day, just as he usually did. Rod was the best brother a guy could have, and I will miss him more than words could possibly express. I know he is off now on a new and exciting adventure, and one day I will see him again. Until that day, take care, farewell my brother, I love you Rod.