An icon is lost, the beacon of light that is downtown Bangor, is forever dimmer. We mourn, and our insides wretch and turn with sorrow, at the loss of our friend, Phill. We should feel loss, he was a man of character and composure, a living example of Maine, and greater Bangor, in one man. Hearty and strong, gentle and soft spoken, intelligent, and all the while, a great father, and friend. Should we not also, feel joy, and elation, that we all knew such a man? In these rapidly shifting times, with the tides of change, constantly pulling and pushing on us all, such examples are becoming altogether rare. Phill can forever be a model, an example of living better every day, enjoying your moments, as you get them. We lost one of the good ones, but we are ALL better for knowing Phill in the first place. I dont know if I personally influenced Phills life, we conversed on many subjects, often in depth, whenever we saw each other. Phill influenced my life. He reminded me that temperance in my day to day affairs is a neccessity, that a well spoken, soft word, goes much farther than a tirade. He was the perfect example of the phrase never judge a book by its cover, both literally and figuratively. He turned me on to new books, and help revive a fading interest in reading itself. His absence will ripple for some time ahead of us, but when the pangs of grief pull at us, remember Phill is still here, actively, every moment, of every day. Not just in spirit, but in very REAL ways. Literally speaking, the atoms he interacted with, from his first moment, until the moment he left this human experience, will vibrate forever, with his atoms touch. Ultimately, he lives on, through the memories, and moreover, the interactions he had with all of US. We all think fondly of Phill, EVERY time we think of him, do we not? We thought fondly of him a week ago, a month ago, a year ago, correct? Then do not dwell on sadness long, for Phill would not ask that of us, he would only want good to come from our personal losses. You are forever missed friend, may your light dimming, encourage us all to shine a little brighter in your honor. -Joel R Boardway
Posted on: Wed, 06 Aug 2014 17:50:45 +0000