Tribute to Gaspar Simon

First off, I want to wish everyone a happy new year!  As the new year begins, I want to pay tribute to my good friend that passed away last week.  Alas, my new year begins on a sadder note today with his funeral, but what better time to remember the man that he was and to try and keep those memories alive.  Gaspar was a native of Guatemala, coming to the United States early on and eventually becoming a citizen.  He was an extremely hard worker and a person who would always go the extra mile for people.  But more than his work, he was a family man, never forgetting where he came from and never forgetting his parents and siblings.  Through his hard work and savings, he was eventually able to build a new house for his parents in Guatemala and help provide for them as well as his family here in the United States.  Having met his father and a few brothers, it is easy to see how they all loved each other tremendously and would always be there for each other.  All this but scratches the surface of who Gaspar was.  Gaspar, it is safe to say, was a friend for more than half my life, more than I can say for a lot of people.  At first, he was my boss, but that soon evolved to become a friendship that would last for years.  Over those 15 years, the knowledge that I gained from Gaspar has been priceless and the stories he shared with me will be remembered forever. 

Gaspar was a custodian and a handyman.  As a head custodian of a Catholic grammar school, he had to know how to fix almost anything to help keep costs down.  If plumbing needed fixing, he took care of it; minor electrical, he took care of it; minor carpentry...you get the point.  Whenever he needed to fix things, it seemed I was always his chosen helper to get the task done.  I incessantly watched and learned from him, gaining knowledge that has helped me ever since.  And working with him, I learned quickly that I needed to work hard and keep on working.  Gaspar was a machine, never truly stopping, only changing gears along the way.  It forced me to keep up and learn the meaning of hard work.  To this day, I take that discipline with me to every job I do.  But more important than all of that was the value of kindness he taught by example.  No matter who he was dealing with, he was always kind and personable.  He carried that kindness with him wherever he went.  Even if I could see people taking advantage of him, he would brush it off and just do what needed to be done, just because that's who he was.  For all that he taught me, mostly by example, I am forever grateful.  While I can take what he taught me and utilize it practically, what I will remember even more are the stories he told me.

When I got a little older, we became closer as friends and he would share stories with me after a day of work.  Most of the stories were of his first home, Guatemala, and his childhood there.  He would tell me of his early love of climbing trees, meandering through the forest around his home.  He would tell me how he used to catch bees, pull out there stingers, and tie a little string to their abdomen so he could have a pet bee for a time.  (He never kept them that long).  There were the little hot peppers that everyone added to their food.  Shaped like little berries, their spice and heat went far beyond that of a Jalapeno.  And then there were his later trips back home after living in the U.S.  There was one time he bought multiple 4x4 vehicles and drove them thousands of miles just so his family could have a mode of transportation.  On his trek, he dealt with horrible roads in his own country and many harrowing incidents.  But it was an adventure for him and it was also his way of giving back to his family.  It is these stories of his life and many more that will stay with me as long as I live.  For these stories and his perpetual ability to share, I am thankful.  What I will remember the most, though, is his smile and compassion.  May you rest in peace, good friend.