B"DE = Baruch Dayan Emet, Blessed is the truthful judge. This is the traditional jewish response to hearing that someone has passed away. My friend Clark Evenchick passed away last night. He suffered for a number of years from ALS. His passing is both a loss and a blessing. We will miss his wit and his powerful presence. On the other hand, ALS is a terrible disease for both the patient and their family. As the body becomes less responsive, the family and caregivers need to spend more and more time providing physical and mental support. Clark's passing frees both himself and his family from this disease.
Clark built our house. At one time, he ran a construction company. Clark was not only an honest contractor, but also a joy to work with. At a time when most houses took up to two years from ground breaking to residence, Clark built our house in 7 months. Whenever there was a problem, we were more than comfortable telling him to find his own solution. I believe that when you let give the experts your support, they will in turn give you their best. We certainly got that from Clark!
Clark was a friend as well. He frequently stopped by to visit and take a nap on our lazyboy. When he was well, he hosted a Yom Ha'Atzmaut BBQ. We looked forward to participating and visiting with all the other wonderful guests.
Clark was a big man. He carried a lot of weight, both physically and as a presence. You knew when he entered the room. His boisterous personality was infectious. We once went off-roading with Clark and his kids. While I took the "safe" route, watching our speed and looking for pot-holes to hit, Clark roared across the area at full speed, bouncing and flying across the plain.
We will miss Clark. He was taken from us while he still had much to offer. I hope his family and his friends will always remember him fondly and will move on to live their lives to their fullest.
Baruch Dayan Emet.
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