The Day of Hugh

What a day, oh what a day. Hugh Braithwaite had the send off to end all send offs. As if he was producing the show to gain every perfect effect, it was pouring down rain and cold all day. Our gang arrived at the Abbey five minutes after the visitation started and the place was already packed to the gills with a receiving line that snaked through out the sanctuary.

We were greeted by wonderful college friends from all different groups. It was quickly apparent to us that even if we waited in the line to see Carolyn and the kids we would never get to them before the service started. And what a service it was. They could have charged admission and people would have gotten their money’s worth.

Hugh’s fantastic wife Carolyn welcomed everyone and thanked people for lifting up her family so much. And then they returned the favor and lifted us up ten fold. Suzanne and I were sitting next to each other with Dave and Doug and the rest of the Dickinson crowd cocooning us. Hugh’s Nephew Jake, a priest, gave wonderful opening remarks, but it was the playing of Gabriel’s Oboe, from the movie The Mission that seemed to unleash both my and Suzanne’s tears. We tried to not gasp too loudly as the sobs came. But that feeling was quickly replaced with joy as the rest of the service proceeded.

To say the Braithwaite family is talented is an understatement. Hugh’s three children, Will, Owen and Andie, each talented stars in their own right, sang and gave remembrances of their adoring father. Each one painted the picture of their own relationships with the man all 700+ people in that room loved. The over arching theme that these children had was that their father emanated love in the most profound way. When they finished speaking the crowd was so overcome that we burst into applause and stood for a good three minutes clapping.

Hugh was cueing up the orchestra from wherever he is, watching with great pride his dearest family. The singing that the Braithwaite kids did in the service made the family Von Trapp look like singers who could not be an opening act for them. To have the poise to sing for the assembled mob a week after the sudden and surprising death of your father was extraordinary.

When we left the Abbey after three hours there Suzanne, Doug, Dave and I said that we are not allowed to die because our kids can’t sing well enough to put on a service like Hugh’s.

Following the service we went to the Philadelphia Country Club for a lunch that rivaled most wedding receptions. It was a big giant love fest of seeing Hugh’s family, his real Philadelphia friends and our college friends. There were speeches, with all of Hugh’s wonderful siblings sharing the best Hugh stories. Remember they are all Braithwaite’s too so the laughter never stopped.

Our group told a very abbreviated version of the many stories we had thought to share. We had to hold Dave back from telling a Hugh bathroom story. The theme of what most people said is that Hugh was their best friend. And the magic of Hugh is he let everyone think they were his best friend.

I met so many friends I did not know, but who had read my first blog from the day I learned of his passing. They said, “You stole my story. Or, I felt Hugh in every word.” He had a unique way of making us all feel special. He was a man full of sparkle. His wit, humor, brilliance and love was evident to all.

We left the club exhausted, but jubilant from the eight hour love fest that was the day of Hugh. I see he will live on in his children and wife Carolyn, but also in the lives of all his family, friends and the people he touched. He was a swell guy in every way. We love you Hugh. We promise to go forth and continue to spread the love as you did everyday in every way.