[AZ-Observing] Farewell, Good Brother David Fredericksen
- From: "Richard Harshaw" <rharshaw2@xxxxxxx>
- To: "SAC Announcements" <sac-announce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>, <az-observing@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Sun, 11 Apr 2010 15:17:11 -0700
It is with heavy heart that I write this to you all.
Last night, at about 11:00 pm, David Fredericksen, long-time SAC member and
friend of all who even casually knew him, departed this life and returned to
the Eternal Light he knew and loved as his Savior.
David had fought a battle with brain cancer, but by the time the tumors were
discovered, too much damage had been done to his brain and survival was not
his fate. He died peacefully, having never regained consciousness from the
coma following his surgery.
David will be deeply missed by all of us, and we extend our deepest regards,
respects, and prayers for peace and comfort to Olga and his children, John,
Chris and Kate.
One of my favorite pieces of music is Gustav Mahler's Second Symphony,
subtitled "The Resurrection." It ends with a mighty hymn of hope and
confidence sung by a huge choir, and I close by quoting it in honor of our
brother. If you can get a copy, listen to its 4th and 5th movements and
think of David:
O red rose!
Man lies in direst need!
Man lies in deepest pain!
I would rather be in heaven!
Rise again, yea, thou shalt rise again,
my dust after brief rest!
He who called thee
will grant thee immortal life.
O believe, my heart, believe:
all is not lost with thee!
Thine, yea, thine is what thou hast longed for,
thine what thou hast loved, hast fought for!
What was created must perish,
what has perished, rise again!
Cease trembling!
Prepare thyself to live!
O all-piercing pain,
from thee have I been wrested!
O all-conquering death,
now thou art conquered!
With wings that I have gained
shall I soar aloft
in love's ardent striving
to the light to which no eye has pierced!
Rise again, yea, thou shalt rise again,
my heart, in the twinkling of an eye!
What thou hast fought for
shall lead thee to God!
Enjoy the awesome views you now have of God's glorious universe, our friend!
We shall one day join you and re-celebrate our star parties of old from new
observing fields on high.
Richard Harshaw
Cave Creek, Arizona
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