Griffin Speaks
A TRIBUTE TO RICHARD JORDAN
On
Monday February 1, 2010 I attended the Alpha service at Dexter Avenue King
Memorial Baptist Church for Mr. Richard S. Jordan and on the following day I
attended the Celebration of his life at the same church. On each occasion
one thing was certain: “A
great man had passed.”
We gathered each day at Dexter in mourning, but also in
gratitude. We mourned Mr. Jordan’s passing, but we were grateful for his
extraordinary life. In paying tribute to Mr. Jordan we celebrated a great
man. Mr. Jordan exemplified what most parents hoped that their sons would
be: strong, courageous, honest and compassionate. Mr. Jordan personified the
best in Alabama. When I think of Mr. Jordan I do not first think of his many
honors and accolades, but of his strong character. Mr. Jordan possessed a
character unmatched by anyone in Montgomery, Alabama.
On the many occasions that I encountered Mr. Jordan at the Parole Board as he participated in hearings, I was impressed with his passion and how he gave so enormously of himself to others. People in Montgomery loved Richard Jordan, but the other side of the coin was that he loved people and that mutual love was demonstrated by the standing room only crowd at his funeral on Tuesday. His great love of his fellow man was rooted in his faith. He had a deep and abiding faith in the goodness of God and in the essential goodness of his fellow man as a creature of almighty God. Mr. Jordan could bring out the best in people. He could inspire people, to cheer them, to give them
a lift.At that final hour, in the quiet of Dexter Avenue King
Memorial Baptist Church, the love of his life, Mrs. Jordan, his children,
Sharon, Lafreeda, Richele & Vera Jordan, his son-in-law, Darryl and
grandsons: Richard, Nyles, and Bray Davis and hundreds of extended family
and friends bided farewell to their beloved husband, father, father-in-law,
grandfather, relative and friend knowing in their heart that he was that
rarest of men, an authentic hero.
In the words of my dad, “You must honor the chair whether it is sitting, walking or lying down.”
Greg Griffin is a free lance writer. You can read his previous articles by visiting his web page at www.greggriffin.com or write to him at P.O. Box 250194 Montgomery, Alabama 36125-0194.