Sunday, January 28, 2007

Dwain Hoover

My parents are returning from Phoenix, Arizona after attending the funeral of one of their dearest friends, Dwain Hoover.
We met Dwain 26 years ago when we moved to Phoenix. He and his wife's southern draw helped us feel at home as God moved us from Houston, TX to Phoenix, AZ (yes, the desert). Dwain was a godly man. (I hate to use that term because sometimes it is overused). He was a man of integrity and a giver of what God had blessed him with. He knew the importance of stewardship (which was the name of his boat)and the importance of the Great Commission.
Since moving from Phoenix, mom and dad remained close to the Hoovers. For the past 10+ years, they have spent almost every summer in San Diego for two weeks on the boat with Dwain & Beva. It was a refuge for my parents. A time when my they could unwind...a retreat...a time to be recharged.
4 1/2 years ago Dwain was diagnosed with cancer. The doctors gave him 6 months to live. To the doctors surprise (but not to ours), he lived 4 years longer than they had expected. He was loved by his 3 children and their children. They had great memories together during the past 4 1/2 years as they cherished each day together.
Although he will be missed dearly by all of us, I can't stop smiling as I can just hear God saying to him, "WELL, DONE...MY GOOD AND FAITHFUL SERVANT!"

1 comment:

Stacy said...

I'm sorry to say I have no idea who you are, but I just had to comment and tell you that my family and I loved Dwain as well. My parents and I attended the same church as the Hoovers and they are some of our closest friends. Dwain was the grandfather I never had and Beva is another grandma to me. I can't tell you what a pleasure it was to stumble across this tonight.
Any friend of the Hoover's is a friend of mine. God bless!