I listened to a broadcast on our local television station the other day. It was a local event that I thought worthy of sharing in case any of you missed the resulting national coverage.
The story spoke of Naples FL resident, Edward K. Pearson, a humble man of 80 years, who had passed away leaving no known surviving family or friends. His last request was for a simple cremation with his ashes interred at Sarasota National Cemetery.
Pearson was an Army veteran who served this country as a Private. The funeral director, Michael Hoyt, of Legacy Options Funeral Services, thought that the service would be unattended except for the Honor Guard he had arranged. So, he took it upon himself to make a few calls…(hmmm… did he hear the voice of ‘I Can Do Better’? )
From the calls that Mr. Hoyt made, the word went out to various veterans organizations who heard the rally cry. From that, the story was picked up by local media who shared it up the line to CNN, who then tweeted it to Florida Senator Marco Rubio who posted it on Facebook. AND, from all that attention, Private Pearson’s funeral was attended by more than 4,000 people of all ages and walks of life, some veterans and some not. I believe all the gracious souls who attended this funeral service must have had the same mindset…that of ‘I Can Do Better’. One woman interviewed said, “I was a Marine Corp vet, and I brought my two young daughters with me today. It is important for us to do this kind of thing, this man served his country and by that was a brother to us all.”
I believe that there is a universal message and lesson to be learned from these incredible souls who put their own lives aside to attend a funeral and honor a fellow human being that they had never met. This is a true example of people having their heart in the right place.