Fred is Dead

I would like to thank my good Friend Fred,who died Feb 6th at 4:10 am,for having a name that rhymes with Dead.
I would also like to thank him for the many years of friendship,laughs advise,and love.I would also like to thank him for being the father of my other friends Fred Jr.and his sister Michelle for being the father of my other friends,Kathy,and her husband, also named Fred
his grand children Haley and Bud who I consider my friends and my Son Aaron's friends there are other children and grandchildren Fred's wife Mary is also my friend as is his brother Duley my good friend.He had six other brothers and sisters whom I do not know well.
It was a Horrible beautiful time.The Horrible part is obvious,Cancer ,fear,hope,Chemotherapy,radiation,being told he was cancer free ,only to immediately get double pneumonia and die three days later covered with flaky skin,inside of his moth and tongue covered with yeast sores,pain morphine,the "Canker and the Worm"
The beautiful;
As Fred was dying in his bed,in his living room,was his whole family ,at least Seventy people Every one sharing memories,laughs.And of course Mary,Mary, only concerned with every one else."Brother Ted,get you somethin' to eat"every one had brought food.
I left at midnight and Fred Jr.called me at 4:20,which meant a lot to me ,cause Fred SR had died at 4:10 which I assume means he called me first out of all his Dad's friends.
I went back and waited for the Coroner.
The next day was the visitation at the funeral home,open casket(as a Jew I never saw that as a kid and never got used to it as a Christian.looked like a waxed Fred,a poor faxcimally.400 people came cold rainy snowy weather, and all.
The next day was the funeral,I've seen Br.Mike(my Pastor and friend)preach a lot of funerals and never heard his voice quiver until now.
A hard weekend,but not for Fred cause Fred is dead,,,,,,,,,and with his Jesus in Heaven.