His life was filled with duty, to his country when he served in the navy, and to his fellow man during his twenty-nine years career in law enforcement, working for the FBI and the San Francisco State Police.
After an accident Tim was confined to a wheelchair for the remainder of his life. He and his wife moved to the Black Hills and opened a handicapped accessible camp ground on their land beneath the Seven Sisters mountain range south of Hot Springs. I remember him sitting on the road in his wheelchair, waiting cheerfully for guests to arrive at their campground - guests who never showed. They moved here in 1994 and while he could, he continued to help others by volunteering at the drug and alcohol center in town and he partipated in a parade via his wheelchair. He supported the Save our VA campaign, knowing he was dependent on it for many of his needs. His wife brought him there many times during emergencies, and that is where he died.
He was a delight to be around and I was proud to intoduce my daughter to him when we stopped to visit him while he was at the VA in Milwaukee. Years later, when he was lined up in front of our house to join the parade, my daughter happened to be visiting. We went into the street to talk with him and he remembered her, although he had met her only once before during his hospital stay in Wisconsin. He was in the parade, giving living testimony to the terrible effects of too much alcohol.
It was fitting that this man of courage and duty received military honors after the service. A police officer in full uniform sat in the chapel during the service and the Hot Spring's veterans were lined up outside, giving a military gun salute in tribute to a gentleman who served his country and offered joy to all who were fortunate to have known him.
Goodbye, Tim. You enriched our lives, and thank you, veterans. You gave him honor.
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