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RobertXGillis

25+ years of published Op/Ed columns, professional photography, my first book and more from the 28 known galaxies!

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Remarkable Man, Remarkable Life, Remembering Gerry Rodman

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Jerry Rodman, photo from www.geni.com
Jerry Rodman, photo from www.geni.com

by Robert Gillis
Published in The Foxboro Reporter March 1999

He was one of the most generous people any of us will ever meet. More than one person has referred to him as one of Foxboro’s “Guardian angels,” and that’s exactly what he was.

Jerry Rodman is gone, and this town will never be the same. We’ve all lost a friend.

I recall the Senior Center vote at the town meeting two years ago, and after its passage, there was Jerry shaking people’s hands and saying, “Good vote! Good Vote!” His dynamic passion helped make the senior center a reality.

I remember the fire fighter’s ball when Jerry presented certificates of appreciation to the men who’d saved his life during his near-death experience at the End Zone, and the standing ovation he received. I remember him speaking at a Foxboro Jaycees General Meeting last year, and the rapt attention of the group. When Jerry spoke, you wanted to listen. What he said was always important.

Sue and I sat at his table at the Discretionary Banquet one year, and recall his joviality (I also recall that he donated many of the auction items). You’d see him on the Common, Farm Stand, the Senior Christmas fair, all around town. Always friendly. Always smiling. Always there for Foxboro. Giving his time, energy, and money to help others.

His acts of compassion and kindness filled entire newspaper pages.

And now he’s gone.

This world is a far better place because of Jerry Rodman. Despite his health problems he made extraordinary use of his gifts and time to make things better for everyone. A remarkable man. A remarkable life.

In the weeks and months to come, there will be tears, fond memories, and memorials for Jerry, but one of the best tributes I’ve seen was hand-written on one of the floral arrangements at Jerry’s wake. It was signed “Bruce” and read, “To Jerry, the most beautiful human being that ever walked the face of the Earth.”

What an absolutely perfect way to describe Jerry.

Rest in peace, Jerry. Thank you so much for what you did for Foxboro. You will always be in our hearts.

 

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All site content copyright © 2020 by Robert Gillis except where specifically noted. All rights reserved. THIS IS A PERSONAL WEBLOG (“BLOG”). THE OPINIONS AND COMMENTARY EXPRESSED HERE REPRESENT MY OWN AND ARE NOT THOSE OF MY EMPLOYERS (PAST, PRESENT NOR FUTURE).

About images:

I do my best to use my own photos to illustrate a post (and copyright to all my images remains with me), but sometimes I need to use an image from, say, a sports logo, a TV show or movie, or something I could not possibly get on my own, for example, an image of the international space station. I always credit the original owner (if they can be determined) but in ALL cases, whether credited or not, any images I didn’t photograph myself remain the property of the original copyright holders. This site does not imply any ownership of such images or materials, and such images are used here for commentary / illustrative / entertainment purposes only, under what is believed to be fair use guidelines, and absolutely no copyright infringement is intended.

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