Glade Benton Tuckett

If you needed help, Glade came. It didn't matter how tired he was or what he'd already given that day - if someone needed him, he found more energy somewhere and he showed up. Sometimes it cost him more than he let on. He never mentioned that part.

He was salt of the earth, service-minded in the same way our mother is, always paying attention to what the people around him needed before they had to ask. He saw the best in everyone. He gave people the benefit of the doubt long past the point where most of us would have stopped, and he carried an optimism that made you believe things were going to be okay. Often they were, because he'd quietly gone and made them okay.

He was faithful and humble. He loved God and he loved his Savior, Jesus Christ, and couldn’t speak of them without tears being shed. He tried, at every turn, to make the right choice and taught us to do the same. He loved the mountains. He loved our mom. He loved being a dad, and he loved to teach - which, in our house, meant family councils and vocabulary words and quotes we had to memorize.

He taught the value of hard work with his hands. There were treehouses. Fences. Ziplines and many chicken coops. He was certain that the chickens understood him when he would cluck in unison with them. Bedroom inspections were not complete without ambiance and the reminder that any job worth doing is worth doing well. He told us to stand for what's right even if we were standing alone, and he told us to go find the kid sitting by himself on the playground and be their friend.

We've thought a lot about what Dad's legacy is. It's us. It's every person he served.

Return With Honor - Love One Another - No Empty Seats At The Table