I first knew Tom through his wife, Janice. She and I shared similar professional views, so we communicated by email and phone to discuss events in the investment world. Tom was always in the background. I knew that he was about 20 years older than Janice. He had a brilliant career in Phoenix, Arizona as a surgeon. However, by the time I was introduced, he had been retired for a number of years.
Tom was raised a Catholic. He was educated in Catholic schools and eventually went to medical school, specializing in Orthopedic Surgery. Somewhere along the way he had lost his faith. When I had met him, he had not attended Mass his early adult years.
Janice had no faith. She was orphaned at the age of seven and she and her sister were brought up in foster homes. She was gifted with a brilliant mind and was able to get a PhD. in Psychiatry and an MD in Brain Anatomy fromseveral universities in the US, then spent time advancing her education at Oxford University in England. She taught at the local university and lived with her husband, Tom. Her insights into the investment world were unique and I enjoyed discussing them with her.
Tom’s story unfolds as I made a late evening call to Janice to discuss a recent event in the stock market. She picked up and immediately said, “Tony, I can’t talk with you now.”
“Tom has been admitted to the hospital because his body is shutting down. Some of his systems have already stopped working. The doctors don’t know what is causing it and they are afraid that Tom might not live through the night. I am at his side at the hospital.”
“I have to go.” she said
As she was starting to hang up the phone, I quickly asked, “Can I pray with you?”
Janice relied, “No, I better go.”
But Tom heard me.
He immediately shouted, “YES!!!”
Taking charge of the moment, I said, “Let’s say the Lord’s Prayer.”
They agreed, so I began,”Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name. (Icould hear Janice and Tom joining in.) Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day, our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespassed against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.”
I said, “Good-bye.” and hung up the phone. I spent the night praying for Tom.
The next morning I was thinking about Tom and wondering what had happened after I hung up. It was 11:00 am when the phone rang.
Janice announced, “Tom has been discharged. The doctors cannot find anything wrong with him. I’m taking him home.”
After that episode, I always asked about Tom. Her reply would be, “He’s watching EWTN. He cannot seem to get enough of it.”
Tom died a couple of years later. It was unfortunate that I was on a trip to San Diego for my brother-in-law’s funeral when Janice e-mailed me to announce his death and funeral arrangements. I did not see her e-mail for another week after it was sent. She later called me several times about entering a convent. Unfortunately, her attempts were for naught as they considered her to be too old to start a new religious vocation.
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