Yesterday I served as a pall bearer at the funeral of one of my uncles.
I just wanted to tell you about him as he played a big part in my life.
Lyle D. Lint born 1928 in Battle Creek Michigan.
Spent a great deal of his childhood in Alaska with his father. Did a lot of trapping.
Joined the Army in 1944 at 16. As a member of the 11th Airborne division he went to the Philipines then to Japan as part of the occupation. He has some interesting photos of that period.
Discharged in 1948 he started driving trucks “Wild-cat” (i.e. non-union).
He had a lot of interesting stories about the abuse they’d get from the Teamsters. He also got married and had a son in '50.
Recalled back into the Army in 1950 he made both combat drops with the 187th RCT in Korea. He also spent time on the line near central Korea during the early operations in 1951.
He continued to drive trucks for 12 years.
Divorced in the early '60s he met my Dad’s sister in '65. They got married in '69 and ultimately had two kids.
He worked a variety of jobs including trucking and carpet laying, which he continued to do freelance until he retired in 1993.
In 1991 he was diagnosed with bladder cancer but recovered nicely from extensive surgery.
Years of heavy smoking, drinking and hard living finally took their toll and his health began to decline sharply over the next decade. In July of this year he began having a lot of pain in his ribs. He was diagnosed an advanced form of lung cancer which had spread to his entire rib cage. In spite of various treatments it could not be eradicated or slowed. It spread to his brain in November. This past Sunday he died in his home at 2:00 AM.
I spent an enormous amount of my life with him and I’ll miss him dearly.
I think people often take for granted the impact that extended family members, like an uncle, can have on the lives of the children in our families. My own uncles I never really had close relationships with, but they impacted my life none the less; from one I garnered my love of card games and from the other much of what I know about cars.
I never really paid attention to things like that until I became an uncle myself.
I hope you and yours are well, Fly, and that you know our hearts and thoughts are with you in your time of loss. The passing of a loved one is always tough, and it’s even tougher when they were close. I wish you strength enough to bear this burden through and the clairity to keep your uncle’s memory alive.
All the best to you.
I’ve got an uncle named Walter. He’s my mother’s kid brother. He’s been like an older brother to me all my life. I can’t imagine losing him. My sincere condolences.
He counted. I think that’s what many of us feel when someone not famous lived an interesting and sometimes noble life but seem unacknowledged in the end except to the immediate circle.
My sympathy also. He sounds like quite a man. And the loss that you feel, and the stories you have to share, are a measure of the difference he made in the world.
My best wishes, and thank you for sharing with us.