I learned today of the deaths of two men who were of great importance in the development of my career, my academic work, and what some of my colleagues refer to as "personhood".
Matti Moosa was my mentor, friend, and parishioner during my first three years of ordained ministry, back when I was still in my twenties and a grossly inexperienced rector. I wrote of him a couple of years ago in one of the Friday profiles. That remembrance may be found here. His obituary is here.
Donn Wright hired me for my first position as an Episcopal Church school chaplain and teacher. He had not had much luck with chaplains and was almost ready to give up when we met and he took a chance on me. It was a good relationship and, when I became an assistant headmaster at another school, it was his lessons in leadership that I employed. The notice is here.
Matti died on December 30th; Donn on January 10th. As my father died on December 26th, my wife just said, "All your dads in just two weeks."