Update: if any of my classmates from Loyola Law School in Los Angeles come across this, please be advised that a memorial service for Stu will take place at 6:30 p.m. on April 22nd, 2008, at the law school.
I was heartbroken this morning to receive a email from a buddy of mine with whom I attended Loyola Law School. The email brought me the sad news of the death in Iraq of Major Stuart Wolfer, US Army.
To quote the title of a book of the Great Depression, now let us praise famous men. Stuart was a fellow student with us at Loyola Law School in the evening division. He was bright, witty and absolutely charming. Most of us in the evening division worked full-time jobs during the day and Stuart was no exception. He was a salesman, and I remember one holiday time he used his spare time between classes to sign personally over a hundred Christmas cards for his customer base, each with a little notation.
He and his wife bought a farm in Idaho and he told me it was a veritable paradise, with elk migrating across his back 40. He planned to buy a country law practice from a retiring lawyer and wanted to live a peaceful life in rural Idaho with his wife and what he hoped would be at least - at least! - six kids. He joked that with a family that large, the locals would probably think they were Mormon when, in fact, he quietly and devoutly practiced his Jewish faith.
And with all of those kids, he wanted at least half to be adopted, because Stuart felt every child deserved to be loved, regardless of their origins.
He was an Army reservist and was very, very proud of his role as a soldier. When the time came for him to be called up, he went. There was a job to be done.
Stuart Wolfer - with all of the nuance given to this word, he was truly a mensch. He loved his God, his family, and his country.
From the script of the movie, Patton. General Patton is speaking of a young aide-de-camp of his, Captain Richard Jensen, who fell in battle. I dedicate the same to Stuart:
He was a fine man . . . and a fine officer. And he had no vices. I shall miss him a lot. I can't see the reason why such fine young men get killed. There are so many battles left to fight.
Eternal rest grant him, oh Lord, let perpetual light shine upon him. May his soul and all the souls of the dearly departed rest in peace. Amen. (+)
7 comments:
So very tragic.
Prayers for your friend and his family.
Prayers for Stuart and his family as they endure all the grief of his heroic sacrifice. And prayers for you, Stephanie.
To steal a line from St. Thomas More's last letter to his daughter...
...may you merrily meet in heaven.
(For those who may wonder, your law school classmates, for better or worse, are your fellow warriors through one of the most challenging experiences in life. Love or loathe them, they are in the crucible with you as you form your legal mind and the bonds are strong.)
Amen! Will add him to my prayers.
What a wonderful person he was. And how lucky he was to count you as a friend. I will pray for him.
I was not as close after our graduation to Stuart as others were, but everyone was his friend during law school because he was simply a wonderful man. Even working full-time and going to school at night, he still found time for his charity work with Big Brothers.
Kit, you are right about your fellow students at law school, especially those with whom you formed study groups and with whom you prepped for the bar.
Steve Lurie - another great guy from our class who is with LAPD - made the arrangements for a memorial service in the law school chapel on April 22nd. It saddens me that we have to have such a reunion.
Prayers for your friend.
Karen
Stuart was one of my best friends in High School. I actually took him to my prom. I just found outn abou this tragedy yesterday and am heartsick. Even then he was a wonderful man and an incredible human being. He is sorely missed.
Post a Comment