Welcome

The celebration of a precious and dearly loved man

Joseph Francis Glennon, Jr.

It was over 17 years ago that I met Joe and Shelly. I was honored to be asked to be the officiant at their wedding, which took place right here on the edge of the Pacific Ocean, in this beautiful corner of the world where they made their home. I am honored to be here today with you all. This celebration today brings their life together full circle.

When Shelly came to see me to tell me about Joe’s passing, she shared with me that she had come to town and ventured down here to this cove, the place where their marriage began. She wanted to see if it would accommodate this many people. What she found here, clear and unmistakable, to her absolute delight, was a huge, impossible to miss, heart drawn in the sand. She showed me a picture of it. Pretty awesome.

Just as that day 17 years ago was a magical day, this day holds its own magic. Because I’m pretty sure, and I know Shelly is convinced, that Joe is here with us. We may not see his human form, but his love and his energy are surely present.

Many of you have traveled far to be here today. It is important for each of you present in this moment to know that Joe loved and cherished each one of you. Thank you all for being here.

Joe was an amazing guy. Smart, curious, accomplished, experienced in so many areas and interested in the world around him. Loving, generous, family oriented, lighthearted, adventurous. A healer. And humble. And kind. His passing at the much too young age of 70 is heart-breaking, and so many people are missing his smile and loving physical presence.

Shelly and Joe’s journey took them from the Monterey Peninsula, where they had met and started their life together, to Bellevue Washington in 2016 when they retired and wanted to be closer to Shelly’s sons and their families. Living there allowed them to be connected to loved ones and at the same time enjoy the things they loved to do, visiting friends and family, playing golf, for which Joe had a true passion, and traveling to new places.

The love Joe and Shelly shared will not diminish, and neither will the love of all of you who knew and loved him. That love is indicative of the man Joe turned out to be. Caring, committed, loyal. The loving person that Joe was, his very essence, remains strong and alive in the memories of each of us, his family and friends.

And so we come together on this day to remember the life, both temporal and eternal, of one whom you all have loved dearly.

We release what was and make room for what shall be. We imagine in our minds that life does not end but merely morphs and transmutes, that today we say good-bye and yet we also say hello.

Here is a thought from Thich Nhat Hanh:

“This body is not me. I am not caught in this body, I am life without boundaries, I have never been born and I have never died. Over there, the wide ocean and the sky with many galaxies, all manifests from the basis of consciousness. Since beginningless time, I have always been free. Birth and death are only a door through which we go in and out. Birth and death are only a game of hide and seek. So smile to me and take my hand and wave goodbye. Tomorrow we shall meet again or even before. We shall always be meeting again, always meeting on the myriad paths of life.”

For their wedding, Shelly and Joe asked me to recite words written by Ric Masten, and the message is just as important and pertinent for today’s celebration of Joe.

Let it Be a Dance

Let it be a dance we do.

May I have this dance with you?

Through the good times

And the bad times, too,

Let it be a dance.

Let a dancing song be heard.

Play the music say the words,

Fill the sky with sailing birds.

Let it be a dance.

Learn to follow, learn to lead,

Feel the rhythm, fill the need.

To reap the harvest, plant the seed.

And let it be a dance.

Everybody turn and spin,

Let your body learn to bend,

And, like a willow with the wind,

Let it be a dance.

A child is born, the old must die,

A time for joy, a time to cry.

Take it as it passes by.

And let it be a dance

Morning star comes out at night,

Without the dark there is no light.

If nothing’s wrong then nothing’s right.

Let it be a dance.

Let the sun shine, let it rain,

Share the laughter, bare the pain,

And round and round we go again.

Let it be a dance.

I’d like to leave you with the lyrics sung by Justin Young, of a Hawaiian song that Joe loved called e Kailua e:

“I must leave you now but my heart somehow will stay in your arms forever.”

Thank you for being here today for Joe, and for each other, and for honoring his memory. This is an important day, one to cherish.

11:11 – A special time of day for Joe: Shelly and her granddaughters are going to take a private moment now.

We can all send our own message or prayer to Joe.

You are now going to be treated to an afternoon of story telling and memory sharing. And food. And drink. And laughter.

Shelly’s son Jon is in charge of the shuttles. Peace be with you. 

Lynn Lozier's words from the Celebration of Life, Wedding Beach,  5/6/23