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Community
RESOLUTIONS
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with Ruth, his wife, with whom he spent three quarters of his life. It was a home for their rescued Norwegian Elkhounds, as well. Bert was generous with his skills and insights. He was a teacher not only in his Massachusetts classroom but on trips with his students. He would take them hiking to learn about and grow to love the natural environment, especially the White Mountains. He taught these lessons to his children, two boys and a girl, and later to six grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren.
As we visited, Bert created opportunities to teach me. We would watch TV tableaus (a stills- cape with brief moments of an-
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January 2025
imation). One such video scape was an apparently static picture of a small village in winter. As we looked at the still scene, a puff of smoke might rise from a chim- ney. A bird might flutter across the screen. Sometimes, I missed these tiny incidents of anima- tion. Bert would not. He would point them out and tell me,” Bill, it's just like life; you have to study it closely.” Watching the TV, we would be warmed by a woodstove fire. Bert had taught me the use of pine cones to ig- nite the stubborn logs quickly. He taught me other skills as well, including small gas engine repair and watchmaking. Most impor- tantly, he exhibited kindness and patience. In dealing with the vi- cissitudes of old age, he would simply say, “Oh well.”
Bert’s home was crowded at the celebration of his 100th birthday. My wife and I were honored to be in attendance. The love those attending had for Bert was evident. He accepted lavish praise and well wishes with his usual humility, express- ing surprise at “all the fuss.” My resolution for the new year is to continue to reflect consciously on Bert’s life and try to emulate those qualities that made his life a gift to those who knew him.
A last word about Bert and his Resolution. I was with Bert on the day before he died.
He was in bed. I was help- ing him eat some ice cream. He had experienced the nearness of death as a young man scouting for the 10th Mountain Division as it advanced on German troops
in the rugged terrain of Italy. He received a Purple Heart for the wounds he suffered in that ardu- ous campaign. He had no fear of death as it approached again. Quite frankly, he was ready for it. It would be a welcome resolution to his life. At the moment we were sharing, he was expressing a little impatience with “being only somewhat here and not yet there.”
As I readied to leave Bert’s bedroom, he shared the follow- ing final words with me. They re- minded me that he had given me his telescope to show my grand- sons “the wonder of the stars.” Bert spoke his final words to me with conviction... “Bill, when I die, my spirit will become one with the universe...and that uni- verse will include you.” Having
said these words, Bert turned on his side and looked out the bed- room window that had been po- sitioned to frame Mt. Cardigan. Although he had scaled many of the world’s great mountains, in- cluding Mt. Kala Patthar, close to Everest in Nepal, Mt. Cardigan was his most beloved mountain. Seeing it prompted an abun- dance of memories of youthful vigor, of the friendship of fellow explorers, or perhaps enjoying a hike with Ruth. Most assur- edly, Cardigan would remind Bert of the ever-present promise of the heights one can reach in life. These days, whenever I see Bert’s special mountain, I’ll be reminded of his final words and the resolution I have made for myself and for him.
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