I just returned from the memorial service of a friend of my family, a man whom I've known literally all my life, Steve Henderson. I'm usually the guy sitting in a servcie like that who's wondering what's wrong with him because he doesn't feel all tha tmuch either way.. sad for the loss, but hardly weepy. Not so much this time. I got the news last week, and... yeah, it was really sad, but it didn't really start to hit me until today... I've been weepy on and off all day.
Steve Henderson, though I never spent as much time as maybe I wish I had now talking to him, was a powerful influance on so many of the things I count as very important in my life, from the SCA to DunDraCon. And things I can't even say right now. He was a connsumate fan of science fiction and a true knight, in the SCA and in evrey way that truely matters.
His friends his family, people who I grew up with relateing memories and reading passages, not from the Bible, but from Steve's favorite books, all exelent science fiction. (thus the comment about the bibliography...) He was a Captian in the Air Force and as such was entiled to an honor guard. As the two soldiers marched down to the front of the chaple, you could feel it hitting home all over the hall.. people starting to cry, sniffleing. Realizeing he's really gone. Their ceremony was a thing of percision and beauty. They stood before the flag which was situated between the shield with which he became King of the West in 1979 and a small collection of his favorite books; Kipling next to Tolkien next to Conan. As they saluted, a bugel played taps, and then they ceremonialy refolded the flag and presented it to his wife.
After the party we went back to the Casa Henderson where we'd been for so many parties before and it was... well, it was just like a typical Henderson party. Except short a host. As things were wrapping up, six of the auld and hory knights of the West includeing Sir Hilary of Serendip, Sir Stephen de Lorraine Sir Vald von Markheim and one Master of Arms, Master Richard the Short ceremonialy took Alexander Henderson as their collective squire. (Master Richard couldn't take a squire officially, but he was glad to offer to give him good adivice insted.) And Yours Truely got to act as photographer, since my phone was the only camera in easy access.
After we decided we have to hold a
Steven MacEanruig memorial tourny. Sounds good to me.
