A Good Man

A good man – those three words seem like an old cliché but they are not. I think a person knows when they meet someone special. I think you know or can tell that they are good; maybe not all the time. I have met people, who seem nice and they turn out not to be. Appearances don’t always make a person good.

 

My brother was one of those good men. He talked the talk and walked the walk. He was the genuine thing. He was the real deal.

 

This past week, my brother-in-law Jim Gauntner died. He was the second oldest in a family of eight; one sister and six brothers. Jim was a typical, hard-working, good man. He grew up in Cleveland, attended Benedictine High School, John Carroll University, received two master’s degrees, and worked 38 years at NASA as a senior aerospace engineer.

 

Jim was married to his wife for over 50 years and has four children and a number of grandchildren. Jim worked hard. He played hard. He had a big heart and did a lot of volunteer work. He truly gave of himself to others.

 

To me, Jim was the real deal. I saw him as a sweet, kind and caring man. He was a special man of high morals. Jim was that special Christian man, who was true to himself, his family, and others.

 

For all the above, Jim will be missed. I know I will especially miss his gentle caring and his sweet smile.

 

R.I.P. Jim…you will be missed.

Here is a great tribute to Jim from the West Shore Sun – Person of the Week

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Jim Gauntner

Gauntner’s record of volunteer work is out of this world.

As a player on the Benedictine High School football team, he helped the Bengals defeat St. Ignatius High School 47-6 in the 1955 Cleveland City Championship Game.

A 1956 Benedictine graduate, Gauntner remains loyal to his alma mater, participating in fundraising and other events.

The Westlake resident will be inducted into the school’s Hall of Honors at a special event March 3 at Windows on the River.

Aside from his devotion to Benedictine, Gauntner has been involved in professional, church and civic activities for many years.

In 1991, Gauntner received NASA’s prestigious “Silver Snoopy” award for his effort in contributing to the success of the manned flight missions.

In 1995, he was honored by the Federal Executive Board for his significant impact on the community.

He retired from NASA as a senior aerospace engineer after a 38-year career.

Gauntner has a pair of master’s degrees, including one in mechanical engineering, which he earned from the University of Toledo in 1978.

He is a volunteer with the Hunger Center at Blessed Trinity Church in Cleveland. Gauntner also volunteered at the St. Patrick West Park Hunger Center until the church closed last May and became part of the new Blessed Trinity parish. He also is a hospice volunteer.

Since 1997, Gauntner has been a eucharistic minister for Rae-Ann Center nursing home. He was chosen for the Volunteer of the Year Award in 2009.

Gauntner and his wife, Marilyn, will celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary on July 1. They have four grown children.