<html><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"></head><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;" class=""><div dir="auto" style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;" class="">Dear John,</div><div dir="auto" style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;" class=""><br class=""></div><div dir="auto" style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;" class="">I was in Chicago from Ottawa for a Priors meeting in October of ’77 . Thanks to Karen Troxel, I visited Joe at his bedside for a few minutes and briefly conversed with him an hour or so before he died.<br class=""><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">Two days later, I approached you with my own naive hopefulness and asked you if you would consider being our next Dean. </div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">For me, you have the genius, the humility, the discipline (wasn’t there a Military School somewhere back there?), the care for others and the inspiration.</div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">For me, in my little fox hole, at that time with a decade of EI / O:E engagement, I knew I could put my trust in you and Ann to serve ‘at the centre tranquil - amidst the raging seas’.</div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">In that regard, for me, nothing in 43 years has changed.</div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">You stared at me directly with some surprise, then looked down and said, “No.”</div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">I continued to look and I could not find.</div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">In warmth and light,</div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">Ken</div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class=""><br class=""><div><br class=""><blockquote type="cite" class=""><div class="">On Jun 3, 2020, at 6:55 PM, John Epps via OE <<a href="mailto:oe@lists.wedgeblade.net" class="">oe@lists.wedgeblade.net</a>> wrote:</div><br class="Apple-interchange-newline"><div class=""><div dir="ltr" class=""><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; line-height: normal; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif" class="">Gordon
Harper was always a role model for me, partly because of his humor, articulateness,
and creativity. I especially appreciated his final posting which he termed a
brief collegium. So here goes mine.</span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; line-height: normal; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif" class=""> Yesterday I was enrolled in a home
hospice system. It represents the culmination of 13 years of treating prostate
cancer which now has expanded beyond that. The very good doctors have done all
they can and recommended that hospice care is next. Ann is taking very good
care of me. No one knows or says whether there are days, weeks or months left,
so I wanted to let you know and to say two things.</span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; line-height: normal; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif" class=""> 1. First, I want to apologize for
any and all offenses occasioned by my arrogance, naivete, and ignorance.</span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; line-height: normal; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif" class=""> 2.More important, I want to express
real gratitude for the privilege of being part of this body of colleagues. It’s
like what an extended family would like to be but never quite makes it. You are my extended family and I’m honored to
be part of it. </span></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;line-height:normal;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif" class=""> </span></p><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; line-height: normal; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif" class="">I
probably won’t be posting any more on this list serve but will continue reading
it avidly.</span></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;line-height:normal;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif" class=""> </span></p><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; line-height: normal; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif" class="">Grace
and peace to all y’all.</span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; line-height: normal; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif" class="">John
Epps</span></div></div>
_______________________________________________<br class="">OE mailing list<br class=""><a href="mailto:OE@lists.wedgeblade.net" class="">OE@lists.wedgeblade.net</a><br class="">http://lists.wedgeblade.net/listinfo.cgi/oe-wedgeblade.net<br class=""></div></blockquote></div><br class=""></div></div></body></html>