Dear Colleagues and family members of Vivian,
Joe and I remember Vivian with fondness and respect. If our collective memories are on target, he and his beautiful wife, Marie, were participants in the Jabalpur ITI – or maybe even the Singapore ITI. And later in Nava Gram Prayas days. We feel as if we knew them as Movement and Order Colleagues forever. They were such a handsome couple, handsome and beautiful, as were all their children. Later on we were neighbors of Vivian and the children on the 7th floor at Kemper, and our sons became good friends with Sherlyn and Shiran and I believe are still in touch occasionally.
I like your image of “soldier,” Jack, although images of warfare are now unpopular and probably need to be repositioned. But Vivian “soldiered on,” no matter what difficulties befell his family. He fulfilled missional assignments at Kemper that were far different from his positions of significant leadership in India ( I believe in education administration), and yet he did so obediently and faithfully, but not without palpable pain and some sense of loss (at least to our eyes.)
We are happy Vivian was able to be back with Marie and their children (now adults) over the past months, especially since his diagnosis. We mourn his loss to the universe, but celebrate the strength, courage and faithfulness his life represented on many continents.
Grace and peace,
Marilyn and Joe
From: OE [mailto:oe-bounces@lists.wedgeblade.net] On Behalf Of Jack Gilles via OE
Sent: Friday, May 22, 2015 12:57 AM
To: Patricia Tuecke
Cc: Tracy Longacre via OE; Marie Paul
Subject: Re: [Oe List ...] Death of Vivan Paul
I will miss Vivian very much. He was a soldier, through and through. He told stories of fighting the Chinese in the Himalayas. One of his disciplines was to take a cold bath every day at the Delhi House, no matter how cold it was. This came from that battle experience. He represented the best of our colleagues who came from the early days of the Movement in India. I presume he was a product of the work Raymond Spencer did in those early years. Journey on dear friend, journey on.
Jack