Michael McPherson

I only met Michael McPherson briefly at his home, but I feel I've met and known him by proxy: by his knowing his son, William McPherson: a walking information booth/knowledge source. Talking with him opens my mind, exposed to a fountain of history; church whys, ways and dogma; police spirit/interests; trivia; partisan politics; patterns, trends, and concerns from an America we still have and know, yet no-longer know and are 'in danger of' losing-learner's-access-to. Will carries within him a priceless, two-headed heritage. From his Mother, he bears a loving familiarity and regard for morality, conscience, 'God's people', 'God's ways', and God's 'meta-narrative' as proposed and recorded in the Judeo-Christian scriptures (more importantly, in his relationship with the Lord). Will loves Jesus and will probably serve Him till the end. From his Father, Will carries an outer and inner collection of books, wisdom, and lore on geographic Americana, pop culture trends, punk rock music, human behavior, socio-political philosophies, recent and not-so-recently-felt church trends, and financial awareness, to list only part of the picture. I can tell you were more than a cop, but a Romans 13 public servant; not just an adjunct teacher, but a fellow-forger of minds and souls on very important, future-history-witnessing learners and leaders. It takes a woman of open-minded, shrewd, cultured, and discerning intelligence to attract, enjoy, understand, reason-with, and remain-with someone with a mind like this man. Conversely, it takes a deeply and genuinely spiritual man to attract, stay-with, and appreciatively become-like a woman who loves God and God's people and God's Word as has his surviving Wife (especially when one likes to include more than one, two, three, or four worldviews or angles on reality poised to pour their influence into the reader and her/his generation's mind during harrowingly changing times, as did this book-hungry Father of America). Though he no longer stands teaching the exact same students at the same school from the same mouth of his youth, may we learn much from his example, his descendants, his still-living generational peers, and his favorite writers.

So very sorry for this loss. I didn't know him very well but always enjoyed chatting with him at church. I also enjoyed the community group Mike and Carol hosted at their home several years ago and getting to know them a little better. I know he will be truly missed.