Two good men

By Randy Butler
HCP columnist

Most of us can think of at least one person from our childhood who stands out in our memory. Sometimes it was someone who showed us simple kindness. Other times, it was someone we quietly admired or wanted to be like.

As a kid, I had plenty of opportunities to watch and listen to adults – and to try to learn from them. There was an unspoken rule back then: kids stayed quiet around adults unless spoken to directly. 

Interrupting an adult to ask my parents a question simply did not happen. I valued my life too much for that. My dad took my brother and me almost everywhere he went, and although he never explained the rule, we understood it.

Last week, two men who had a big influence on my life as a young boy passed away. They were very different in many ways, but both stood out during my childhood.

The first was James Henry Cumberland. Until I read his obituary, I had no idea that was his given name. 

To me – and to just about everyone who knew him – he was “Jim Dandy.” The best way to describe him is simple: He was a good man. He was my baseball coach for most of my years playing at Shaffer Park, which we all just called “the ballpark” back then. Dick Shaffer ran the program at the time.

In all the years I knew Jim Dandy, I never heard a negative word spoken about him. We all loved him. He had a way of making every kid feel special. I honestly don’t even remember whether he was a great coach or not. What I do remember is that he treated me well, which I’m sure wasn’t always easy. I spoke with him only a few times in recent years, but he will be missed by me and by everyone who knew him.

The second man was Marvin L. Wilson. I met Marvin at a very young age through his son, Mark, who has been a lifelong friend. Marvin was born at home, as many were in those days. He always said my grandmother was present at his birth and gave him his first bath – at least, that was the story he was told.

Marvin made his career in real estate, and anyone who has lived here for any length of time has likely heard his name. He was a major presence in the business for many years, buying and selling more than most. When asked what he did for a living, he always said, “I just put buyers and sellers together.”

What saddens me now is knowing that neither of these men likely realized how much I admired them. As a kid, I would never have said it. Maybe we avoid telling people how much they mean to us because it makes us feel vulnerable. But don’t we all like to hear a kind word now and then? I think we do.

The lesson for me is this: there are always young eyes watching. We all have the power to influence them for good or for bad, often without realizing it. Marvin and Jim Dandy were both kind to me and left a positive impression. Others who did the same include another baseball coach, Ron Gilliland, and teachers Mrs. Grice and Mr. Allwood. I know their first names, but even at 64 years old, out of respect, I still call them Mr. and Mrs.

I am thankful to them – and to many others – for taking the time to be kind to what was probably an annoying kid. I can still hear those infamous words echoing through the classroom: “Get back in your seat, Mr. Butler!”

Randy Butler is a longtime local real estate professional and a columnist for The Highland County Press.