A Loved Friend

Tony and I and Patty and Vic Ippolito started a weekly Bible study at the Ippolito’s that lasted more than 25 years. Jack and Mary were there from the start. We met to eat dinner, study the Bible, share prayer requests and pray. Jack and Mary were an integral part of the group. After dear Mary passed, Jack continued attending. Jack was a wonderful man with a warm and big heart. He loved people so much, especially his family. His caring spilled out and touched us and so many lives. Jack was “larger than life”. He always had a great joke or a fascinating account. No matter what the topic, Jack had a story to relate to it. As others have shared, he had a passion to help others, and he wanted people to come to faith in Jesus. One of our favorite recollections of Jack happened in Israel. He took our Bible study group there and as we visited key Bible sites one or more of us would share Bible verses or a spiritual application related to the location. On the site of the Mount of Beatitudes where Jesus gave the famous Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7) Jack shared a story that touches us to this day. One theme of the verses is giving to the needy. Jack related that as a child he had a brand-new pair of sneakers which he loved. There was a poorer kid on the street who had torn up shoes and Jack’s mom told Jack to give his new sneakers to that child. It was heart-wrenching as Jack shared his mother’s wisdom that it was better to give than to receive. Jack never forgot it and how could we? Jack, you meant so much to us and touched us for the better. We look forward to reuniting in heaven.

Susan and Tony Haber