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| Dennis
Gilbert, DDS December 27, 1941 - November 7, 2007 A treasured friend and dear brother in Christ now with the Lord |
During the 1990s through 2001, Denny and I participated in an annual "Men in the East" retreat at Sandy Cove in Northeast, Maryland. In those same years there was a companion event -- "Men in the West" -- held in Breckenridge, Colorado. God's loving presence during those weeks was as unmistakable as it was life-changing. A few hours after Denny's death, I wrote the email below to our "alumni" announcing his passing and giving the details of his memorial service. As I revisited those words the following day, they seemed a fitting memorial to the respect and affection so many felt for this man of quiet significance. In that spirit, and for that purpose, I share them here. |
November 7, 2007 To my fellow "Men in the
East/West" alumni,
With for your forbearance for
my sharing this very personal news in the context of a group email, I
wanted to let you know that earlier today (9:40 a.m., to be precise),
Denny Gilbert died after a 10-month struggle with cancer. His
passing was peaceful -- at home, in the arms of his loving wife,
Lynda -- and in many ways, was both a relief and
release. He was 65.
As most of you know, Denny
had a passion for pursuing the hearts of men and drawing them
toward a deeper relationship with Jesus. Many of you saw
that during the week-long retreats at Sandy Cove and Breckenridge with
Roy Shirley and Don Hudson. And many of you testified to the
impact he had in the words you wrote on his "scroll" at the conclusion
of those retreats. He was an amazing man.
Denny was my best friend, and
right now I'm feeling the duality familiar to all believers: deep
sadness at his departure from my life, yet a sense of joy and
excitement as I picture him in his heavenly body receiving words of
welcome from his Savior. I will miss him.
There will be a memorial
service at Church of the Saviour in Wayne, PA this coming Monday,
November 12th, at 11 a.m. For those who may wish to attend,
here is a link to the page on the church website with directions:
http://www.cosnet.org/directions.asp
As you can imagine, these next
few days will be a bit hectic for Lynda. Should you wish
to drop her a note of encouragement or condolence, her address is:
Lynda Gilbert
455
Arden Road Gulph
Mills, PA 19428 Denny and I thought we'd grow
old together as dear friends are often privileged to do. That
won't be happening, but it is more than enough to know that I -- along
with all his brothers and sisters in Christ -- will be spending
eternity with him in the loving presence of the Living Lord.
To God be the glory.
jdb
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For those interested in seeing snapshots from our Sandy Cove retreats,
click here to return to my homepage and scroll down to the last group of links.
Encouraging words are always welcome at
jdallas@att.net
