Greg Yusko funeral

We’re gathered to honor Gregory Yusko — beloved husband, father, PopPop, brother, and friend. To say this has been a tough year for us is a huge understatement. I’m so very sorry for your loss, and for all of our loss as well. It’s been a hard year and a hard few weeks.

Marybeth and I got into town late Wednesday night and went to bed exhausted, only to be awakened three times over the next four hours by tornado sirens. And I thought to myself, “Yup, that’s a pretty fitting Greg welcome.” Greg was a big presence — loud at times, boisterous, a little edgy sometimes, but always full of contagious humor and joy. When you were around Greg, it was hard not to smile. Whether at a party, in a crowd, or on the sidelines of a game, he was hard to miss. So tornado sirens? Yeah, that fits Greg pretty well.

Greg could be a blunt instrument at times. But there was more to Greg than that. Whatever Greg had, tangible or intangible, he was willing to share with family, friends, and even complete strangers. Because underneath all that bluster, noise, and the big persona was a loving and caring individual, working behind the scenes for ways to do good for those around him, to make things better. And nowhere was that more apparent than when it came to family.

When you needed a hand with a home project, a last-minute babysitter, a sounding board for a problem, or just someone to talk to, Greg was there. It’s who he was. In the past year, Marybeth and I probably talked to Greg 5-6 times a week, and even more often since last summer. And when we were closing out our house in Mobile, Greg dropped everything to make two quick trips to help out with repairs and punch list items. I suspect for you all, Chris, Sean, Justin, and Matt, it was even more intense. It’s just the way he was — always there for you, and ready to pour out his love in the best way he knew how. Our readings today speak of God’s love for his people, for us. Greg, imperfect as he was, was a channel of that love into our lives.

And now, it seems, he’s not. There’s a hole in our lives and it hurts. The good news for people of faith, though, is that death doesn’t get the last word. That’s the message in our scripture today. Isaiah tells us that God will destroy death forever and wipe away all tears in time. And Paul tells us we have nothing to fear because nothing can separate us from the love of God through Christ. God’s love for us is everlasting, even in times of pain and sorrow — the sting of death is not.

It’s okay to be sad and to mourn today, but recognize that we mourn for us, not for Greg. Greg has finally come home. Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest.” This should be a day of celebration for a life lived with joy and with love; because, for all his faults, Greg was above all a channel of God’s love for each of us. The evidence of that love sits right here in these front pews. We have been blessed.

We came today to honor Greg, and remember the gift of his time with us and the love he shared. What better way to do that than to become that channel of God’s love to those around us, just as he was for us. I can think of no more fitting legacy for him than that.