Graveside Service for Angelo Carleo

We gather today for two purposes.  One is to glorify God, as He is the author of life.  The other is to celebrate the life of Bill Nicholson. 

On behalf of the Central Schwenkfelder Church, deepest sympathy is extended to Bill’s family: Bill and Eileen, Steven, Karen and Michael, Rob and Chris, as well as his grandchildren: Michael, Lauren, Amanda, Steven, Sara, Rachel, Drew, Nichole and Kaitlyn.

This morning, we turn to the Scriptures to shed light on our situation. 

Ecclesiastes 3:1 states,

“There is an appointed time for everything. And there is a time for every event under heaven-- A time to give birth, and a time to die… .”

This passage might give us the impression that death is something natural, just because it is expected.  After all, the Scripture attributes a time for everything under heaven.  There is a certain inevitability associated with death.  But it is never to be thought of natural in the purest sense. 

Death entered our world for a reason.  That reason is due to the presence of sin.   Romans 5:12 states,

“Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned… .” 

As a result of the Fall and our disobedience to God, humankind suffered the sentence of death.  All people die because all sin. We are told in Hebrews 9:27 that

“...it is appointed for men to die once and after this comes judgment… .”

Every human being has an appointment to appear before the sovereign God of the universe and give an account for his/her  life. 

But as frightening as this situation may sound, it was for this reason that Jesus Christ came to this earth as God incarnate so many years ago.  Christ died and rose again to abolish death for those who trust in Him.  Note Christ’s words in John 11:25,

“I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me shall live even if he dies, and everyone who lives and believes in Me shall never die.”  

The believer possesses the sweet knowledge and anticipation of life after death, because Jesus arose from the dead.  The Christian lives in this world knowing that his real home is not of this world.  Rather God has prepared a place for him. 

So how can we access this gift of life after death?  It is not through being a good person or adhering to a moral code.  Rather, it is through the gifts of repentance and faith.  Jesus preached at the outset of His ministry throughout the villages of Galilee:

“The time is fulfilled; the kingdom of God is at hand.  Repent and believe in the gospel.”

Repentance is a change of heart and mind.  It means we go from your way of living to God’s way of living.  It is implied in the act of confession, when a person comes before the Lord and seeks His forgiveness for the offensive things he has done.

And there’s faith.  Faith is not just believing that there is a God.  Most people believe that there is a God.  Faith, rather, is embracing God and following Him.  Jesus said:

“If anyone would come after Me, let him deny Himself; take up His cross and follow Me.” 

Death is a transition from one state of life to another.  The apostle Paul stated in 2 Corinthians 5:1:

“For we know that if the earthly tent which is our house is torn down, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.” 

And, that when we are “…absent from the body, we are …at home with the Lord.” 

This is good news for the Christian, especially when he finds himself in a world where there is so much death. 

So there is urgency for all to repent of their sins and place their trust in Jesus Christ, in order to possess heaven as their home.

We are also here to reflect upon the life of Bill Nicholson.

Bill was a tough, yet loving father. He led by example. Bill made a promise to his mother in law that he would raise the children in the Catholic church. He made good on that by going himself, every Sunday, to mass with the family.

And for that reason, among others, he won over his mother-in-law and became the executor to her will. Bill was a family man to the nth degree.

As a husband, Bill was a blessing to his late wife Marie. The two shared a lot of laughter and dancing at get-togethers, over their 48 year marriage. The couple knew how to have a good time.

As a dad, Bill was king of the hill. You knew what would get you in trouble. He enjoyed wrestling with his kids, letting them pounce on him as he rested on the living room floor. With Bill as your father, there was definitely a sense of right and wrong. There was justice meted out.

The family enjoyed trips to such places as Wildwood Crest, NJ; Maine, Cape Hatteras, NC; and points in Florida. On one trip, the car overheated and so the air conditioning stopped working. The kids then promptly sang how much they wanted to go home, a joke he did not especially find funny.

Bill’s priorities were simple: family, Air National Guard and golf. He played golf all over New Jersey and Pennsylvania. All vacations and weekends were spent with family. Bill knew the balance between work and home.

As he aged, he mellowed as a father. His convictions were strong. Bill saw things as black and white. There were no grey areas. Bill was strict and he never changed. He had a philosophy on how to live your life- by example. He possessed an integrity that was beyond reproach.

He was especially proud of his service in the Air National Guard, a tenure he held for 22 years. He achieved the level of Senior Master Sergeant. His service friends became unofficial aunts and uncles to his kids.

Bill devoted his career to Bell of Pennsylvania, having served with them for 38 years. He was seen as a leader and the definition of dependable.

Bill was a good athlete. He loved playing anything resembling baseball, whether it was in the street or at the school. He and his friend, “Boomer,” would frequently hit balls out of the park.

Bill did a lot for his extended family. He was raised as an only child and took responsibility seriously. He was treasured as a young man.

Bill enjoyed eating out. Some of his favorite places were Spring House Tavern and William Penn Inn. Family dinners would host some 20 people or more.

Bill invested a sense of hard work and ethics into his loved ones. He never missed a day of work. He lived by the principle that you do not miss work for frivolity.

On snowy mornings, he recruited his kids to shovel the street, so he could make it to the main drag and on to the highway to be present at work. Bill raised his family in the King of Prussia area, when it was rural.

He would like to be remembered as an exceptional father. Bill was proud that his children all turned out well. He was the epitome of a family man.

Bill maintained the highest level of integrity and would help anyone in need. He enjoyed a large number of friendships. Bill never went back on his word.

As you say goodbye to him today, may the Lord grant your His grace to trust Him for comfort and strength. Amen.