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Remembering Greg

These eulogies were written by Timothy Kendzierski, Greg's brother and John Horner, one of Greg's closest friends. They'll give you an understanding of why Greg meant so much to so many people.

Hello. Thank you all for being here with us and with Greg as brothers and sisters in Christ. I'm a bit overwhelmed by the love me and my family have seen from all of you over the last few days. I really can't put it in words what it means to us. First of all, before I say goodbye to my big brother, their are a few people that need to be acknowledged. For without them, Greg wouldn't have been who we all loved and why we feel such a loss.

Mom and Dad-- Mom, an angel from up above. Those of you who know my brother, know my Mom. Over the past two years my Mom was ever present, holding Greg's hand and the hands of everyone who loved him. Fighting along side him like the incredible, loving soldier that she is. But it is not this that is so incredible. Her love is selfless and she expectes nothing less from herself. She never wanted to here thank you but rather pointed top the sky and said "Thank Him!" It was her strength in Jesus and the stuff she has always instilled in us that gave Greg the confidence to fight. The miracle of my mother is that she was there for everyone through this. Greg --every day, Shura, Philemon, Me, my brothers and sisters, my brothers friends and relatives that were hurting. I love you Mommy and thank you for making the time he had----we've had---here the best possible time we could have had. You are our angel here on earth. I'm out of words, the last words to describe you are only in heaven, and I'm not privy to them. Dad--Your strength and constant and complete faith in God gave Greg the strength to give this the most incredible fight anyone has ever mounted on a disease. Your support of Mom, and selfless devotion to your family......was an inspiration to Greg, and of all us, a finer example of a man doesn't exist. Shura-- Greg's loving companion. Every step of the way. The roller coaster that we were on, you held his hand. His courage not understated, you fulfilled his dreams, and how could a man not die happy, when all his dreams are fulfilled? Greg was in love with his soulmate and she gave him a child, a namesake, and a great joy. Words can't thank you enough. Shura, there will always be an angel on your shoulder there will always be someone with Philemon wherever he walks in life.... Philemon....The miracle of you reminded us all, that miracles do happen. Christian--Greg loved you so much! There was always such a gentle look in Greg's eyes when you were around. You were his Godson and his baby brother. You sat with him so many hours. You prayed with him, sang with him. You made his life so happy every day...through every hurdle, through every obstacle...through every chemo....you were there. I'm so lucky to have a brother like you...a best friend like you....as so was Greg. Vicki....I'll let Greg's words tell this... "Vicki, my Vicki....that little girl...how I love her. She was there for every hurt, every joy she always took care of my heart....powerful woman, how I love her..." Dougie.... For quickly turning from little brother to big brother and showing us what strength means. There was never any doubt in my mind you'd step in beautifully, I just never thought it would be with such grace and dignity. Thanks For sharing your beautiful family with Greg so many times and bringing such joyu to Greg's world..... Lisa, David, Angie, and Renee.... The support team. The gang who held all the other pieces in place while Greg and his soldiers fought their battle. Meghin, Courtney, Mariah, Logan, Philemon and Regan.... For giving us the smile in our hearts that truly makes us understand what life is all about.... To all the gang at BGE....I'd never thought I'd see the day that a huge company would have an even bigger heart. Noone there, from the janitor to the CEO ever lost faith in Greg's miracle. His office remains untouched and the support he received from them, in every way, is a miracle in itself.

In 1961, on an early autumn morning, Mom gave birth to her first son. Gregory. What joy he brought for Mom and Dad, and his big sister Vicki. Noone could have even imagined all the joy this little bundle would bring to world. Noone could have ever imagined the impact he's had on us all. It all started when we were very young...love. Love was always the center of the Kendzierski world. Greg spent his time with his loving big sister who could just eat him alive. Greg was baptized at St. Anthony's of Padua parish in Gardenville. Aunt Rose was his Godmom and Uncle Garry his Godfather. As a toddler, he was an industrious little chum, just like his son. The sandbox, the old swing, fun at the Shore with Poppy and Granny, spending time with his cousins...giggling with Barbie, playing basketball with Mike and Bernie. Seeing the miracle of his new baby brother being born....Dougie. Two more little bundles, Me and Christian came soon after to round out the clan. Greg was so patient with us little guys....teaching us the ins and outs of electric football and sponge basketball in the cellar, (mom hated that game). He'd put a blanket over his head and pretend he was the living chair that was coming to get me and Christian, scared the heck out me. He taught us when we were very young, how imagination and make belive keep life fun. He could turn the TV knob with his toes. He was the best wiffleball player in the history of Cedonia wiffleball, (except me). He was so easy to look up to. Such an incredible example of who I wanted to be. Different than all the rest, not better, just different. Then the world started to open up a little. As a kid, Greg was an A student, always...studious, serious about school, serious about his sports, serious about his music. An all-star in football at the YMCA and an all-star in baseball at Radecke park, Greg was a feirce competitor, a fighter with a fiery competitive edge. Besides the fact that he was faster and smarter than everybody on the field. But he never lost sight of being fair and the fun of the game. He taught me what true friendship and sportmanship was all about. Greg was a first pick for every sport he played. He spent his days at the Y with us at the pool, studying hard at school, goofing off with the gang in the alley. Greg was confirmed a Catholic in 1975 at St. Anthony's Parish where he went to school.

Archbishop Curley High School was a place of great acheivements for Greg. He carved the way for his three brothers to get a great education. They were laready looking out for us, Greg impressed them the first time through. Besides being a track and field star, Greg graduated in the top of his class in every study. A consistent honor student, he represented Curley on It's Academic as well as being involved in the theatre receiving several Unsung hero awards for his theatrical efforts. He spent his time studying diligently in the pit he called a bedroom....incense burning, frequently music blaring. Greg spent a lot of time working at being a student, and his efforts more than paid off. He also worked and managed at McDonalds and worked thirty hours (50 in the summer). He loved his McDonalds. Junk Food was a staple for Greg. Hector's subs and big macs

He was accepted to Johns Hopkins University with a scholarship. Greg got great comfort in being home with his family, even if he did have the earphones on and couldn't hear anything until dinner. He was home. With his best friends. His family. He loved Electric Light Orchestra and the Beatles, Alice Cooper and the Cure. He owned every skinny tie in the catalog. He wore his Mr. Bubble shirt everywhere. Hysterical laughter. Constant and hysterical laughter. He taught me to laugh from my belly. Giggling at John Belushi and Steve Martin. Playing the drums and leading vocals with a band he called the Lonzenge. (Because the sucked). Being with his little brothers playing video games til the wee hours of the morning. Hours upon hours we stared at the black and white television. The marathon baseball games. Teaching his 11 year old brother how to program on his Apple2plus. Putting a pencil and paper in my hands and saying "You can do this, make the graphics for the video games I Program" Teaching us how to do it, and encouraging me and he used every idea I had. I was so proud of him, and he was so proud of me. You know, to this day I use an Apple, and to this day I do digital graphics. He put a few slurpee cups in my hands one day out of "his" room. I felt so cool, my big brothers comic book cups. You know, to this day I read comic books, and to this day, 26 years later, I have those slurpee cups. There one of my most prized possesions.

He graduated top of his class from the GE Whiting School of Engineering at Johns Hopkins University. He was offered a job with Baltimore Gas and Electric where he worked forever. He played semi-pro baseball for Patterson Sporting Goods. He played center field and hit lead-off for the best team in the league. After all his hard work Greg began to live life. And the Manerski gang was right alongside all the way. All or nothing, he lived life to the fullest. Greg brought many incredible friends and people into our lives. It was this gang that spent many an hour hanging out where I worked. Supporting me still. That gang paid my mortgage over a few years and became a part of the Kendzierski clan. My big brother always wanted to know I was ok, and kept a close eye on me. Not overprotective, just loving. There was no judgement, only approval and inspiration. Thank you Greg for bringing all these wonderful people into our lives. In fact, in memoriam to Greg, I was thinking....we all need to go out and buy a black sharpie...and in every bathroom we need to write..GREG K lives.....he'd laugh his tail off...he probably is right now. It was later in Greg's life that our clan started to expand. Dougie married Lisa and we had a new Kendzierski come a long soon, Meghin. How proud Greg was of his niece! Watching her grow and seeing her smile, Greg always had her in his arms whne we were all together. Then Courtney was born and Greg became her Godfather and the love just kept coming. Little Courtney called Greg "Godfodda" and treated her spirituality with the same passion and conviction he did everything in his life. The family kept growing, and Vicki met David and little Logan was born. Again, Greg's heart kept swelling with love and these children became the focal point of his love, as it should have been. Then he met his Shuresy. The innocent and sweet love and friendship they shared was such a joy to watch. Greg had found his soulmate and now his life was complete.

On November 11th 1997, Greg married Shura in Shura's beautiful hometown of Hanover. and they began their lives together as one. They spent their time in West Virginia, Baltimore and Hanover with friends and family appreciating the beautiful and wonderful things in life, Jesus, family, love and nature. They loved their Orioles and Ravens and wentb to baseball games and lived life as every couple should. In love, having fun, smiling and just loving the time they had together. But it wouldn't be without struggle. In March of 1998, Greg was diagnosed with esophagial cancer and given 3 to 6 months to live....at best. That never stopped Greg from living. They're was no doubt in his mind that God was bringing him a miracle and that everythnig would be ok in the hands of God. Greg had faith even when the eyes and hearts of everyone around him were sad. His faith the Jesus would make it all ok made him persevere. He began an e-mail prayer list that grew rapidly, spanning the globe and having no boundaries, people from every walk of life, from every religion began praying fervently for Greg quick recovery. Pastors and ministers and rabbis and spiritual men and women from all religions joined Greg in his fight to beat this cancer. Even Rome was praying for Gregory. He went thorugh every chemo protocol Dr. Heath had for him. He worked diligently with homeopaths, Johns Hopkins, hypnotists, acupuncturists......whatever it took, Greg saw that their was validity to all spheres of medicine, and his open mind saw his many months that the doctors told him he'd never see. He turned what would normally be a life threatening disease and turned it into a life affirming experience. He restored faith in Jesus to many , including me. His faith in the Lord and Jesus' plan brought me back to the church. Greg, even on his death prayed for the souls in pergatory, never thinking about his soul, but rather, even in his death, what souls he could save. But even in tradegy, Shura and Greg still held onto life and refused to stop living while we fought. On December 28th 1999, Philemon Gregory Jude Christian Kendzierski was born. The brightest star of many bright stars of Greg's life. And how Greg loved watching him grow and smile and play and laugh and love. The joy that little guy brought Greg this past year kept his fighting spirit stronger than ever. What a bundle of joy he will always bring us. Everyone who loved Greg will be a part of this little guys life....therefore Greg will be.

What did Greg Kendzierski mean to me? I'll tell you, from the time I can remember Greg was my hero. I mimicked the way he walked and talked, the clothes he wore. I wore his records out so bad that he had to give them to me and buy new ones. I watched his every move. But I have'nt lost my hero. He will always be everything to me. His fight over the last two years paled every major accomplishment he ever acheived. He became a hero to me in so many different ways....and watching mmy family go through this with grace and love taught me that now I have 10 new heroes....and that as so much of Greg still lives on in me, so much of Greg still lives on in each one of us....in each one of you....every time we bow our heads to pray, we'll think of Grweg, every time we need a guiding light we'll talk to Greg....he's not gone.....he's ever present. Jesus aswered our prayers.... The other night,, My Mom called the little girls, Meghin and Courtney and her bootzer, Logan..and told them that Uncle Greg was gonna make it snow for them tongiht and they wouldn't have school in the morning. Low and behold the snow came just like Greg'll come to us every day so Do not stand at his grave and weep; He is not there. He does not sleep. He is a thousand winds that blow; He is the diamond glint on snow. He is the sunlight on ripened grain; He is the gentle autumn's rain. When you awaken He is the morning's hush; He is the swift uplifting rush, Of quiet birds in circled flight. He is the soft star that shines at night. Do not stand at His grave and cry. He is not there. He did not die. I'm not sure quite how to describe it, but my family is so different precious and rare. Each person is made from all the others, there is no one peice that is not from one we love, mostly each other, but all those others who loved my sisters and brothers changed me at the same time. Greg lives on in each and every one of us, he's been in us for a long time and he will be in us forever.

So thank you Greg....for being our brother, our teacher, our mentor, our best friend and our hero. Goodbye from this world...but never goodbye... God Bless you big brother.... God Bless all of you.... I love you.... Greg, I'll always love you....

- Timothy Kendzierski

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