Blessed is the man
who makes the Lord his trust,
who does not look to the proud,
to those who turn aside to false gods.

(Psalm 40:4)

At 8:21 on Wednesday, May 16, 2007, Dennis Gunderson joined the object of his trust in glory. I do not know a man who has more thoroughly ‘made the Lord his trust,’ and I am confident of his reward.

It all happened very quickly and unexpectedly. On Friday he had some flue symptoms. Saturday he felt a little better, but then realized Sunday that he wasn’t out of the woods yet. Monday he started to have some trouble breathing, but Tuesday he thought he was doing a little better. We took him in for a check-up on Wednesday, and they immediately admitted him to an ICU.

He had pneumonia in both lungs. He was placed on a respirator, but because of the infection, we weren’t able to get enough oxygen into his blood. Still, it came as a surprise to us and to the doctors that he went into cardiac failure about an hour after we put him on the respirator.

He was resus-citated twice before he went into a deep coma and then passed away. As we tried to revive him, we committed him to the Lord with singing and prayer and with fond recollections of the life he has shared with us. Our pastor, Steve, was with us through the whole time, and so many people have supported and strengthened us. Barbara and Stephanie took care of the boys so that we could all be together and still attend to the things that needed attending.

I prayed with Aubrey in the hospital garden when Dennis went into the coma and he said, “Daddy, when you prayed, my heart broke. And what I mean by my heart breaking is that I tried to think about how much God loves grandpa, and I couldn’t.”

Indeed, as much grief as there is here for his passing, there is so much the more rejoicing there at his homecoming. Bless you on your way, Dennis.

(Viewing at the Loyola Memorial Chapel on Thursday, and memorial at Union Church on Sunday.)