Last week Target Community and Educational Services, Inc. lost a long-time, very special friend. Mr. Stan Weightman, Sr., passed away on July 26, 2023. Stan was the father of residential and vocational participant Liz. I have written about Liz in the past. She works two days a week at JeannieBird Baking Company here in Westminster. She is one of the first participants I met here at Target. The day we learned of his passing, the office was full of stories of Stan. My favorite quote was, “To know Stan was to be loved by Stan.”  I felt this great love when I met him at the Wine with Friends event last September.

Several Target team members attended the funeral Mass to support Liz, honor Stan’s memory, and celebrate our friendship with the Weightmans. The Mass was beautiful and touching. After the service, Stan, Jr., Liz’s brother, delivered a perfect eulogy.

When we look back and say, something is great…a book, a play, a composition, or art, we identify that work as a model—something to look back on as the height of the form—a work that inspires and informs the work of future generations. If we want to write a great poem, we read the great poems of the past. If we seek to learn to paint, we emulate history’s greats. We visit libraries and museums. We listen to live music. We learn the history and the context of the writers, artists, and performers.

Stan, Jr.’s eulogy was one I would study if I were in the position to offer thoughts on a life well lived. Stan’s life, contribution to his community, and the Weightman family also serve as models. I wish that I had known him better and longer. I wish that I had the opportunity to learn more from his example.

Rest in peace, Mr. Weightman. May God’s mercy find your soul. You will remain alive in the hearts and minds of those at Target and all you encountered.