I was saddened

to read this week that John Bottoms, 91, passed away. I first met Mr.

Bottoms, who was a retired rear admiral with the United States Navy, in

June 1983 when my family and I moved to Peachtree City. I was 32 at the

time, my wife a bit younger, when we moved in next door to John Bottoms

and Ruth. At the time our three sons were 11, 9, and 2. John and Ruth

welcomed us to the city warmly and did not seem to be the least bit troubled

that this young minister and his pack of boys were next door.

Although the

youngest son was too little to have much to do with our neighbors, the

older boys seemed to find ways to intrude into the neighbor's yard. They

didn't know what a rear admiral was but they knew it was something important

and, above all, cool. They liked and respected John Bottoms.

Once, Mr. Bottoms

came next door to our home to report that my middle son was a hero. "A

hero?" I inquired. "Why?" He said that a fire had started

in his back yard and that my son had run to his door to alert him to the

danger. Mr. Bottoms and my son put the fire out and he bragged that my

son had done a fine thing. I'm pretty certain that he knew that my son

had been playing with matches and started the fire in his back yard but

he never let on. In fact, I didn't know the truth (though I had long been

suspicious) until some 15 years later when my son finally confessed.

Mr. Bottoms

would often be working in his yard with one of my kids would wander over

to see what he was doing and to ask questions. He never seemed to mind

the intrusion and always had something to say that made them feel welcome.

I don't know why the kids were so taken with him. Perhaps it was because

they were far away from their own grandparents and yearned for the company

of someone of that genre. Perhaps, it was because he was a retired military

officer who had served his country faithfully. To these young boys, he

was an American hero.

Why did he

take the time to talk to them, this leader of men and ships? I don't know

the answer to that question either, but I'm glad he did. We had just been

in Colorado for three years and the move to Georgia was difficult for

my sons. They left behind their school, their friends, and their church.

Here we were in a new dwelling, in a new community, and beginning work

in a new church. The place where we lived had a large parking lot for

bikes and skateboards, there were basketball goals, and we had access

to a swimming pool. But John and Ruth provided something special for the

short time we lived next door to them. They were good neighbors and they

were good to my small children.

In the spring

of 1984, one of my sons was run over by a car. It was a true accident

with no one at fault. It was just one of those things that happen sometimes.

Immediately Mrs. Bottoms was at our door, distraught at the possibility

that he was hurt badly. They both inquired about him often and he eventually

recovered fully.

We moved away

to another neighborhood a few months after the accident and lost contact

with the admiral and his wife. I don't know much about the military career

of John Bottoms, although I am certain that it is honorable and heroic.

If I remember correctly, he was a graduate of the Naval Academy and, from

there, enjoyed a long and illustrious career. They don't give medals for

being nice to small children who look up to military men. If they did,

I'm sure that John Bottoms would have been awarded several.

Father Dan

Brigham, rector of St. Andrew's-in-the-Pines Episcopal Church prayed the

final prayers and spoke the final words over John Bottoms as he commended

his soul to God. May God richly bless him for his contributions and his

sacrifices. And may God bless him for his kindness and in the case of

my son who started the fire for his mercy.

[Father David

Epps is rector of Christ the King Charismatic Episcopal Church, which

meets at 10 a.m. Sundays at 4881 E. Hwy 34. He may be contacted at 770-252-2428,

at [email protected] or at www.ctkcec.org.]