James Gordon Pendleton, 1933-2014

Our family circle is a little smaller tonight.  One of the tallest branches of our family tree has fallen, a man who was friend to many, and whose unceasing service to our community has finally come to a close.  But more than just a cousin, he was also a good friend, an adviser, and always an encourager.  He served on the school board for a number of years, and his signature is one among those found on my high school diploma. He never overlooked a single high school graduation within the family, and that meant a lot to all of us traveling toward adulthood.

As a politician, he was fairly low-key.  He didn't spend time crowing about his accomplishments, because in his eyes, that was a look backwards.  He preferred to always look forwards, to envision what could be, what might be, and then to put his efforts toward making those things happen.  A few years back, at a family get-together, he told me where his political philosophy came from.  He said that when he was considering his first foray into politics, he asked his mother what her thoughts were on the subject.  In her homespun way, she told him, "I reckon nobody ever built a statue for a man who never done nothin'."

Instead of saying "It can't be done," his approach was more thoughtful, more on the order of, "And how do you propose to do that?" He was a lifelong Democrat, but he was also a banker.  He knew which side of the ledger the credits went, and which side the debits went.  He voted against the wishes of his party, if those wishes conflicted with his personal values.  He was less about being on the side of the majority, and more about being on the side of progress, and the side of right. In discussions he might play the devil's advocate, in order that all sides might be heard and considered before an issue was brought to a vote.

He was less about tax-and-spend, and more about investing in our community.  He was an early--and continuous--supporter of the YMCA of Harrison County, among many other institutions that enhance our community.  He donated his own funds to many worthwhile organizations and causes in the area, usually without public recognition or fanfare.

He was born in New Middletown, Indiana in 1933, during the very heart of the Great Depression.  He was one of 5 children, so he learned about the value of a dollar from an early age.  He served in the military, and then graduated from college--quite an accomplishment in his generation.  He started as a teacher and a coach, and in many ways he spent all his life teaching and coaching those around him.... especially those of us who were fortunate enough to be part of his extended family.

Yes, the passing of James Gordon Pendleton will leave quite an empty space...in our family, and in the community.  But I'm proud to have known him, and prouder still to have been a relative who benefited from his knowledge and counsel.  He was humble, but he was about the furthest thing from "a man who never done nothin' " I've ever met.  Maybe he didn't change the whole world, but he sure left a set of footprint in this little corner of it that anyone should be proud to walk in..