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My uncle Travis, died of complications related to a heart attack, at the age of 85.
Travis grew up in rural Mississippi, the son of a coffee salesman and an orphaned woman who both lived hard lives. Travis was 10 years older than my dad, and became the man of the household when he was 15 and his father died in a car accident. Thus, he wasn't only my uncle, but also the closest thing I had to a grandfather. And, when my father died in 1986, he became a stand-in father figure for me as well.
Travis started school at what was then called Mississippi State College in 1941. His first semester was highlighted by the Pearl Harbor attacks, and by the end of his Sophomore year he had been drafted. Travis never went overseas during the war. Instead, his unit was selected to serve as guinea pigs for ways to survive nerve and mustard gas attacks. He was not too pleased with the way he served his country, but he always just accepted it as doing his part.
A few years ago, a writer for the Detroit Free Press got wind of the story, and wanted to do an expose on how the army treated its own soldiers. No one in his unit wanted to speak to the reporter, but since he had located all the survivors, they used the opportunity to get reunited.
When Travis returned from the War, he said the State College's chemical engineering department "had gone to pot", so he transferred to LSU, where he met the woman he would remain married to for over 60 years. When he graduated, he took a job as a petroleum engineer for Texaco, the only job he would ever hold. His wife was a CPA.
His life with Texaco saw him transferred to just about every small town in Louisiana South of I-10, which suited him and his wife just fine. They were active members of the Baptist Church wherever they lived, and Travis usually served as a Deacon. By visiting with them at least twice a year, I was exposed to Cajun cooking way before it was cool, and my aunt was also way ahead of the curve on low fat, low sodium diets.
Texaco eventually transferred him to the offices in New Orleans, which he didn't care for at all. I enjoyed visiting them much more in the big city, but they just weren't happy there. Once their 3 children had graduated college, he accepted an early retirement at age 55. He and his wife "retired" to Crowley, LA, where they owned an H & R Block branch. They stayed incredibly busy, peparing tax returns for just about everyone in town, staying extremely active in their church, and making frequent visits to the retirement home where Travis' mother-in-law had lived in her final years.
Retirement suited my Uncle well. He was truly a brilliant engineer, and spent a lot of his retirement learning about computers. He was the IT department for their tax business. Technology just thrilled him, and he always had something new to show me whenever I came in to visit.
In recent years his health deteriorated a lot. He developed an allergy to shellfish, which eliminated over half of his regular diet. His eyesight was so bad he quit driving, and a couple years ago he had to be fitted with a pacemaker (atrial fibrulation -- same thing my grandmother and father had, so I've got THAT to look forward to). But he always told me that if he started feeling sorry for himself, he would just visit the retirement home and see people with real problems. When I saw him last Thanksgiving he did not look well at all, and I was scheduling a trip to visit them this Spring since I figured time was running short. He had a heart attack over New Year's, and never fully recovered.
The thing about Travis was, his life was so simple. Go to Church, work hard at your job, take care of your family, and volunteer in the community. Toss in some LSU sports for entertainment. He never liked to talk politics, or worry about the big problems in the world. He was quick with a silly joke (always clean) and he loved people. He and his wife used to drive all over the country to visit distant relatives, while few of those people would ever return the favor.
When I was younger, I thought his life was terribly boring. These days, I would trade anything for that type of boredom.
I am sad that he has passed away, but Travis lived a full and happy life. Whether you believe in an afterlife or not, there is no doubt that Travis died with peace and contentment in his heart. Rest in Peace, Travis; you've earned it.
