Legacy of goodness: Eulogies honor two Tallahassee leaders | Candace McKibben

We left our home an hour early for the funeral service that we imagined would be well-attended. When we arrived, it was already crowded in the beautiful St. John’s Episcopal church building.

Church members identified by their badges were stationed all around the grounds and entrances to graciously guide people to available seats as the organist and a violinist played lovely music, and the hushed crowd watched as more and more people filled the narthex.

The 45-minute wait was to me a gift. How meaningful to sit in silence in such a beautiful place, among so many who made the time and effort to remember the life of a person who graced our community with his goodness, his profound concern for justice, and his loving-kindness.

As the bells tolled, the bereaved family made their entrance and the congregation stood lovingly in their honor, singing the stately hymn, “God of our Fathers.” From beginning to end the service was dignified, meaningful, encouraging, joyful, and inspiring.

'In thanksgiving' for Judge Joanos

The eulogy from his dear friend, Douglas Mannheimer, could not have been more fitting. We laughed and cried and marveled as he reminded us of all the ways James Emanuel Joanos, Sr. (“Jimmy” to most), made the world a better place. When we stood to sing “The Hymn to the Garnet and the Gold,” it was as beautiful and as touching as I have ever heard it.

The relatively new priest at St. John’s, Rev. Lonnie Lacy, is perhaps still known best as the “singing priest.”

The sermon he offered showed other strengths, beyond his voice and humor, including comfort for the Joanos family, insight into Judge Joanos’ spiritual curiosity and faith, and Father Lacy’s own faith-filled confidence in God’s resurrection power.

Following the service, guests were invited to Alfriend Hall while the family went to the Memorial Garden for the Committal. It was remarkable how many people stayed to offer their gratitude and love to the family for sharing Judge Joanos with us.

It was in this sacred time that friends and family began telling stories of this great man, how he made them feel uniquely special, how he made them better people. The bulletin cover read, “In thanksgiving for the life of James Emanuel Joanos, Sr.,” and it was truly a service of gratitude.

I did not know many of the people in attendance, but my husband, Bruce, certainly did. As an FSU graduate for both his undergraduate and law school degrees, and as a retired Administrative Law Judge, Bruce told me many of those who came to pay their respects were attorneys, judges, clerks, court reporters, and professors of law.

Between these distinguished guests, and many from the various FSU athletics departments, of which Judge Joanas was an ardent fan, along with his many church friends, it was a powerful affirmation of his life well-lived that I know meant much to his family.

Remembrance for 'Mother of the Medical School'

The very next day, I attended the remembrance ceremony for Dr. Myra Hurt, known lovingly as the “Mother of the Medical School.”

Held at the Durell Peaden Auditorium of the Medical School, Dr. Alma Littles, MD, the Interim Dean of the FSU College of Medicine, and one of Myra’s closest friends, led a beautiful service of remembrances from the President Emeritus of FSU, John Thrasher, to Deans and Professors with whom Dr. Hurt worked, to medical school graduates from various classes, whom she affectionately called “her babies.”

Even the music came from medical school graduates or Health Innovation staff, covering all the many amazing ways she touched and improved the sciences at FSU.

I was most deeply touched by the students, now successful physicians, who to a person felt they were a priority for “Mama Hurt” because of her availability, unwavering support, and belief in them.

Once again, I found myself in the company of a great crowd of accomplished people who took the time and energy to come out on a Saturday afternoon to salute a woman who impacted the world for the better, one person at a time. Each person who shared had the same conclusion about Dr. Hurt and her brilliance, her tenacity, and her beauty. Each person felt loved by Myra in a way that was unique to them and helped them to live their own lives with greater purpose and joy.

At the reception, there was the same sort of story-sharing as happened for Judge Joanos, where people had deep gratitude for the ways in which their lives had been enriched by a person of such vision and passion.

Impact of individuals

In a world where so much of what we hear about humanity can be troubling, disheartening, even frightening, what a remarkable weekend to focus on the lives of two extraordinary individuals who each had great integrity. It was not that they were perfect, or had more hours in a day than others, or had more opportunity or strength or courage, they simply had continuity of spirit. They were consistent. They knew what they valued and were willing to work toward their goals.

I remember reading once that integrity comes from the Latin word “integer,” meaning whole or complete. In mathematics, an integer is a whole number, not a fraction. In people, it involves living by one’s values or principles. It has to do with being authentic, true, and not duplicitous. It has to do with discipline. I am deeply inspired by those who live with such integrity, such congruity of spirit, that those who know them best have the same story about them.

In an article published in Harvard Gazette in August 2022, “Integrity May Be Good for Your Health,” the author states that while further research is needed to corroborate the role of strength of moral character for population mental health and physical health, “integrity is aligned with the nearly universal human desire to become a better person.”

Greater Good Magazine agrees. In February 2022, they featured an article about four ways to cultivate integrity in young people, concluding that practicing integrity and exercising moral courage produces good people.

Judge Joanos and Dr. Hurt were both good people. It is my prayer that we will be buoyed up by their goodness to live up to our own values and reach our own goals in a world that needs more goodness. May their families take comfort in their grief, knowing the great impact these good people have had on so many.

The Rev. Candace McKibben is an ordained minister and pastor of Tallahassee Fellowship.

This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Tributes honor legacies left by Judge Joanos, Dr Myra Hurt