My tribute...

Almost eight years...wow. Literally battling cancer since 2000. It was a fight that required his entire physical, mental, and emotional committment. I wonder if a small measure of your life's success is weighted by the toll it took on your body. In the same way you can tell how much a person has read their Bible by the condition of the pages, you can assess the extent to which Bill Shanklin lived his life by the condition of his body at the end. He lived from the top of his head to the tips of his toes and has stories a billion for each scar, bone, and metal plate. Hitch-hiking across the states, driving off a cliff in a car, a humble life in Oklahoma to a dream life in Houston, 3 children, 6 grandchildren, one great-grandchild are but a thread of what made up the tapestry of his life before his courageous battle with cancer. After an almost eight year battle one might consider death a defeat...losing to the cancer. Be assured that this death was a victory in Jesus. There was work left to be done, and now it is finished. During his final years this man became assured in his faith and grounded in his salvation. He remained in this life until the Lord was certain he was ready for passage. God granted him the time and resources to answer his questions and solidify his place in eternity. He endured many trials but also relished in some of life's sweetest rewards. My personal reflection paints the picture of a man that seems as though he stands 7 feet tall. His presence was always known and his authority always recognized. I learned much about myself in the years we spent together. It's kind of a side effect of being around him....if you don't know who you are and what you stand for, you better figure it out quick because he pushes the tough buttons!! On the flip side, there is a tenderness that is insurmountable. The love for his family, the pride in his children, and the joy he took in seeing their faces. The community of love that surrounds this one person is unbelievable. The number of friends, business associates, aquaintances, family members, etc that knew and loved him is so vast. Something that will always stick with me is that he knows everyone by name. I count myself blessed to have known him and to have been loved by him. In one of his final days Bill spoke to me and asked me to "please take care of my son." Although I assured him that I always will, I hope he realizes that he already has. My husband is the man he is because of the father he was. John will rise to his challenges and fill his father's shoes, because that is what a Shanklin man does. I love you forever, Bill. Thank you for the years of love and memories. Thank you for my husband who is my life. This is how I felt.