It's what we do in life...

Dudley Whitley passed away recently.

Mr. Whitley was THE MAN back in the day in Rocky Mount. At one point or another, Mr. Whitley served the people of RM as a football coach, basketball coach, baseball coach, teacher, principal, athletics director and school system superintendent. He wore many hats, and wore them well.

Mr. Whitley's funeral was jam packed with his former students and players, and of course, friends and family. During the service, Lakeside Baptist senior minister Dr. Jody Wright recalled a conversation he had with Mr. Whitley just before his passing:

As Mr. Whitley neared his final days, he called Dr. Wright to his bedside for a final "confession" of sorts. It seems that when Mr. Whitley was a young man, he attended a tent revival being held in a field across from his home. Caught up in the excitement of the moment, Mr. Whitley headed to the alter at the call of the preacher, thinking he was dedicating his life to Christ. It was only after he knelt that he realized the preacher was enlisting young men to follow his path - that of the ministry. Needless to say, Mr. Whitley did not become a preacher.

As Dr. Wright listened, Mr. Whitley confessed that he felt guilty for not pursuing the ministry as he assumed he had promised in the tent that evening. He was concerned, as he grew closer to being with the Lord, that he'd not be permitted to enter the Gates of Heaven, since he reneged on what he felt was a commitment to God.

Dr. Wright comforted Mr. Whitley and assured him that his place is heaven was awaiting him. He had nothing to fear. Besides, said Dr. Wright, he had not failed to become a minister, he just never became a preacher.

You see, Mr. Whitley was a minister in athletic clothing. Back when Mr. Whitley coached, he was a father figure to many a young man that had no father at home, or at least a father that took interest. Mr. Whitley was a guide, a confidant, a leader of men that made sure his students were treated with love and respect. Grown men cried at his funeral. They wept because they had lost a dear friend and a father-figure. And it was because of Mr. Whitley that they grew up to be successful men and fathers in their own way.

It just goes to show that it's not the title we have in life, but it's what we do in life that matters...

How-How!