A Thanksgiving Passing

I didn't know him.

He was an old man, upper 70s, at an age when some men are older than others.

I'd heard of him first in October.  We were at the farm for dinner with the in-laws and his truck was parked in a field.  My father in law related that he'd been coming out white tail deer hunting, but it seemed that what he mostly loved to do was just to watch the deer. 

He was in very poor condition, my father in law related.  That is, he was in very bad health.

On Thanksgiving his truck went by again.  We never heard a shot.  Some time later his son drove in and didn't stop. And then he drove back out. When he returned, the sheriff was right behind him and they again drove through the farm yard and out to the field.  By the time my father in law and I were in the yard getting ready to drive out to see what was gong on, an ambulance was driving in.

When we arrived, the sheriff, county fire, an ambulance, his son and his grandson were all there. But he'd passed.  He had finally shot a deer, a nice white tail buck, but his heart started failing in the effort to drag him in.  He'd called his son for help, but it was too late. He was gone by the time his son arrived and I'm certain that he was gone soon after that call.

His son was in his fifties and related that he wished he'd come to their Thanksgiving gathering nearby, but the paused to note that it could have happened at any time.  The adult grandson noted "better here than in the office".  I think that grandson was right.  The sheriff deputy stated "he went doing something he loved".

And indeed he had.