The father of 5 boys, and 1 fine daughter: Dr. Will Tickel

I've been rather quiet over the past couple of weeks due in part to breaking my home pc. I closed up the laptop with an inkpen on the keyboard and broke the screen. I've been extremely busy at work, which hasn't allowed much time for goofing off and writing posts, but something happened yesterday that is haunting me.

Remember my "Ice sucks ass" post? The one which talked about the car accident outside my office one morning? I was off work last Thursday and Friday, and late Friday afternoon, a couple of men showed up at my office asking for me. Gina told them I wasn't here, and then they said that their Dad and younger brother were in the accident with the bus out front. Gina immediately asked about them, hoping they were ok... but that wasn't the case. The dad, the one I was helping, died four days after the accident. They wanted to meet the woman who was with them right after the accident, and had been looking for me for weeks. Since I wasn't a witness to the accident, my name wasn't in the accident report, but they knew from the news coverage and from talking to the bus driver and paramedics that I was there to help their dad. All they knew was that I "lived" near the accident scene, in house that's for sale. (actually, I work in a house that's for sale)

I really thought he'd be ok. I never thought he'd die. I've been thinking about this a lot since I found out yesterday. I've also been reading about the man who died. His name is William Tickel, and he's a very well known chiropractor, christian father of "five sons and one fine daughter", and author of nearly 3 books. I say "nearly" because he'd just finished the third book and was still editing it. The comment page for his obituary has nearly 100 comments.

Three of his sons may come see me tomorrow, including Bill, the oldest, and Geoff, the driver of the car. I talked to Bill on the phone today for about a half hour, and learned a lot about the aftermath of the accident. His dad's heart stopped for 15 minutes, his aorta was torn, he broke several bones in his face, and was in a coma. He said that there were times he was able to talk to his dad, and he'd turn his head and open his eyes, but he never said anything. He said things went downhill rapidly on the 4th day, and they turned off his life support. Bill told his dad that it was ok, he raised a good and strong family, and it was ok for him to pass.... then he died.

I am just heartbroken. Things like this change your perspective. Geoff, the driver, and one other brother graduated from college a week after the accident. Geoff got married a week after graduation. Bill was so sad that his dad didn't get to experience the graduations or the wedding. He said Geoff has no memory of the accident, or me, and had no idea he seized while waiting for the police to arrive.

I've thought a lot about Geoff and Will, and what happened to them after the accident. Now, I know. In some ways, I'm glad. Other ways.... I'm just devastated. From what I know, Will was right with God and his family when he died. They all knew he loved them, and was so proud of his children. They knew he was a strong christian man and would go to heaven to be reunited with them in the future. His daughter-in-law wrote that he was in heaven now, with her son Caleb, playing soccer in the clouds. (I found out from Bill that Caleb died from a heart condition when he was about a year old.) When she told her 6 year old son about his grandfather's death, he said "I guess he was done telling people about Jesus".

Out of the mouths of babes.... "I guess he was done telling people about Jesus".

Rest in peace, Dr. Will Tickel. You've left behind a strong and faithful family who will love and support each other over the years to come. It is obvious to all that you will be greatly missed. Be sure to give Caleb a kiss from his mom and dad, ok?