My name is Richard Richardson. I realize that many of you have actually known and worked with Fran for a long time and feel very close to him. But I think it’s important to note that I hold a very special and unique claim to Fran that no one else can make. I am his little brother.
You should know that Fran took this role of older brother very seriously. And while many tonight have talked of his Buddhism as a recent influence in his life, over his life he has searched for truth in many places... from Christianity in his youth, to the East to Buddhism, and up to the stars. But not many of you know that, as his little brother growing up, I had the pleasure of knowing teenage Fran when he was looking West to the German philosopher Nietzsche.
Fran taught me how to play baseball. He was some years older than I was and much bigger. He wanted me to be good, so one of the things he would do to train me is he would throw the ball at me as hard as he could. If I were lucky enough to catch it, my hand would burn in my glove. He would say, “Does it hurt?” “Yes!” He would then follow, “Are you still alive?” I responded “Yes.” Fran then came back and “Then you are ok. You'll be stronger.”
If I didn't catch it, it would hit me somewhere else on my body and leave bumps and welts. “Does it hurt?” “Yep!” “Are you still Alive?” “Yep!” “It’s ok then, it will only make you a better ball player.”
Fran would never let me side step away from the baseball. I knew that if I did, I might die… Anyway, I wouldn't want to lose his respect. He often told me that if I didn't want to get hit with baseballs, then I should learn to use the mitt, because that's why God created it!
I learned to be fearless. Playing and hitting against kids my age wasn’t so hard. To be honest my fearlessness probably got the best of me when I was eight years old, when I took a line drive off the coach’s bat which smashed and broke my nose. Fran was proud of me though, and that was enough for me.
He taught me to catch, throw, hit, various position strategies… I modeled what I did after him. I dressed like him, I talked like him, walked like him, modeled my swing after him. After all, he was my older brother.
Someone earlier tonight said that Fran liked to play soccer earlier. I remember that Fran wasn't necessarily a finesse player at that point. He wanted to play fullback, defense. When they attacked on offense, Fran was there to meet them. One of my vivid memories was a day when Fran came home after breaking some kids leg. He smiled and said it was a legal tackle. He was an intimidating player in many things, as we took his job and roles seriously and wanted to be the best. It is sort of funny, but that is where I always saw him as a Chicago Bears guy – defense oriented, tough, intimidating. You aren’t pretty, but you go out and get your uniform dirty every day and do your job, regardless of the weather and temperature. You have some scars to show for your work. You are fearless, and fight hard to the end as part of a team. I wanted to be like him – I was a Bears fan too.
Another example of Fran the Nietzsche disciple was when he was taking Judo in high school. I had, as Fran’s little brother, the unique opportunity to be of assistance to him. He came home one day, and said something like, “Hey little brother, let me show you a couple of things.” He laid out a mattress on the basement floor, and somehow I ended up being his throwing dummy. (Maybe the operative word here was dummy…) When he did things, he did them with vigor, and know that through study and practice he would get better. He always wanted to get better at things. That is one of the things that I respect about Fran, his continual search to make things better.
As we got older, Fran was playing baseball in a league of 16 to 18-year-olds. I used to go to his games religiously. One time, his team was short a player. They were concerned, but he told his teammates, “Hey, my little brother can play…” They weren’t excited to begin with, but they let me play. He watched out for me, put his arm around me and gave me opportunities, and taught me the skills to seize on opportunities when they presented themselves.
When I came up to bat the first time, the other team moved the infield and outfield in, thinking at 12 years old, I wouldn't be that good. Fran came out on the field and stood next to me, and shouted at the other team, “Hey, my little brother can play, and not to underestimate me.”
I laughed, but it gave me confidence that my brother was there standing next to me. Of course the other team ignored him, and I drove it over their heads. Fran taught me well. I loved him.
After his games, he and his teammates would go out to A&W for rootbeer. They were all older, but Fran would take me along. They’d say, “Fran, lose your little brother!” But Fran told them that “where he went, his little brother went.” He had ways of developing the loyalty of those around him. You never felt alone. What a wonderful feeling to know that when things got tough, my older brother would be there to put his arm around my shoulders.
I guess this is similar to the wonderful blessing that we have to have our older brother in heaven, Christ, who watches out for us, teaches us, and protects us.
Later, I ended up being Fran’s roommate in college for a couple of years. It was fun. We went hiking, on trips, played baseball together, and he continued to watch out for me and give me advice. Even when we lived apart, it was always reassuring that I could call him up anytime and talk to him when I needed help or advice. No matter how long it had been since we talked last, our conversations always started with an update of how the Bears were doing. We would commiserate with each other, and then get down to talking other business…
I know many of you have known Fran longer and worked closely with him longer than I have. I'm truly jealous.
And I can see from talking with you and hearing your experiences that you loved him like I did.
I wished I could have done something to help him at the end. But I know he is in a happier place, where now our Savior can put his arm around Fran, and introduce him in heaven as His little brother.
I hope that Fran will finally find the truth he was searching for. I would expect him to be active, and that he would go hike and explore new heavenly vistas and new worlds that he has always looked to. More than that, I hope that he can get good seats from above to watch the Bears games. And if Fran has any influence over things, I hope the Bears have better teams in the future.
That would help make heaven – well... heaven!
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