Friday, April 28, 2023
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My brother John was a character, the likes of whom we may never see again. A softhearted man, John’s prickly exterior rivaled any self respecting porcupine. As one of “The Brothers”, of whom we were 5, John was the one who kept us all in stitches with his razor sharp wit and outrageous points of view.
John had many natural talents. He was athletic and enjoyed bowling and golfing for much of his life. He was good at all sorts of games and excelled at whatever he put his mind to mastering. He was a handy man, when it suited him, and had an impressive collection of tools. Being a home shopping network fan, John had gadgets and appliances galore. It was always fun to see his latest favorite acquisitions when visiting Elmira.
John was allergic to having a boss or taking directions from anyone. Many were the childhood baseball games which came to a screeching halt because John would not concede that he was “out”. As an adult he was a US Postal Service employee who used his considerable talents to avoid doing his assigned work. And when he retired to become self employed I firmly believe his supervisors rejoiced as much as he did about a new career path.
The happiest years of John’s life were those he spent with Sue, raising the kids, running the nursing homes, and hosting yearly Cogswell family reunions. The entire Cogswell family continues to benefit from those bonding years through the close and loving relationships between aunts, uncles and cousins which enrich our lives.
Of the 5 brothers, John and I were closest in age. We were 12 and 10 when our father died and life became difficult at home. During the ensuing years, John and I relied on each other and we watched out for each other time and time again. His love and his loyalty sustained me back in those days and I will forever be grateful.
