Tim was one of the counselors at Beachmont Christian Camp in Kingsville, MD. He and I worked side by side for four summers. Tim was, in a word, brilliant. He studied and prayed more deeply and compassionately than anyone I have ever met, or probably ever will meet. He was one of the great people of the world. He genuinely cared about each and every person he met, and was never too busy to give you a few minutes to talk or pray. And he knew so much! His words were always based in his own intense personal spirituality and his historical knowledge of Scripture.
But despite being quiet and humble, when Tim got up to preach, you listened. You couldn't help it. He had such a powerful presence. Children and adults alike were held in rapt attention when he started speaking. He reached and touched everyone he knew. Everyone loved Tim.
After finishing undergraduate work at Towson University, Tim had begun graduate studies at Westminster Theological Seminary in Philadelphia. His behavior had started shifting, and he had hinted that as soon as the semester was over, he was going to inquire with a doctor about bi-polar disorder. He never quite made it that far.
On May 11, 2006, Tim finished his Ethics exam (and got an A). He went to the local Y to drop off the report cards for his swim class, and stayed there talking until about 5:45 p.m. And then he drove to the train tracks. By 6:01 p.m., Tim was dead, hit by a Septa, an assumed suicide. He left behind five heart-broken siblings and a devastated community.
Tim was and is someone I look up to. He espoused every quality that a Gentleman should. I aspire to make my life more like his. To care half as much as he did. To show even a smidgen of his compassion and integrity. He was the most Godly man I've ever known. He was a clever scholar and teacher, and a captivating preacher. But mostly, Tim was my friend. And he was a great friend.
And I miss him.
R.I.P. Tim Barranco, 2/26/80 - 5/11/06
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4 comments:
Ali. This touched my heart, I miss him too. Thanks for writing this and helping me remember how amazing Tim was and how thankful to God I am that Tim was apart of my life.
~Krista
Well said Ali. I just wish he knew how many lives he truly impacted... mine being one of them.
thanks for writing this.
i miss mr. tim so much too.
he made a huge impact on my life when i was in his group at camp. he helped me become a christian when i was nine.
i miss him terribly and i know that when we die and see him again, it'll be one heck of a party
I have had a hard time comming back to Beachmont since Tim passed. He was such an important part of my teen years, and he helped to make me the person I am today. The world is a darker place without Tim in it. I look foward to when we meet up again in Heaven. Tim I miss ya, I love ya and you are always in my prayers.
Eric Aycock
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