John Sills

John Sills. (Link to newspaper obituary)
1/22/1978 - 3/9/2009

He was a network specialist for our facility. He and his wife have suffered through the passing of two babies, then a few years ago joyfully adopted the most adorable babe Sydnee. Then about two years ago he was diagnosed with two different types of cancer.

The first time I saw him outside of work it was at a revival his church was holding. He and his wife were there - despite the fact that he had just gotten another chemo treatment that very morning and those were very difficult for him.

In January he was finally able to return to work after receiving a bone marrow transplant.
He had a setback, and finally pneumonia set in.
Last Friday he was given 2-4 weeks to live.
Monday morning, shortly before 5am he passed away.

I have the utmost respect for his wife. She's been incredible. You can read one of her final posts on the website they created at http://www.johnsills.com/ 2/28, she was hoping he'd soon be home.

In talking about what quirky things we'd miss most about John, someone mentioned that they'd miss seeing him praying in the chapel in the mornings, and how he would come to the chapel to fill his water cup because "chapel water tastes better" and jokingly he would say that you just couldn't be "toooo careful anyway".

I'm so glad to have known him.



"God Knows Best"
(A tribute to John Sills)


Our Father knows what's best for us,So why should we complain ...We always want the sunshine,But He knows there must be rain. We love the sound of laughterAnd the merriment of cheer;But our hearts would lose their tendernessIf we never shed a tear. Our Father tests us oftenWith suffering and with sorrow;He tests us, not to punish us,But to help us meet "tomorrow." For growing trees are strengthenedWhen they withstand the storm;And the sharp cut of the chiselGives the marble grace and form. God never hurts us needlessly,And He never wastes our pain;For every loss He sends to usIs followed by rich gain. And when we count the blessingsThat God has so freely sent;We will find no cause for murmuringAnd no time to lament. For Our Father loves His children,And to Him all things are plain;So He never sends us "pleasure"When the "soul's deep need is pain." So whenever we are troubled,And when everything goes wrong,It is just God working in usTo make "our spirits strong."~ Helen Steiner Rice ~

Sister Harp

Wednesday before last, the call came that a beautiful woman, who had more layers than even me, might not make it through the night.
The next night, Thursday, I stood next to her hospital bed while she told me -not for the first time - that her bags were packed, and she was ready to go. Moments later I watched her cry, then gruffly say she's just having a pity party because she's still here.
In a conversation the night before she was released from the hospital, her desire for her heavenly home was in both our minds when she suddenly turned to me and said, "I'm just gonna praise Him. That's all I can do. I'm just gonna praise Him."
A few days passed and having left the hospital, she spent yesterday (Saturday) at the church with us sticking address labels on some tracts for some gift bags our church would be passing out. She hugged her great-grandchildren who had just arrived from Georgia, and just before she left the church, she got to visit with a grandson who had just arrived also.
She went back to the nursing home because she hates to miss a meal, then she spent the afternoon playing Bingo for the first time, and she won.
Then at 3am this morning she passed away.
It was her lucky day.

She'd lived 78 long and very full years.
I was blessed to have known her.