In Memoriam

In Memoriam

Kenneth Jernigan, November 13, 1926, October 12, 1998

In Memoriam

This entire issue is devoted to remembering and

celebrating the life and work of our deeply loved President Emeritus, Kenneth Jernigan.

The November, 1998, issue described in words and pictures his funeral which took place on

October 15. On December 5 well over 600 people from across North America and around the

world gathered for a service of recollection and celebration, which began at 1:00 p.m. in

the International Ballroom of the Omni Hotel in Baltimore and ended at 5:00 p.m.

Steve Hastalis plays the flute before the memorial service.

As people filed into the room, Steve Hastalis of

our Chicago Chapter was playing his flute quietly. Steve plays beautifully, and, following

such favorites as "Climb Every Mountain," "To Dream the Impossible

Dream," and "Amazing Grace," the final selection was "Glory, Glory,

Federation." Then, promptly at one, President Maurer opened the service with the

words: "As Dr. Jernigan, who brought us all to this meeting, has frequently said,

`Federation meetings start on time.'" He then introduced Father Gregory Paul, the

pastor of St. Joseph's Monastery Church and the Jernigans' close friend, to give the

invocation. After that a stream of men and women who had known Dr. Jernigan came to the

platform to remember this man who changed our lives and altered the face of work with the

blind in this nation and, in significant measure, around the world. Many of those tributes

and recollections appear in the following pages. Many more letters and reflections are

also included in this memorial issue. Taken together they begin to suggest the energy, the

creativity, and the humanity of this man who dared to dream and taught us to dream as well

and who led us in the march to make those dreams reality.

One of the first people to speak was U.S. Senator

Paul Sarbanes of Maryland, whose remarks in the Congressional Record appear elsewhere in

this issue. Gary Magarrell, Vice President of Strategic Planning, represented the Canadian

National Institute for the Blind, and Penny Hartin spoke on behalf of the World Blind

Union. Near the close of the afternoon Lloyd Rasmussen sang the "Technology

Song" that moved Dr. Jernigan at last summer's convention, and Tom Bickford

accompanied him on the guitar. One of the day's final speakers was Camelia Sadat, daughter

of assassinated Egyptian President Anwar Sadat. She drew parallels between her father's

and Dr. Jernigan's qualities of greatness and their willingness to sacrifice everything to

bring about their vision of a better world.

Federationists seated at the back of the ballroom listen

intently to speakers at the memorial service.

One of the closing events of the afternoon was

the recital of the Jewish Kaddish for the dead led by Dr. Harold Snider as the audience

stood in rapt silence. Then Dr. Maurer quietly read several lines from Longfellow's poem

"The Day Is Done":

And the night shall be filled with music,

And the cares, that infest the day,

Shall fold their tents, like the Arabs,

And as silently steal away.

Since the ballroom was required immediately for

another function, the audience swiftly emptied the hall and boarded busses either to visit

the grave site or to travel directly to the National Center for the Blind. Hundreds filed

past the grave, which was illuminated and had been decked with greens, holly, and red

roses. One of those who made that pilgrimage was Barbara Baack, President of the Southern

Alameda County Chapter of the NFB of California. As Federationists stood quietly at the

graveside, Barbara raised her harmonica to her lips and quietly played "May the Good

Lord Bless and Keep You." Those present agreed that it was a wonderful moment of

shared blessing and intention.

Barbara Baack plays "May the Good Lord Bless and Keep You"

on her harmonica at Dr. Jernigan's Grave.

Meanwhile at the National Center guests were

making their way to the first floor of the Barney Street wing, where a large space had

just been refurbished and where enough tables for every one to be seated had been set up.

Soft drinks were available, and servers circulated with hors d'oeuvres. Shortly after six

a delicious but unpretentious buffet dinner was served to the entire crowd.

After dinner brief tours of the facility were

available for those interested in taking them. By shortly after nine everyone was on the

way back to the hotel or on to other engagements. The day had been memorable. Together we

had celebrated the life of the man who had counseled and led and loved us during his

entire adult life. We returned to our homes to take up the challenge he left us: to

conduct our lives with confidence and hope and to pass on these gifts to those who come

after us.