Remembering (on behave of the ’88 Senior Class - In memory of Gary Tilton)

This one was written following the death of another classmate - Gary Tilton

Now as we are looking back
It’s the good times that we see.
And even more important,
The special person who brought those times to life.
It’s a shame now that he’s gone,
And those times are as sharp as a knife.

Remembering him and all he was
At times can be a comfort.
He was always nice to every one,
No matter who they were.
The tragedy of his accident
Leaves behind so much hurt.
But in our hearts he’ll always stay,
Of that we can be sure.

He touched our lives in so many ways
And we, his friends, will never forget.
He made the most of everyday
And brought us so much fun.
He was truly a remarkable person
And one we are fortunate to have met.

Although he’s not with us,
His memory lingers on.
And in our lives and in our minds,
He’ll always be number one.


By: Lori Kinnison Fortmann

note: This poem ended up in the school newspaper along side an article written by the deceased's best friend. I found out a couple years after high school that one of the classmates who approached me to write this poem later submitted it as their own in a journalism contest (along with the article) and it won a prize. I was so angry when I found that out. I had never wanted to take credit for the poem, that's why "on behave of the '88 Senior Class" is in the title. I thought that to be more respective of the person's death. However, I never expected someone else to take credit for it either.