Posted by Neville S.K. Colburn on September 16, 1999:

My father died some time ago now, but I still think of the day he left us as if it were yesterday. I suppose I always will. When my mother asked me to post a eulogy about my father I was very reluctant, not because I couldn't think of anything to say, but because it's difficult to simply put into words all the great things about him and his life. I guess I can say it best this way: if ever I have a doubt about whether I am doing the right thing, I stop and think, "what would my Dad have done at a time like this?" I have no doubt the values my Dad followed were strengthened during his time at the USMA. I hope that when I have children I pass on these values to them, just as my father did for me. Many who read this and knew my father remember him for his great sense of humor. I'm happy to have inherited a little of my father's quick wit, although it did get me into trouble from time to time as a kid. At least my father understood, though, that the youngest child always gets the shaft! Neville, or Toby to those who knew him, was definitely an entertainer. If he wasn't cooking for the masses he was wow-ing them with song as he played his guitar or ukulele. In 1984 a car accident after a long day at Ft. Irwin left him paralyzed from the neck down, but that didn't stop my father's passions. Instead, he continued these loves through me as we teamed up in the kitchen or sang together in the living room. These are just some of the memories I will always treasure about my Dad, Neville Colburn. I am proud to bear his name and I only hope I can wear it as proudly throughout my life as my father did during his. I have met many of my father's classmates from Westpoint since he passed away, and I never tire of hearing the many stories they shared about the times they spent with him, or how he touched their lives in a positive way. I should correct one remark I made earlier: although my father left us, his spirit will always be here. All we have to do is think of him. Here's to you, Pop...

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