Posted by Robert Gutjahr on January 7, 2015:

Uncle Tim January 6, 2015 This past holiday season has been extremely difficult. My grandfather passed away a few days before Christmas and my Uncle Tim, the person that inspired me to ride across the country, passed away eight days later on December 28th, 2015. Uncle Tim was diagnosed with adult-onset leukemia in April of this year. According to Uncle Tim, he hadn't been to the doctor in over 5 years, but something was making breathing difficult so he sought a medical professional. Ever since, he had been in and out of the hospital, undergoing weekly treatments of chemotherapy. Some days were good, and some days not so good. We would chat on the phone every once in a while to catch up and talk about anything other than the pain he was enduring. He would always text me things like "thinking of you" and "make sure to study!". Uncle Tim was encouraging, witty, and always in good spirits. On Thanksgiving, Uncle Tim visited for our annual celebrations of Christmas tree-cutting and home cooked meals. He was cracking jokes left and right. This was the first time he had met my boyfriend, Anthony, as well as my brother's girlfriend, Anna. Tim immediately assumed the father role and drilled Anthony with questions about his personal interests, school performance, intentions, and even future plans of engagement. Anthony seemed to pass inspection, as 45 minutes later it was Anna's turn. Two days before he passed away, I went to visit him at the hospital in Alexandria, Virginia. He could barely talk and preferred to listen to other conversations around him. Both his daughter (20) and his son (18) were there to support him as well as his wonderful wife. I watched as almost a dozen people walked in and out of his room; family, friends, neighbors, doctors, and nurses. It was clear that Uncle Tim's infectious personality had touched each of these individual's lives, as they often reflected on times of laughter and happiness. I cannot imagine what the family must have gone through as this terrible disease caught a hold of Tim's life. To watch two young adults, as they are just entering the adult world lose their father was heart breaking. I offer all my love and support to the entire Sweeney family. In reflecting back over the past eight months since my Uncle Tim was diagnosed with cancer, I wish I had done more to show how much he meant to me. I wish I had texted more. I wish I had called more. I wish I had visited more. I wish he were still here. And if he could read this right now, I hope he knows this, all of this. I am truly sorry. This experience has made me realize how precious life truly is. Never take it for granted. Ever. Cancer is a terrible, terrible disease. It has the power to take a life in a matter of eight months with no fair warning. It has the power to leave a family without a husband, a father, and an uncle. Yet, it has the power to make one stronger. It has the power to make one realize the purity and brilliance of life. So, as I enter the New Year and the challenges it may bring, I ride for my beloved Uncle Tim and the whole Sweeney family. Rest in peace Tim Sweeney. Thank you for all that you have done. You will be missed greatly. http://memorial.mobile.yourtribute.com/Timothy-Sweeney/story.aspx __ The family asks that a donation to the Leukemia Research Foundation be made in Tim's honor: https://www.allbloodcancers.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=donate.donate&fundraisingCampaign_id=5

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