Posted by Frank Lennon on January 17, 2014:

I'm Frank Lennon, one of Dick's West Point classmates. He was my best friend, and I am honored and humbled that the Higgins family would invite me to speak today. Dick was a unique human being. Despite his successes in life, he once had a business card that described himself simply as "Richard Higgins, shepherd"--a bow to the handful of sheep that he and Deb raised during the early years on their Londonderry farm. Father, husband, patriot, and friend--he always railed against what he saw as social injustice, and he fought for the less fortunate and downtrodden. He was also passionate about his Irish heritage and history. He would often wax poetically about the plight of the potato famine victims, "squirming under the British boot", as he put it. Dick and I made 4 or 5 trips to Ireland together, just driving around the countryside with no preconceived plan. I think he was at his happiest when we would find an Irish folk group singing sad ballads in an out-of-the-way pub. He was also an incredibly bright guy who could grasp complex philosophical concepts. James Joyce was a great Irish author (and one of Dick's favorites). Joyce must have had Dick in mind when he wrote, "Shut your eyes and see." We'd be driving along somewhere, and all of a sudden Dick would ask a question like, "When you're lying on the ground, what makes you think you're looking UP at the sky?" He would point out that if someone in China were doing the same thing at the same time, one of you had to be looking DOWN into the universe. Dick Higgins combined that capacity of deep thinking with incredible communication skills, both verbal and written. He was a master of the eloquent turn of phrase, something that stood him in good stead as he built his very successful career as an arbitrator. Sometime around 1978, we befriended a young Englishman named Kevin Phillips, who came over here to work with us on a Middle East business project we were pursuing. "I really really liked Dick," Kevin emailed from London a couple of days ago. "I only have memories that bring a smile to my face when I recall them. We had just met for the first time in Boston at Logan, and he took me to breakfast. He had the whole diner in stitches with his warm and friendly banter with the waitress and other customers. I loved his offbeat outlook on life, and found his quick repartee and humorous stories refreshing and insightful. He really made me laugh." Yes, Kevin, I agree. Dick was one of the truly funniest human beings I've ever met. At times his wit was dry and subtle; at other times, his storytelling (or latest Father Murphy joke) would evoke hearty guffaws. Kevin concluded, "I am very glad to have known Dick, and proud to have also considered him my friend." That, coming from someone who has not seen Dick in more than 30 years, bears eloquent testimony to the way Dick Higgins was able to touch the lives of everyone around him. In closing, one of the things that kept Dick going during his cancer battle was his desire to join his fellow members of West Point's Class of 1963 as they celebrate their 50th reunion starting next weekend. Dick, my friend, in a small way we would like to bring a small piece of that reunion to you instead. A number of Dick's West Point classmates are here today, some of whom have traveled a considerable distance. Members of the West Point Class of 1963, please stand and honor our classmate and dear friend Dick Higgins. "May it be said well done, my friend--be thou at peace."

admin