Sunday, August 2, 2015
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LINZY an Uncle's Remembrance
My niece Eileen fell in love with Linzy Wagley and they were married some years back. She's the eldest daughter of my eldest sister, so that made me, oddly enough, Linzy's Uncle. Though maybe I was more of what we used to call a "Shoestring Uncle". Because Linzy and I were roughly of the same generational cohort, and we related more as friends and peers than anything else. Of course, we lost Linzy much too soon, but I can at least feel some consolation in the fact that I got to know him a little, over the years, over various visits to Santa Cruz, over multiple meals and even over a few overnight stays.
Linzy was a True Gentleman, and I am capitalizing the letters T and the G there. When I first met him, I may have thought he was some kind of tough guy. A California biker dude or some kind of rough & tumble Texas wildcatter. But it did not take long to appreciate the courtesy, the soft-spoken humor, and the the grand old-fashioned manners of the guy. He had the most beautiful and reassuring baritone voice, with that deep, Lone Star manliness to it. Yet, he was kindly and loving to those he cared about.
Gentle in his talk and playful in his commentary. He could even be quite boyish when you got onto some of his favorite topics. Baseball, for example. He could wax quite poetic about certain memorable games and certain great players. Even on the subject of baseball cards, he had his opinions. Beneath the rugged exterior, a boy's heart still beat.
It was also a treat to hear him outline the woodworking projects he had underway. Furniture, garden structures, shelving--- he had enthusiasm for their construction and palpable satisfaction in their completion. In these activities, there was , by implication, another expression of love for Eileen and Victor.
A classic American man...I think we can say sincerely "like they don't make any more"....Linzy appreciated the finer forms of the automotive arts and crafts. A good truck. A handsome motorcycle. And his fondness for his own rides was contagious. I really enjoyed simply sitting in his pick-up to savor what it represented. It's not too much to say, an embodiment of our plainest and proudest individual freedoms and prerogatives.
Linzy was a calm and low-key guy. Modest in so many ways. Yet there were some very big qualities in that big Texas & California-sized soul of his. The help & friendship he offered to so many who struggled with substance abuse. That is beyond calculating. The love he reserved for his small family circle was selective --but sweet and true.
Overall, I was impressed by the unusual shape of Linzy's life. All the various jobs at distinctive places, ranging from ranches and lodges to myriad forms of skilled labor, a wide variety of work in both town and country---They were a kind of testament to his desire, perhaps never expressed directly, to live a life that did not conform to the everyday. Well, he won't be recalled as an everyday guy. He'll be recalled as a one-of-a-kind husband, a unique friend, and a good, lovable man.
Steve O'Donnell 7/7/15 Los Angeles
