A Walk Through the Life of Doc Birdwhistell
(1946-2014)
Shine On!
Jack was born May 31, 1946
He was quite the character
and already had that easy smile.
He grew up in Lawrenceburg
Where he tried many, many things
Jack grew up quickly
As his brothers can tell you
Most Likely to Succeed in HS
He was a popular boy at G-Town
And the next year, a popular man!
Then came flowers, a ring, Ph.D.
And in 1976, Cory; in 1979, Dan
Fatherhood came naturally to him
As did being a small town minister
In 1980, he returned to G-town
And became Doc, Campus Minister
He took his kids on adventures
He was proud; they were thankful
Back on campus, he encouraged
He provided patient guidance
And joy to all those around him.
And then he encouraged more.
Some days he took in wisdom
And on other days he provided it.
He had the best of friends.
He always had beauty around.
And he took time to enjoy it.
Just like that, his kids grew up
And they took him on adventures.
They would go to the races
And to Shakertown (100+ times)
And they’d explore Kentucky
And go to ball games
And he’d share the things he loved.
On May 23, 2011: A Grandson
He took to that naturally too.
He was babysitter, book giver
He was hand-holder and snuggler
And they had their own language
And with FB, the world opened up
His teaching got a megaphone
And encouraging notes came daily