That was one of the very first thoughts that came to mind this morning.
Tim was many things to many people. I suppose the first aspect that comes to the minds of lots of folks is that he was an amazing photographer. For more than forty years Tim made his mark not just in Reidsville and Rockingham County, but throughout the Piedmont region. Tim was blessed with an incredible vision and sense of composition. The man worked with light the way that the finest sculptors work with clay. Tim came up with seemingly countless ways of staging photos and he would go to whatever lengths it took to pull them off. He also had a way of bringing out the best of his subjects. Everyone was beautiful in his eye and he knew how to capture and convey that with his camera. Tim had ways of pulling off the almost impossible... like when he coaxed my dachshund Tammy into sitting still when we did a photo shoot with him in 2017. I had told him that if he could do that then he was a better man than me... and lo and behold he did it!
If nothing else then the many thousands of portraits that he made, hanging in family living rooms throughout the region, attests to his talent.
Those who knew him best, though, will remember him for so much else.
Tim was a devoted husband to his wife Donna, and a father to his son Brandon. He absolutely adored Brandon's wife and their three daughters. When Tim finally retired some years ago, it was always with it borne in mind that he and Donna were going to move to Lancaster County, Pennsylvania so he could be closer to Brandon and his family.
And once Tim got situated in Lancaster County, he very quickly made friends among the people there, especially his Amish neighbors. I think Tim might have been the one photographer they trusted enough with his getting an occasional picture of them (but not for widespread publication, those were meant for his friends and family). Not long after relocating there, Tim became the driver of a tour bus, and he became much beloved for his knowledge, his sense of humor, and just the fact that he was a southerner driving visitors around "Amish Country".
Tim's good cheer and friendliness were absolutely contagious. His smile lit up everything... and every one... who came into his proximity. I don't think Tim ever met a stranger. And in that regard, he certainly became a role model for my own place in this world.
Tim had principles. He stood resolute upon them. I think it's safe to say that there were some people who didn't agree with those. But there was too much respect for Tim than to think any less of him for those. With Tim, you knew where he was positioned. And that had to be admired by all who knew him or knew of him.
Tim devoted his life to serving God, in whatever capacity that might be. God gave him a talent and Tim was determined to make the most of it. He truly was a brother in Christ who cared for all who came into his life, for however long or brief it might have been.
I think that most of all, though, what especially rends my heart right now, is that I have lost a wonderful friend.
I had my photo taken by Tim several times. I also knew him from the Boy Scouts. He and I were adult leaders in Reidsville's Troop 797. In fact, that's where I first laid eyes on him, after seeing his work displayed around the area for years already. Once, a month or so before I graduated from high school, Tim and me and several other Scouts and Scouters made a long drive to camp in the North Carolina mountains for a weekend and to hike part of the Appalachian Trail. Tim made sure to bring a camera along to snap photos. He took to mountain hiking the way a fish takes to water. The troop also went camping a few times at Tim's place outside of Reidsville.
We were already friends. When Facebook came along that gave us more opportunity to keep in touch on a regular basis. Tim often shared some of his latest handiwork, and he was ever eager to demonstrate to his readers how he worked his trade. I learned a lot about photography from Tim and his informal academy. I believe a lot of people did, too.
Well, I could say so much, much more. All that I really know since yesterday afternoon is that the world has lost a tremendously talented man, a family has lost a husband and a father and a grandfather, two communities hundreds of miles apart have lost a respected citizen, and I have lost a wonderful friend.
Until we meet again, Tim. Thank you for being you. And I thank God that He let you be in our lives, for however brief a season it seemed.
