Lewis’s son Jeremy sang “Bring Him Home” at Lewis’s memorial service. The introduction and lyrics follow:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The afternoon before my father passed, he watched a broadcast of PBS\u2019s Memorial Day concert with my mother. I was watching the same broadcast from home. My mom reports that he was particularly touched by the concert, which brought him to tears several times. The concert included this song, sung by Jean Valjean in the stage version of Les Miserables.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Les Miz is the story of Valjean\u2019s quest for redemption, the imperfections of human justice, and the perfection of divine justice. It is about a man who learns compassion, and who ultimately teaches his stepchild, his employees, his fellow citizens, and even the story\u2019s protagonist to love by example.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
That is the way I will always remember my father.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Bring Him Home is sung by Valjean as he contemplates the possible death of his daughter\u2019s suitor. When my father first spoke with me about death in my youth, he did so very matter-of-factly. He told me that he wasn\u2019t scared of death\u2014his gentle way of telling me that anyone could be taken at any moment, and that no future days are guaranteed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
My father rarely minced words, he was honest, he taught by example, and he was prepared for death.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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