memorial speech

Good afternoon, professors and teachers! I’d like to use this unique opportunity on memorial speech day to pay tribute to a man I’ll never miss in my life, Anthony B. Mikula, my paternal uncle. My beloved uncle died suddenly at his home on September 14, 2014, leaving a void in our family due to the part he played in our daily lives as a family. Although death is a fact that we must all face at some stage in our lives, the suffering that it brings is indescribable. My family has been fighting with the reality that Uncle Anthony is no longer with us, not anymore. Anthony, 51, was born on 8 November 1962 at Hershey Hospital in Hershey, PA to the family of Lorraine & Larry Hull of Mechanicsburg, PA, and Bernie Mikula of Harrisburg, PA, as their youngest son. He has been survived by his loving parent, Kimberly J. Holloway and his siblings Mikula, Lisa, Martin, Lorri, as well as other nieces and nephew. The entire family feels the hollow space he occupied and will ever miss him.

Anthony during a Birthday Party
Anthony attended Cumberland Valley and Trinity high schools and later joined the New York Dry Cleaning Institute from where he graduated with high honors as a master spotter. As a man who loved his country very much, he made a passionate decision to serve in the US Army, a job he did wholeheartedly. Besides, he acquired mechanics and maintenance skills and became as expert in fixing things, and I cannot remember any time he failed to set engines whenever he was called upon to assist.
Tony, as we commonly called him, was blessed with excellent social skills that few possess. For instance, he could just meet any stranger, and in the next few minutes, you could think that they have been friends for a long time. Tony was an outgoing person who ended almost every discussion with a sense of humor. If you ask his friends, all of them will confirm to you that he was such a funny person. Anthony ever had a big smile on his face and was fond of laughing most of the times. He was very creative and had his funny sayings that made life around him lively. He enjoyed being around people including family and friends. Tony was such a caring and loving person who could do anything within his ability to help his family members and friends whenever it was necessary. His ability to quickly, establish cordial relationships with all people including strangers affirms his commitment to humanity and God’s will.

Anthony with Family Members

As a devoted Christian, Tony believed in being faithful to the God’s will and all his actions while alive had a real reflection of his religious philosophy. As he put it on his Facebook account, ‘Do things in God-like ways, but don’t play him.’ Anthony ever cared and was concerned with the problems facing his friends; he sought for solutions and which is why most of his friends consulted him on various issues of life. As the Bible teaches us, ‘love your neighbor as yourself’ – this is a reflection of how Tony lived his life. As he quoted on his social media platform, he believed in the words of God and never wanted to cheat as he put it.
Anthony will also be remembered for his patriotic decision to join the US Army to protect our land and our people, Americans. Joining the US Army is often not a simple decision because it involves putting own life at risk for the sake of keeping American lives and property safe. As such, Anthony showed his boldness in decision-making and worth sacrifice for his nation. He is among the heroes that we, the American people will remember for as long as we are alive. As a man who loved and cherished humanity, he believed that through joining the army, he get an opportunity to deal with enemies of peace and bring the best out of his work to change the entire world particularly in the height of terrorism and for sure, he did it. His passion for humanity drove him to join the membership of the “Sunshine Angels” of Cumberland Valley. He worked tirelessly in his dream of making the society better than he found it as he always emphasized and showed it through helping the elderly, poor, and homeless people in the community.

Now that he is gone in body, I pray that his spirit will continue to drive the younger generation to get out and do their best both for their country and for people around them. Life is not all about what we did for ourselves but rather what we did for other people. Living according to the will of God is the best way to appreciate the opportunity that the Almighty has granted us today.
Lecturers and fellow students, as I conclude, I wish to reiterate that we should live our lives according to the will of God. To my beloved uncle, I say this, may your soul rest in eternal peace.
Thank you all.