Well, I finally found him on Facebook!
His name is Tollie Padgett. He was my congregation overseer (before the "elder" changeover) when I was in prison in Seagoville in the late 60's.
I've been searching for him for years and years. Finally I located him and sent off a simple message of identification as to who I am.
He "friended" me.
I have a tiny window of opportunity here and I don't want to blow it.
Let me tell you about Tollie first...
Tollie was a college educated JW who was sharp, intelligent and dynamic.
He was my hero as a role model of what I could be if I set my mind to becoming the best JW possible.
Until I met Tollie the only JW leaders I'd observed where molasses. Tollie was lightning in a bottle.
We've all met the go-along-to-get-along Jw's who dot the i's and cross the t's to fill their quota.
They are neither hot nor cold.
Tollie was on fire! But, not obnoxious or zealot-crazy irrepressible, either.
I sat in on his bookstudy for the first time after being invited (because of my comments a the meetings.) (JW bros had 5 meetings a week inside prison that mirrored the outside KH meetings. Plus there was extra study of the older publications from the Rutherford era as well.)
Tollie Padgett was looking for like-minded brothers who wanted to drill down deep to the mother lode. He wanted to wrest all the marrow out and MASTER the theology with absolute expertise.
That is when it hit me---I could master this theology by absorbing the deepest parts and relating it all to the whole! That soon became my driving ambition, too. I would be an EXPERT JW.
Tollie would expect you to have read deeply before coming to his bookstudy. He would simply call on you and challenge your thinking with a question which was NOT printed on the bottom of the page!
It was a master class if ever there was one.
It was the very first time the Society's publications came alive as something WORTH DIGGING IN DEEP to examine!
Looking back now I'd say it was entirely due to the genius of Tollie's teaching methods.
Tollie brought in outside information: physics, math, science, history in an academic way---not the Society's lamebrain half quote method, either.
He'd challenge your answers and make you reach way down for an answer. It exploded my brain and I came alive to REAL STUDY and learning.
It was Socratic Method teaching and it was survival of the fittest! I loved it!
We went through the Babylon the Great Book back to front/front to back, Let your Name be Santified, Life Everlasting in Freedom of the Sons of God and whatever older books we could get our hands on.
When I was paroled from Seagoville I was like a chained dynamo ready to plug in like never before. But---once back in my old Kingdom Hall the speed at which life went apace was soooooo slooooooow it was underwater.
I couldn't understand why it was so boring, uninteresting, dull and haphazard!!
I became ambitious like nobody's business. Soon I was music servant, book study conductor, Public Talk speaker, full time Pioneer and zealot number one.
Tollie went on to Gilead and missionary work with his wife. I saw their class graduation photo in a yearbook.
That was the last I heard of him. It is 44 years later.
We know what happened to me! Mayor of APOSTATEVILLE!
But, Tollie? I don't know. He is retired. That's all I know.
We haven't had our first conversation.
I want to be able to make it count.
If he is still a JW you better believe the window of opportunity is narrow!
I want to say something very brief. Maybe one paragraph. It must be personal, sincere and very non-evil slave sounding.
I want to honor his memory in my life. Maybe just telling him how much his teaching methods and companionship meant to me.
Sidebar: When I was attacked by another inmate Tollie is the one who got 5 of the biggest brothers in the prison to "pay a visit" to the perp and let him know what fate was in store if he ever approached any JW again. Tollie also did the unthinkable. You just don't ever ever SNITCH inside prison walls.
But, Tollie, for my sake and the sake of all the other brothers, went to the Captain of the Guards (Lt. Bennett) and told him what had happened. Within 8 hours the inmate who attacked me was in the hole and set for transfer to a maximum security prison.
I owe Tollie for that.
But, I'm tripping over my intentions I suppose.
I want him to know I have always loved him as a friend and admired him as a person of integrity.
But....but....
Well, I'm asking YOU. What would you say?