This week the small town that I live in lost it's "original son," Danny "Boomer" Bishop.
From as early as I can remember, Boomer was a constant fixture in Newnan, Georgia. Walking the streets, visiting the small businesses and speaking to everyone, Boomer didn't know a stranger and didn't have an enemy. His love and friendliness for all was only rivalled by his knowlege of sports statistics. Although simple in mind, Boomer's knowledge of sports was astonishing, a true gift from God. I believe his favorite sports teams were the Braves and Georgia Tech, and somehow he always managed to find a way to make it to many of their games.
The love of our community for Boomer was overwhelming, evidenced by the care they took of him. Giving him rides, taking him to sports games, buying him a meal and, in the end, taking him to the doctor and visiting him in hospice. Our love for Boomer is a direct result of his love for us and our community. In his life he touched more people than he could ever know simply by ALWAYS being a kind and friendly person, calling us by name and engaging in conversation. As my father said, "Boomer is everyone's friend...Boomer loves everybody."
We were all blessed to know Boomer. This extraordinary and simple man who lived a simple life was so much more. He was an unexpected gift to us and the heart of a community.
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