The "dear john" letters part I

The linen-textured album provided an inset for this title.

On April 26, 2023, we gathered at the Savannah Center to thank our club's co-founder, John Topliss, and his wife, Jean, for 20 years of skilled direction and lasting friendship. They're returning to their native England, and while we'll miss them, we'll carry on the lasting impression they've made on our team. 

One of several gifts presented that evening was an album, The Dear John Letters. Here's how I described it: 

John and Jean,
Tonight we’re privileged to thank you in person for all you mean to us. We also want you to have a tangible souvenir of those thoughts. So, since I’m the club’s word nerd, I gave everyone an assignment: Write a Dear John letter. They did! The letters are in this album – your permanent keepsake of our memories, our gratitude, and our love.

We all have our favorite John Topliss stories. Three of the Dear John letters provided never-to-be-forgotten ones. Here's the first, from team member Art Bourgeois. 
--Leah Rewolinski, The Villages TLC Word Nerd

A Moment of Silence 
Everyone who has experienced one of John’s time trials knows how precise and exact he is with every organizational detail. Apparently he is that way in other aspects of his life.
 
Those with longevity in the club will remember the potluck socials we would have before John left for the UK in May. It was customary for John to start the festivities with a recap of the season. On this particular occasion, two members had passed away that year, and we wanted to recognize them.
 
At John’s table, it was decided that a moment of silence after the season recap would be appropriate. John then asked me,”How long should the ‘moment’ last?” I shrugged my shoulders and said, “About 30 seconds.” Well, “somewhere” is not nearly precise enough for John. As soon as we all bowed our heads, he used his watch to time the “moment of silence” to EXACTLY 30 seconds. He then said, “Thanks, everyone, let’s eat.”
 
I’m not sure whether his exacting nature is the cause or the result of his track and field experience. But we can all be thankful, for it has served all of us with a great experience.