Marion Wood "Woody" Halenda
I thought about Tim this morning as I have at times over the years. We were good friends and grew up in Kendall FL, in Miami that was pineland forest. I met Tim after he had been struck by lightning while holding on to an aluminum close line attached to to pine trees. He was out to warn his father who was mowing the lawn to come in because of the approaching storm.
His recovery from that life changing event was long and difficult as I remember, and he was not able to run around the neighborhood with Sandy, Dain, and I. Dain died young of melanoma. He had what Doctors said was a birthmark on his neck and it ended his life in his early twenties. We have lost other friends from the neighborhood too early, two Steves, Kenny, Jack, others moved away.
I lost touch with Tim, he was a year older and our paths diverged when he went to Killian high School and I was stuck at Glades Jr High I believe they moved 9th grade from Sr. High to Jr High so it was a two year lag before I caught up to him.
If I'm not mistaken he was the Equipment Manager for the football team since his limitations from the Lightning strike kept him from playing, the guy never gave up and was truly an inspiration for those in our neighborhood who lived life to the full as well... some not as well as Tim. I hoped to speak with him again to catch up and write about his survival story since I seem to have my own story of survival in need of writting.
We had a fantastic youth in our Kendall home and many who survived did so in an excelling way. Tim was one of them and his intellect was apparent early on and that never quit attitude and consideration and thoughtfulness . Awaiting him in the resurrection, Woody
Saturday October 1, 2016 at 10:15 am