Scenes from a Retirement Party

Well, Rob's REALLY, REALLY big retirement party was a great success.

We had much more fun than was absolutely necessary. We laughed and laughed and then we laughed some more when we weren't eating Yankee Pot Roast (what else would you serve to honor someone born in Burlington, Vermont?) or dipping slices of banana, mango and papaya into a fountain of chocolate for dessert?

True to the Hawai'ian tradition of "talk story," members of the congregation put together a "Power Point slide show" during which tributes - parts of Rob's life story - were read.

Many of the tributes were deeply moving - especially the one from his son, Tom which was read by his daughter, Bekah. There were also tributes from Mac and Mary Adelia Rosamond MacLeod, the 9th Bishop of Vermont, now retired, as well as former parishioners from Maine.

When we all stood at the end of the celebration and held hands as we sang, "Aloha, 'Oe" . . . well, I'll just say that there wasn't a dry eye in the house.

I've a TON of pictures, but these will give you a sense of the festivities.

I leave for home tomorrow. When I next return to Hawai'i, it will be as a stop over on my way to visit Rob in Bangkok.

The wonderful thing about "Aloha" is that it means "hello" AND "goodbye" AND "love" -which is right, because, when you love someone, there is neither hello nor goodbye. Whether you are together or apart, there is only love.

You know. It's what Jesus taught.

Here - enjoy the pictures before I start to cry again.

The entrance to The Parish of St. Clement's, Honolulu


Liz Zivanov, rector, starts things off.


Good food. Wonderful people. Great stories. Can heaven be far from sight?



"This is your life, Rob DeWolfe."



A fond 'farewell hula', just for Rob.


Aloha 'oe (Farewell to thee),
Aloha 'oe (farewell to thee)
E ke onaona hoho i ka lipo
(Thou charming one who dwells in shaded bowers.)
A fond embrace a ho'i a'e au
(A fond embrace 'ere I depart)
Until we meet again.

Aloha, Rob.

Aloha, Hawai'i.