Funeral Eulogy for Hank Caruso
Mt 5: 1-12a (Beatitudes)
Deacon Larry Brockman
It has been my pleasure to know Hank for over 12 years now. My wife Jane and I met the Curusos in Tennessee at St. Francis in Townsend while on vacation, and quickly learned of some common ground- our roots in Orlando and a common friend in the Diaconate. Hank and Jane were very helpful to Jane and me whenever we visited our place in Tennessee, right across the road from their house.
Hank was the middle son of an Italian immigrant and his second wife. Hank was born in 1939. He grew up going to school at St. James Cathedral and later Bishop Moore High School. After Hank married Jane, they settled along the South Florida Coast, but returned to the Orlando area a few years later, where Hank and Jane lived in Winter Park and raised their family for 36 years. Hank was a Corvette owner for over 20 years, an avid boat owner, and a water sports enthusiast. He worked as a Biomedical Engineer at Philips; but Hank was one of those people who worked to live; not lived to work. He rarely talked about his job in the time I knew him. But Hank took his Catholic faith seriously; he was a Eucharistic Minister and a very active member of the men’s club at Sts. Peter and Paul for many years.
Hank had a dream for when he retired. He wanted to live in the East Tennessee mountains, relax, hike a bit, and farm. So, in the 2003/2004 time frame, the Caruso’s left Orlando and built their retirement home halfway along the Foothills Parkway at some 2000 feet elevation in the Top of the World above Maryville Tennessee. It is 10 degrees cooler there than in Knoxville in the summer; and yet still relatively mild in the winter. Hank bought a tractor, and cleared enough land for a fair-sized garden. And so, Hank had a good 10 years to live his dream. Daily, he used his tractor and tended his land. I can remember tales of bumper crops of butternut squash, grapes, and tomatoes; and lots of hiking. Indeed, I remember a garage full of squash! And the Carusos took us along on some of those hikes. Hank also helped maintain order and peace in the Top of the World Community as an officer of the Homeowners Group.
Hank became a Reader at St. Francis, and a member of the Parish Finance Team. He was a key player in their effort to establish a parish there when St. Francis was a Mission church. Hank was also quite helpful to the Deacon there, Deacon Mike Nestor. Although Mike couldn’t be here today, he asked me to pass along his respects.
Jane and I really enjoyed the 10 years or so of visits to our vacation spot and Jane and Hanks company and hospitality. We hiked together, played together, and chewed the fat around our fire pit as retired folk do. We shared our family experiences; we relished in the photos of Hank and Janes tour of Sicily and the hospitality of his family; we watched how kind and generous Hank and Jane were in caring for Janes’s 90+ year old mom for many years. We were also witnesses to the onset of Hank’s Parkinson’s like disease. We watched it slowly but surely eat away at Hank’s vitality. We never heard Hank complain. Indeed, he endured his infirmity with the utmost of dignity. But we could feel the pain that they both experienced when it became clear they were going to have to leave their mountain home and retirement dream to return to Orlando and be close to family.
Over the last two years, we have remained close to the Carusos with frequent dinners out and evenings of cards. And in that time, we saw Hank maintain his spirit in the face of his terrible disease.
Our Gospel today talked about the Beatitudes. Life is all about learning to live the Beatitudes so that when we meet our Lord Jesus Christ, we will be ready for the Kingdom of God. It seems to me that Hank Caruso learned that lesson well. Time and circumstances led him to humble acceptance, generosity, mercifulness, peacemaking, and other aspects of the beatitudes. Rest in peace now Hank; enjoy your heavenly reward. We will all miss you.