A celebratory rather than somber atmosphere was created through the presence of colleagues and thoughtful details.  These refined touches included long stemmed red roses and the playing of Taps by one of four representatives of the Benson VFW Post 2503 Honor Guard.  White cards with the names of departed lawyers were organized on a table in the center of the Legislative Chamber. This ceremony was held at the Omaha-Douglas Civic Center, as planned by the Omaha Bar Association.

Each year a memorial committee gathers to host a ceremony that gives colleagues and family members a chance to pause and reflect on the lives of fellow members that have died.  Remarks made by Ann Miller, with the Douglas County Attorney’s Office. made in recognition of the “absent”,  and a prayerful invocation offered by the Rev. Dr. Selwyn Q. Bachus of Salem Baptist Church supported an uplifting mood.

While Kahil Gibran’s work was not mentioned (he was a Lebanese poet and mystic), a line from his poem titled Joy and Sorrow captures the purpose of the event. ”When you are joyous, look deep into your heart and you shall find it is only that which has given you sorrow that is giving you joy”.  This perspective radiates the care taken in executing this event.

The impact of this ceremony held in a nearly-packed legislative chamber honoring departed members of the Omaha Bar Association is a moment to pause, remember and be grateful for the relationships and moments shared over the years.

While the details create the atmosphere, the most important facts were shared one-by-name, as the names of the honorees were spoken and roses were placed by their name plates. Truly, those few minutes were the centerpoint of the time spent on May 22. 

On the docket was a reflection provided by Tom Riley, a long-time member of the legal community. In his address, Riley, the Douglas County Public Defender, shared that at Elizabeth Callahan’s wake (his grandmother), the priest was trying to console his siblings and himself, who were experiencing the loss of a close loved one for the first time. The Priest gave them a piece of paper which he said was an old Irish psalm of remembrance reading:

"Those we love don't go away

They walk beside us every day

Unseen, unheard but always near,

Still loved, still missed and always dear.”

At the end of the day, pausing to remember is the hallmark of an annual tradition where judges listen, lawyers share memories or perhaps a laugh with each other, while families think fondly of their loved ones.   

Address by Tom Riley:

 “Members of the judiciary, colleagues, and most importantly family and friends of those we remember here today. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to address you at this year’s OBA Memorial Program and honor those who have passed on during the past year.

When I began preparing my remarks, I thought to myself, what is the true meaning of a Memorial. I thought of the Lincoln Memorial, the Jefferson Memorial, the Washington Monument and the numerous war memorials we have constructed. However, they are merely symbols, designed for us to reflect upon the history of those we memorialize. But history is really and simply a compilation of memories. I realized that the essence of the Memorial Program is to evoke memories of those we honor today.

As I reviewed the list of our departed colleagues, I saw the names of men and women including some with whom I had long standing friendships, some of whom I had met casually, and regrettably, some of whom I had not met. I'm sure that most if not all of us here had the same reaction when they reviewed the list of today's honorees. I thought to myself, how can we memorialize the lives of colleagues with whom we are not familiar? Then I realized that probably the greatest memorial address ever given was delivered by a person who could not possibly have known all of the people to whom he was giving homage, that being Lincoln's Gettysburg address.

Lord knows, I'm not comparing myself to Lincoln, but that address is a model of a heartfelt Memorial given to the friends and families of those who died there.

That said, with the help of Dave Sommers, I was able to do a little research on each of today's honorees. I found that some of them lived a long and full life, some were taken in the prime of life, and sadly, some never reached the prime of life. Some were able to say goodbye, and others didn't have that chance.

I found that some practiced in courtrooms, others practiced in boardrooms, some wrote wills, trusts, or articles of incorporation, still others wrote briefs. Some represented large businesses and others were counsel to Mom and Pop businesses. Some were members of large law firms and others were in two or three person firms or even sole practitioners. All of them were members of our legal community. And though at times we and they may have been on opposite sides of an issue or dispute, one trait we all share in common is to serve our clients.. The historic camaraderie of those of us in the legal profession continues to be a strength of our legal system and our honorees were living examples of that honorable quality.

Earlier I made mention of the monuments and memorials constructed to honor the memory of some great men. I doubt that any of today's honorees will have similar monuments built in their name. However, that is not to say that they are not deserving of monuments to honor them. In the absence of these monuments, it is left to us to honor and memorialize these colleagues who no longer will walk among us. The way to do that is for all of us to share with each other the memories we have of these men and women. Even though we may not have known some of them, we would do well to reach out to their families and friends, have them share a memory of their loved one and make us all better for becoming acquainted with their history even though they are no longer with us.

Those of you who know me, surely have expected that I would not close this address without referencing something Irish. At the wake of my grandmother, Elizabeth Callahan, the priest was trying to console my siblings and I who were experiencing the loss of a close loved one for the first time. He handed us a piece of paper which he said was an old Irish psalm of remembrance.

It stated:

"Those we love don't go away

They walk beside us every day

Unseen, unheard but always near,

Still loved, still missed and always dear"

That little saying suggests to us how we can reflect upon the history of those who have passed by recalling the memories of the life they lived and the legacy they left behind.”

These remarks were shared at the OBA Memorial Program on May 22 by Tom Riley, Douglas County Public Defender.