One of our members, Tom Mack has passed away. What an awesome guy. I came across this quote a few days before I knew he was sick. In The Last of the Mohicans, the protagonist “Hawkeye” a white scout for the British in pre-revolutionary times is ruminating on the nature of heaven.
Major, are you of opinion that the heaven of a redskin and whites will be one and the same ? ”
“ For my own part,” continued Hawkeye… “ I believe that paradise is ordained for happiness ; and that men will be awarded according to their dispositions. I therefore judge that a redskin is not far from the truth when he believes he goes to a glorious hunting-grounds which his traditions foretell; nor, for that matter, do I think it would be a bad paradise for the white hunter ”…
… “but, concerning the life that is to come: I have heard preachers say, in towns, that heaven was a place of rest. Now men’s minds differ as to their ideas of enjoyment. For myself, a hunter, and I say it with reverence to the ordering of Providence, it would be no great enjoyment to be kept shut up in those mansions of which they preach; having instead a natural longing for the forest and the hunt. ”
I marked this passage over two weeks ago while re-reading The Last of The Mohicans. This was before I heard Tom was sick. The passage stuck with me… what would my paradise be? I think Tom nor I would enjoy being locked up in the jeweled mansions on gold streets. I know deep in my heart, for Tom – it would be sporting clays courses – shooting straights, with all of his students around. Especially the first time shooters. Tom told me many times, watching the joy and pride of the first time shooter, breaking their first clay, meant more to him than shooting a straight at a top shoot.
This humility; the joy of a student’s accomplishment over his own, and pride in his work made him the exceptional person he was. Don’t get me wrong, he crowed about winning tournaments. He just was the “jolly” shooter, breaking clays with the gun upside down, or shooting shotguns one handed.
I have known Tom for a number of years and spent intense time with him the last three as my shooting coach. As they said in early America – “He was a boon companion”. There was always a new joke, sometimes corny, but funny. He was one of the most contented men I ever knew, very happy with his place in life. He is the only guy I ever knew who put almost a million miles, literally on his truck without an engine replacement! Even in this simple mundane aspect of life he took joy and pride, updating me at each lesson how many more miles he had knocked out.
But more seriously, Tom was on his wrestling team in college and a serious competitor. He was 20 years on the All American Sporting Clays team. He was sponsored and representative of CZ, then Kriegoff and Federal ammunition. He won numerous shooting awards and competitions.
He was a great supporter of our club and rarely missed an event. He was a great guy and is already sorely missed.
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