Born of stardust
Return there we must
The when and where is history
The why remains a mystery.
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Jack Troupe  1926-2023
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In a horse-drawn buggy
The doctor he came
In storm or in darkness
It was all the same.
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In harmony with
The ubiquitous "why"
In an area as rural
As the name can imply
The doctor's buggy lays by
And soon thereafter
An infant's cry.
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The life of a pioneer farmer
Often labor without reprieve
A tutor in life's lessons
Often difficult to achieve.
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All in due course
Stages of my life convened
Youthful freedoms, school room duty
Then World War II intervened.
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Patrolling the restless Pacific
Especially on storm-tossed seas
Shows how precarious our position
And focuses our priorities.
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Once again a civilian
And options are left to me
Dabbling in trades and retailing
Pointed me toward a degree.
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Oregon, Madison, Missouri, Middlebury
A blur of campuses ensues
Now I can teach French
Wherever I choose.
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In the halls of Lincoln
As it came to pass
Here was I, a bachelor lad
Crossing paths with a comely lass.
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Joanne daily more desirable grew
While Jack pressed his claim
In no time at all, it seems
We shared the same last name.
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Five years later
And now we are three
An event long-awaited
The arrival of Jackie Lee.
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Our cup runneth over
Joy as if by decree
Now a family of four
As we welcome Jody Lee.
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Bottles and bicycles, books without end
Braces and boyfriends, always something new
Proms and graduations
And then we are two.
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From kith and kin and special friends
Validation for life we derive
Unmitigated joy and breathless wonder
All part of being alive.
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So on to retirement
A concept difficult to grasp
When slow motion rules the day
Yet time keeps whizzing past.
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To sum up a lifetime of reflection
An age-old prerogative
While death confers anonymity
It's best done while still cognitive.
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Tales that explain "why"
Offer comforts undeniable
In the quest for truth
Probably not as reliable.
"In other words, after the law of physics,
everything else is opinion."
Neil de Grasse Tyson  1958-
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Whether you subscribe to parsing ancient scripts
Or invest in the charming world of quarks
There is scant room to be dogmatic
Neither sea is teaming with Arks
"Doubt is not a pleasant condition, but certainty is absurd."
Voltaire 1694-1778
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With genetic codes an open book
And hovering on the cusp of singularity
Would that the quality of restraint
Henceforth, not be a rarity.
"The most incomprehensible thing about the world
Is that it is comprehensible."
Einstein 1879-1955
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When the world is too much with us
And our own universe is flying apart
Be mindful that control is not a given
And yielding can be an art.
"Stone walls do not a prison make
Nor iron bars a cage;
Minds innocent and quiet take
That for a hermitage."
Richard Lovelace 1618-1658
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Dark energy and dark matter
Enigma dernier cri
Are they the key
To all this mystery?
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I have thrilled to the ride
I have probed the "why"
But time and telomeres will have their way
And that's my cue to say goodbye.
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"Born of Stardust" A reflection on life by Jack Troupe
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Cremation has occurred at the Harrigan Parkside Crematory, Manitowoc, and a Life Celebration Social will take place from 2:00 p.m. until 4:00 p.m. on Friday, July 7, 2023 at the Harrigan Parkside Gathering Center, 620 North Water Street, Manitowoc.

The Harrigan Parkside Funeral Home and Crematory, Manitowoc, is assisting the Troupe family with funeral arrangements. Expressions of sympathy may be sent to the family by visiting www.harriganparksidefuneralhome.com.

The family wishes to extend a special thank you to the staffs of Angelus Senior Living and HomeCare Health Services and Hospice for the care and compassion shown to Jack and his family.