For Bill Petuck: Gone Home

To be read at the funeral of my friend, Bill Petuck.

2 Timothy 1:12 But I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed, and I am convinced that he is able to guard until that Day what has been entrusted to me.

I was saddened to hear of this news about our brother in Christ, Bill Petuck. I can remember Bill in what I believe are some of my earliest memories. I can see him sweeping up at First Baptist out of the corner of my eye. I can remember sneaking around the church, looking in cabinets for something to eat with my brother, or hiding in the choir room upstairs, or in the youth room, and hearing footsteps, and seeing Bill come around the corner, telling us it was time to leave the church.

When I was young, he was the church security guard. He kept things under control and under supervision. As I grew older, I had the opportunity to serve with Bill on the board of trustees, and to see his loving care for the church building. He described in detail how he had repaired or improved different sections of the building, using his World War II ingenuity and frugality to keep costs down and keep First Baptist Church looking beautiful. He would focus on completing a task... like repairing the front steps or replacing a worn out and leaking baptismal, and he was faithful to remind the church that we needed to care for the church.

Part of me believed that he was mistaking the church building for the family of God.... but this was far from the truth. Bill was a faithful follower of our Lord Jesus Christ, a constant attender. When Marge died in 2001, I had the honor (and terror) of presiding over her funeral. It was my first funeral, but Bill encouraged me, told me he believed in me, and rather than finding a more experienced minister, let this young kid in to one of the most significant tragedies of his life.

I learned a lot about Bill in the months after that. He was a man passionately dedicated to his wife. He never stopped missing her. In a discussion we had one night in the hospital, he quoted this verse, with tears in his eyes, "2 Timothy 1:12 But I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed, and I am convinced that he is able to guard until that Day what has been entrusted to me." He told me, "I have but one hope: My Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. I so desperately long to be with my beautiful savior, and my beautiful wife. I long to go and be with them, yet I trust that the good Lord has me here for a reason, and I am content to be here, though I long to be with him, and with Marge." His bright outlook through his darkest tragedy was a great encouragement to me. I had come to the hospital to encourage a sick man, I left encouraged by him.

Bill was concerned to provide for those around him. He poured out his life for a building, because the building held the family of His Savior. He walked in honesty and integrity because he loved his Lord. He loved and encouraged others, because He longed to be loved and encouraged by His Lord and Savior, and to see his beloved bride again. He had but one hope that guided him through the dark of these past few years, one which we would do well to remember: Saving Righteousness that comes from Jesus Christ sacrifice on the cross is our only hope of salvation. If we cling to that, and trust in Him, we can weather any storm, survive any tragedy, and still live with joy.

Bill was one of a kind. A treasure that cannot be replaced. I will miss him. Honor his memory with your devotion to His Lord.

Thank You,
Keith Myer
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William J. Petuck

PETUCK William J. Petuck Schering-Plough retiree, WWII Army vet, 90 William J. Petuck passed into eternal life on Sunday, July 6, 2008, at Cranford Health and Rehabilitation Center in Cranford. He was 90 years old. Funeral services will be at 10 a.m. Thursday, July 10, 2008, from the McCracken Funeral Home, 1500 Morris Ave., Union. Entombment will follow at Hollywood Memorial Park, Union. Family and friends are invited on Wednesday from 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 p.m. Mrs. Petuck was born in Hazelton, Pa., to John W. and Elizabeth (nee Lemmert) Petuck. He resided in Union since 1957 before moving to Cranford two years ago. He served his country in the United States Army during World War II. Mr. Petuck worked as a tablet coater with Shering-Plough in Kenilworth prior to his retirement. He was a member of the Union Masonic Lodge and the First Baptist Church of Union. He is survived by his brother, Carlyle and wife, Justine Petuck, of Cranford, and a sister, Ruth Petuck of Hunterdon County.
Published in the Star-Ledger on 7/8/2008.