Death of a good friend leaves lessons

by Tom Gallagher

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My high school friend, Michael Phillips, died this past October. Michael and I had not been in contact since our high school days, but our families would see each other at school events and the like. The Syracuse, NY diocesan newspaper, the Catholic Sun, ran a tribute to Michael's life, and what a life it was:

He lived in a one-bedroom apartment in Binghamton. He had no car, few clothes, but many friends. And when he died on Oct. 19, 2010, Michael Phillips was one of Catholic Relief Service’s longest large-gift contributors.
On a social worker’s salary, Phillips had slowly and steadily donated a total of approximately $250,000 to the charity.