Willie Bradford delivered the following remarks yesterday during the funeral of James Flurry.
To Rev. Clergy, Bereaved Family, Mr. Mayor, Elected and Public Officials, Ladies and Gentlemen:
Let me first express my gratitude to Pat and the Flurry Family for allowing me this opportunity to pay tribute to my dear friend today. While grateful, I don’t have that will do justice to this kind and humble man whose life had such an influence on so many.
I wish each of you could have known James as I knew him. I only knew him for 8 years, but it seems like a lifetime. I introduced to James by Sen. Greg Tarver in 2014, when we both were campaigning for a city council seat. Many people have wondered how James and I became best friends. Allow me to share with you.
In Matthew 11:29 Jesus said, “Take my yoke upon you and learn of me”. Too often we learn about people but hardly never learn of them. How often have you heard someone ask - what you know about this person or tell me about that person? You see, when you learn of someone you get to know their spirit, get to know their character, their values and even their faith..
I learned of James. And he learned of me. He was from Homer and I was from the Allendale area of Shreveport. We learned we were close to the age, in life experiences, that we were married similar number of years. We learned we both loved to Eat. We visited each church and worshiped together. We introduced our wives to each other, and they became friends. One time he started bragging on Pat, telling me how wonderful she was, how she treated him like a King and how doing their 50 years of marriage they never when to bed angry. Well, I started bragging on Mary, telling him how wonderful she was, how she treated me like a King and how doing our 50 years of marriage we never when to bed angry. I had to let him know that one time during those 50 years we didn’t go to bed for 2 days. I said my wife fix my breakfast every morning. Then James said my wife fix my breakfast every morning. By this time Pat got tired of us going back in forward and said, James just say you have the best wife name Pat and Willie say you have the best wife named Mary.
The more time we spent together the more we learned of each other, and the more our friendship grew. Several years ago, James had surgery at Willis-Knighton, after surgery they place in ICU. I worked at Willis-Knighton, after about 6 hours I wanted to see him so I put by badge on got into ICU and went into his room. The nurse said you can’t come in here, only family. He looked up and said he is family,
that’s my brother can’t you see the resemblance. That’s when we started calling each other, brothers from difference mothers.
Two years ago, James was admitted into Baylor Cancer Center for treatment, we talked almost every night. After about 5 months of treatments, by God’s Grace he improved enough to return home. After 2 months of being confined at home. I wanted to get him out of the house, so we went to Lakeside Golf Course to play a round of Golf. We rented 2 Golf Carts and drove around the course taking pictures.
The problem was we didn’t bring any balls. Our wives made fun of us, telling people that we were the only men they knew that stayed on the Golf Course for 2 hours without ever hitting any balls. We told it was a photo shoot.
Our friendship transcended race, socioeconomic status, and political affiliation.
James and I were sworn in and started our first term on the Shreveport City Council on December 27, 2014. James was such a quiet, unassuming, humble person. During his time on the council, he didn’t seek the limelight, didn’t try to be a big shot – He was there to Serve, he just wanted to serve his constituents, and the citizens of Shreveport with love, honesty and kindness.
James was a premier public servant. A man of integrity. With a servant’s spirit and a servant’s heart. His desire was to help make Shreveport better. His spirit of genuine humility followed the example of Christ. We toured the districts of this city. He saw the shameless conditions of poverty, dilapidation, hopelessness, joblessness and despondency in some of our neighborhoods. While the conditions I described were not necessary in his district James wanted to help improve them non-the-less. James met regularly with minority business owners and contractors.
He learned to understand the difficulties they faced in trying to obtain contracts and procurements from both public and private entities. He wanted to help improve that. James wanted to make real the words of the Constitution where it says all citizens, even the citizens of Shreveport should be guaranteed the unalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. He believed with all his heart that if given the opportunity all of Shreveport’s citizens could have a better quality of life; even the rest of Us.. During our time together on the council we repeatedly offered legislation to help our citizens. I am proud and honored to have served with him.
To the politicians of Shreveport and those aspiring to be elected officials; I have a thought and I challenge you with this - if we loved and respected James Flurry as say you did, and if we love Shreveport like you say you do. Show it by building on the works that James left behind. And other let the unfinished works of Councilman Flurry become your own.
And to his devoted wife, his love, his partner, I love you.. And thank you for all the care and love you gave to James.
I also want you, Pat, Angie, James Jr. and the entire family - I want you to lift up your heads and be strong; knowing the love you shared and the joy you shared with James lasted even until the end.
God saw that and He knows, and I know God will dry your tears and heal your broken hearts.
While I know that our loss is Heaven’s gain, I shall deeply miss my dear friend.
May God Rest His Soul In Peace.
Thank you…