A person who influenced my life: Gary R Langley

I knew Pastor (Bishop) Gary R Langley before he was ever a pastor or a bishop. He was my youth leader back in the mid-late 1970s at the West Huntsville Church of God of Prophecy. He was also a drummer, and later pianist....

He was a wonderful choir director as well. I remember the very first "musical" I ever sang in--"Alleluia! A Praise Gathering for Believers" by Bill and Gloria Gaither. We did this production for Christmas, 1977. I sang the solo for "Get All Excited"......I remember it like it was yesterday.

I remember Gary's wonderful sense of humor, and his very kind ways towards most of us in his youth group(s). I remember him "Pickin through First Peter" in the Wednesday night--as a matter of fact, I probably still have those notes somewhere in all my "treasures" (boxes that haven't been opened in 20 years or more).

As a Viet Nam veteran, this wonderful friend continually inspires me to be more patriotic, and to love my country. He answered the nation's call to duty when "answering that call" wasn't the "en vogue" and popular thing to do. He served honorably, and returned home to a deeply divided nation. My generation (and all subsequent generations) owe this great veteran a debt we can never repay.

He always had a "listening ear"---one that I seem to have abused more than once during my teenage years. At the time he and his (still) gorgeous bride, Amy, were the "guiding lights" for a lot of us teenagers who needed to know that someone truly cared. Gary and Amy always truly cared.

The last time I physically saw the two of them was in September 1982 in Cleveland, TN--and they were contemplating a move to the Hawaiian Islands. Shortly thereafter, the Langleys were moving to the other side of the United States---WAAAAY to the other side.

I lost touch temporarily with them...but eventually was able to get back in contact.

I'm not sure that Gary was ever really "running from God"--because he was always faithful in his service to the local church--but somewhere along his life's journey, Gary Langley came to the point that God wanted him to commit his entire life to professional church ministry. He has served as an associate pastor, a senior pastor (where he still serves) and also as a denominational leader. He has returned to school, and is almost finished with his Master's Degree from Fuller Theological Seminary (Pasadena, California). He is bettering himself, and proving himself a "workman that needs not to be ashamed--rightly dividing the Word of Truth."


Gary has always been one of my most trusted "sounding boards" when I needed a solid, grace-filled, scriptural view of something. He and I have "differing opinions" on a lot of the political stuff....and that's just the way it is....

But I have always trusted Gary Langley with some of the most "personal" details of my life....and I still do.

A person who influenced my life: Linda Hayter Turner

I'll always remember the FIRST day of my fourth grade year. I was going to a brand new school--because the districts had been re-zoned. I had spent my first three years at Riverton Junior High School (which also included the elementary grades at the time). Now, thanks to the powers-that-be, I would be an incoming fourth-grader at Brownsboro Junior High School.

I can remember walking to the very end of the hallway...where the fourth grade was, and seeing one of the most beautiful ladies I had ever seen. Her name was Linda Turner...

This was going to be a great, great school year! (And almost forty years later, I still say that she was the BEST teacher I've ever had in my educational process).

She was wearing a beautiful pink dress, had blond hair, and it was pulled back in a pony-tail. She was wearing white sandals that late summer day in Brownsboro. She had the kindest voice...and I'll always remember her smile, when I marched up to the door and was looking for my name on the list. I told her, "I am Phillip Hoover and I'm in the fourth grade this year." She said, "Yes, Mr. Hoover, you are...and you are in my class! I am so excited to see you! It is going to be a great year!"

And indeed it was!

I learned so many things that year: I learned about fractions, and multiplications (it's not Linda's fault, but I still have mental/emotional blocks when it comes to mathematics). I learned about Helen Keller in Alabama History (which Mrs Turner made extremely fascinating--especially since she grew up in East Tennessee!). She always had spelling bees (and I almost always won! I really liked that part), and she read "Charlotte's Web" to us....probably the most fascinating story I had ever heard.

I remember getting paddled a couple of times by this teacher. My very selective memory can't recall if I was truly deserving or not.....Linda is one of my Facebook friends, and she is free to insert her version of those episodes should she so choose....

I'll always remember her mom and dad (Mr. and Mrs Hayter) coming to visit our fourth grade class....I thought they were the most fascinating and wonderful people I had ever met. They were from TENNESSEE---to this boy who had never been out of Alabama, this was a whole new country!

And one of the saddest days was when I was finishing the fourth grade, and would be going to the fifth grade--just down the hall! Mr Sibley was good...but he wasn't Mrs Turner....

The years went by, and we lost contact with each other...until I was getting ready to graduate from high school. Linda and her family had lived in Europe (because of her husband's work with the government), and then returned to the Huntsville area. Linda came to my high school graduation, with her two youngest sons (Matthew and Mark) in tow. I was THRILLED to see her. She wrote a letter of recommendation so I could get into college...she gave me a wonderful gift for graduation (money which was badly needed)....

A few years later, our paths would cross again...and now I was active duty in the United States Air Force, and stationed in California. She would write me occasionally (this was before email and text messages, and Al Gore's discovery of the internet...), and I always thrilled at hearing from her...

I will remember when I was preparing to move to South Korea in January 1990. I still have the letter she had written me, instructing me to "soak up as much of the culture and richness of the people as you possible can. You will be a better person for it." I was smart enough to follow her advice.

I was getting ready to move from South Korea to Norway, and needed someone (stateside) to book a hotel room in New York City for me (on New Year's Day, 1991 at that!) since I had an 18 hour layover...I wrote Linda a letter, telling her my plight...and she took care of the details for me...

And when I had to make a swift trip to the United States at the end of May 1992, it was Linda Turner who came to the funeral home and stayed with me the entire evening. As a matter of fact, she and I were the first two at the viewing of my Grandmother Hoover's body....and I've never been happier to see anyone in my entire life! Linda was one of those "moms" that I had always wanted....and like all those other times, she came through for me!

Over the last 20 years (or more) we've stayed in good contact. She has been my prayer partner and strong encourager during more than one "down time" of my life. She still challenges me to be my "best" at whatever I'm wanting to "take on."

She is a great wife, a wonderful mother, and a doting grandmother---there are plenty of exhibits to verify these assessments.

But to me, this fourth grader from so long in a new school--she is my hero! She made classes fun, and I learned a lot.

Everyone needs a "Linda Turner" in their life....but you can't have mine!

A person who influenced my life: Jane Ford Pearson

I look back over my life, and realize that so many people have been such a GREAT part of me becoming who I am today. I want to write about each of them...or most of them (at the very least).

I first met Jane (Ford) Pearson when I was in the fourth grade at Brownsboro Junior High School, in rural Madison County, Alabama. Her mother, Mrs Ruth Ford, was the music teacher for the school...and she picked me to play the part of the "Great Pumpkin" for the Fall Festival...that was almost 40 years ago...and I still remember it as though it were yesterday...

Miss Jane came to the school, and remembers seeing me...and more than a year later, I would move to the new school district (Central) and would be in the 5th Grade with Jim Pearson (Jr), Miss Jane's son....

I was always the odd-child out...awkward, backward, and unwanted...

Sixth grade would find me in another school district (due to some parental squabbles and conflicts), and I would be back at Central School for the 7th grade...and again, my encounter with the Pearsons...

We lived up the road from the Pearsons in the Cedar Gap neighborhood. In my high school years, we always did our "class float" for the Homecoming Parade at the Pearson house....so much fun, so much work, and always late nights.

I remember when I was getting ready to look at colleges, how Mrs Pearson (Jane) told me that I "must go to college because you are certainly smart enough"...She convinced me that I could become just about anything that I had a desire to become...

That was more than 30 years ago. She has been my "mom" in just about every way that really matters. She has loved me, encouraged me, always welcomed me in her home...just too much to tell...

When I was stationed in South Korea (1990), I went shopping in downtown Seoul one day...and I found this gorgeous Korean dress/kimono...I knew that Jane would love it....so I did the "American thing" and bought it. I put it in the mail, and surprised her. She still has that dress, and still loves to tell the story of how I sent it to her.

I got to make two phone calls every Saturday evening to the United States over the "HAM radio" system at the Air Base....one of those calls was always to the Pearson house...and always with Miss Jane. This was such a treat for me, and for her as well. We had to say "over" every time we wanted to switch to the other party (because the HAM radio operators had to make sure we were hearing each other).

One of the saddest times of my life came in May 1992. I was stationed in Oslo, Norway, working for NATO and on active duty with the United States Air Force. I received word that my Grandmother Hoover was at the point of death, and I would need to get back to the States post-haste. This was long before the days of email, internet, cell phones, etc.

During the next two weeks, Jane Pearson was more than anything I could have asked for as a friend, confidant, and "mom." My Grandmother Hoover passed on to Heaven on Wednesday morning...the very next day, Jane was at the funeral home with me...talking with me, and making sure that I would "make it through." She came to get me after the funeral was over on Friday--and I stayed at her home that evening...I needed that...I desperately needed that.

I can't tell you how many times I've picked up the phone to call her...simply because I needed to talk to the most important woman in my life...

Now, she's having some dementia problems...but still calls me when she thinks about it. I call as often as I can...and I miss her terribly. Just about everything I've done in life (that has any value) I learned from Miss Jane. I learned almost all my "social graces" (the ones that I've displayed at least) sitting at her kitchen table. I learned the importance of preparing good meals, and how to iron a table cloth.

Jane Pearson did more for me becoming a confident man than anyone I can think of...I improved my musical skills--because she insisted that I could become a good musician. I improved my cooking skills---because she told me that I could become a great chef (which still remains to be seen). I worked on (and hopefully improved) my writing and communication skills--because I remember Miss Jane telling me to be anything I wanted--just not to be boring!

I really do owe Jane Pearson more than I could ever repay. To say I adore her is an understatement.