Chuck was a baritone from the Waynesboro, Virginia area
who sounded remarkably like Jim Nabors (remember Gomer Pyle?)
when he sang. He and I were music majors together
at Longwood College in Farmville, Virginia,
graduating in 1982.

In the Fall of 2000, at the ripe old age of 42,
Chuck was diagnosed with esophageal cancer,
a rare disease which affects only 12,000 Americans a year.

I spoke at length with his wife, Patty, Friday morning
April 5th, by telephone. She was tearful but resolute
during our conversation. Chuck's doctors at the special
Chicago cancer treatment facility (where he'd been going
every 3 weeks for many months) gave him 4 weeks to live.
His esophageal cancer was completely eradicated; but because
the disease spread so rapidly to his bloodstream and liver,
he was at its mercy. At that point, he was completely off
his medications -- with the exception of pain pills --
and Patty said he spent most of his time sleeping.

He was very much at peace in spite of all he'd been through,
and accepted his illness with incredible grace.
I was a personal witness to this on Sunday, April 7th,
when I went to Stuart's Draft to tell him goodbye.

The Lafferty family's faith is remarkable.
Patty clarified for me that her belief that God will heal him
wasn't necessarily while Chuck was still on this earth,
but at the point of his death.

He received that blessed relief this morning, April 8th,
when he passed away at home, surrounded by the love of his friends and family.

As a musician, Chuck's dream was to minister to others
through his album of Southern Gospel music, which he recorded
a few years ago prior to his diagnosis. The lyrics are
especially poignant, when you realize that for him,
they had a double meaning.

Thank you for taking the time to read this, but more importantly,
helping him realize his fondest dream, even after death.