A Letter From Jimmy Fortescue

07 May A Letter From Jimmy Fortescue

Dear Mr. & Mrs. McNicholas, Meghan, Kristen and family,

I am writing you today to extend my deepest sympathies to your family and all friends of Jimmy McNicholas. My name is Jimmy Fortescue  and your son and brother made it very hard for me to carry that name because there was only one true “Jimmy” and that was him.  All Jimmy’s have a special bond though. I met Jimmy in our junior year of High School, he had a charm and wit about him that so many dream of.  I went to Don Bosco at the time and we had several friends that transferred to Albertus Magnus and I had some local friends from Pearl River that went there. I started hanging out with all these guys and it was a ton of fun coming from an all boys school which was very good to me but they had a  great group of friends and classmates. . Jimmy was really what cool defined in High School and he truly set the tone for everything. He could of shut us outsiders out from the fun, parties and girls but he was the opposite of others and most people. He never wanted to be jealous but he wanted everyone to have a good time and a good life. He chose to be INCLUSIVE at all times and he always welcomed everyone and most decisions ran through him. Myself and some of my other friends were with them constantly and we shared the same sense of humor. He was great and often came up to visit us at Siena with Kevin Younger or George Merkeley or sometimes I would see him at Manhattan College or home in Nyack or Pearl River during the College breaks.

Jimmy was the type of guy that it took 3 seconds to catch up and be comfortable and we rooted for each other. Life continued and we grew apart as the pace of life takes over but he was the guy you hoped to run into when you went out. We would always reach out to each other through others and the week before he passed I know this first hand as I went to a baseball came for my nephew and one of the coaches came over to where I was on the fence and said ” I was talking about you last night.”. My answer was uh-oh, where was that. He said I went for some beers and Jimmy McNicholas was bartending, we were playing the name game and we came upon you. We had a long conversation and he is some guy. See the gentleman who went to the bar to let off steam just found out his child was very ill and would need some intense treatment. Jimmy was there to help, he was there to make him comfortable and he was there tell a story and keep his time going. He was there to be inclusive. What a guy.

I am writing to you because something happened that was special to me last Saturday on June 6th and I wanted to share it with you. I took off on Friday June 5th to attend the horrifically sad but extremely beautiful funeral of my buddy Jimmy McNicholas. The entire day was another kick in the butt on appreciating life, hugging those you love, counting your blessings and having that beer with your old friend. The next morning on June 6th I was playing in a golf tournament, some people love there golf, I like to be outside and compete but I do not take it to serious. It does make me think though. I was golfing and playing pretty good that day and I will not bore you with all the details but I was competing. On the 11th hole I lost the ball I was playing with and it was my first true poor performance. I was a bit mad but keeping it all in perspective I was fine. I got to the 12th tee and I reached into my golf bag and picked out a brand new ball someone just gave me.  When you golf you are supposed to mark your golf ball as it identifies it is yours in a tournament for a controversy. Whenever I have time I mark my ball and I put my friends that I lost on 9/11 on the golf ball, I usually put my deceased father as well. As I marked the ball I said let me add my friend  Jimmy McNicholas (JM). As soon as I was done marking the ball it was my turn to hit. I put the ball on a tee and I swung and I looked up and the ball was going right towards the hole, it slowed down and all of a sudden it just dropped. A HOLE IN ONE. 155 yrd. 7 iron at Manhattan Woods 12th hole down the road from where Jimmy was lost.

It was very exciting and then I turned to the guys who I was playing with and said, you do not know what just happened. I just wrote my friends initials on the ball, I was at his funeral yesterday and then explained who Jimmy was. Everyone was in shock, it was very surreal. I went to the hole and picked the ball out, they asked for the ball so they can frame it for me. I said NO guys this is not for me, I only hit this ball once and it went in. I have to send this to Jimmy’s family. I have to let them know that only one day later that he was watching out. I need to let them know that with all the despair and the sorrow, that he told me he is still here watching over us. Jimmy still wants everyone comfortable. I send you the ball and scorecard for you to do as you wish, it may mean little as those are just items and all those details on golf make nothing better. It was my one chance to return the favor to Jimmy and make you comfortable for one second.  It could also be a reminder that he is still guiding all of us, Jimmy is still looking for that good joke and story and he got me good. He will show his love in many ways.

I truly apologize for your loss, I truly wish any of it made sense and will never understand how unfair it is. I know this though Jimmy lived life, he would want all of us to keep on living and doing more for others. Or he would just ask all to be included and to try and make everyone comfortable.

God Bless You All. You are in everyone’s prayers.

Love,
Jimmy Fortescue