Frank Kopecky settled in Springfield in 1972, bringing his family with him. Although central Illinois was a long way from his native Berwyn, Illinois, and the White Sox, it quickly became a cherished home for him and his young family.
How best to measure a very full and distinguished life that spanned 77 years? Perhaps with a few observations that will convey a sense of Frank, although this is an instance where words alone do not do him justice.
It's fair to say that curiosity was one of his defining qualities. He understood that life afforded boundless opportunities for discovery and that even those who during the course of time became accomplished could, by cultivating humility and attentiveness, stand to learn something new. He also appreciated the role of being a mentor to others, including myself. He filled that role with much kindness and patience.
Frank understood that the richest textures of life might be created through service to others. And serve he did. A passionate advocate whose intelligence was matched by his heart, it was not surprising that Frank chose a career wherein he could champion the interests of the young and the vulnerable, first in his role of director of the Champaign County Legal Assistance Foundation and afterwards as the general counsel for the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services. He understood that the right words, chosen with calm, compassion and reason, created the foundation that distinguished right from wrong, just from unjust. They could also inspire as well as delight. Throughout life, his words and actions affirmed the inherent worth and dignity of every person and this was borne out, whether in the courtroom, classroom, church sanctuary or his own living room. It is telling that the quotation by Abraham Lincoln chosen by Frank and Linda to be inscribed on a bench in the Lincoln Memorial Garden reads, "I have always found that mercy bears richer fruits than strict justice."
What was the final result? For many, it meant an improved life filled with more protections and greater dignity. For Frank himself, he experienced the depth of Rabindranath Tagore's aphorism,
I slept and dreamt that life was joy.
I awoke and saw that life was service.
I acted and behold, service was joy.
He loved to travel. Together, Frank and Linda had traveled across six continents and, when he died unexpectedly on Nov. 9, they were en route to Antarctica. In their travels, spanning decades, they were not typical tourists, hungry for trendy photo ops, but seeking to meet and encounter people in their home environments so as to sincerely understand them better. One of his sermon topics at ALUUC, "Understanding the World Through Travel," summarized some of the lessons he had gleaned during his lifetime.
For 35 years, he was a member of the congregation that I now serve, the Abraham Lincoln Unitarian Universalist Congregation. Frank promoted the notion that many people would benefit from liberal religion. He also defended the idea that church budgets should reflect a faith in the future and that people would readily invest in a compelling vision.
Perhaps the greatest focus of his mature years, in terms of hope and concern, was about the changing fortunes of our American democracy. Throughout his life, Frank was an ardent champion of the separation of church and state and he encouraged all persons to participate and to make informed decisions that would strengthen not only our ideals but the very institutions of democracy itself. During his tenure at ALUUC, he delivered many Sunday morning presentations whose titles indicate his chief concerns: "The State of the Wall of Separation between Church and State"; "Trends in Religious Expression under the First Amendment," "Restorative Justice and Civil Liberties" and my personal favorite: "The Election of 2016: Why the Left is Right."
In recognition of lifelong interest in Lincoln studies, his Celebration of Life, held on Nov. 23, included a photographic collage of his life, accompanied by the tune Ashokan Farewell. Also, one of the readings delivered during the service was Lincoln's "Affectionate Farewell Address," delivered as the president-elect departed Springfield on Feb. 11, 1861.
Nearly a century ago, the poet Vachel Lindsay envisioned a restless Abraham Lincoln walking at midnight, anxious about the state of the world and of American democracy. I can imagine Mr. Lincoln finding a good companion in Frank Kopecky, and together they would encourage one another that this nation, under God, would fulfill the promises foretold in a new birth of freedom – and that government of the people, by the people, and for the people, will not perish from the earth.
Rev. Martin Woulfe has served the Abraham Lincoln UU Congregation since 2013. Like Frank Kopecky, he is a native of the south side of Chicago and a White Sox fan.
