Dear Editor:

Recently we have lost two powerful men. They were quite different. Billy Graham was a Christian evangelist and Stephen Hawking an agnostic scientist. Both were happy warriors, both passionately devoted to their separate messages. Graham’s message was God’s love, acceptance and atonement, regardless of race, class or past. Hawking’s was his love, admiration and passion for the wonders of the universe. Both had a burning desire to share their messages.

As a child, I had the privilege to attend one of Graham’s services. It was a cold night in an ice storm. Our car had no heater and father had to make frequent stops to scrape off the windshield, but we had seating at the church thanks to our pastor’s mother and nothing was going to stop father. At the church, others less fortunate stood in the freezing rain weeping. We were escorted into the church and what followed was the most unforgettable experience of my youth. I could have repeated every word he said for two days after and my feet didn’t touch the ground! It must have been sometime in the 50s’ as I was then in the 6^th or 7^th grade. Graham went on to be a confidant and counselor to every administration from Eisenhower to the Bushes. Of course, I never missed his TV appearances.

Hawking was one of my chief inspirations. How a man with his physical limitations could have achieved so much amazes me, let alone living 50 years with a condition that usually kills within two years. I’ve always felt that his brain was keeping him alive. Through all this, he maintained an indomitable courage, a zest for life and a great sense of humor. When I feel like giving up, I think of him. He had so many more challenges than I.

Both these heroes inspired a generation and beyond.

Frances Bredeau

Boothbay Harbor