Healing begins after tragedy

A gathering of over 300 local residents at the Sonrise Christian Fellowship church Feb. 19 demonstrated that love can be a start of healing after a recent tragedy shocked the Fallbrook community. The occasion was a memorial service for Geoward Eustaquio.

Family, friends, colleagues, Fallbrook youth, and members of local churches came to honor and memorialize Geoward’s contributions of service to The Friendly Village.

Those who attended arrived early and stayed long after the service ended had been indelibly touched by Geoward’s influence in their lives. The youth group centered around the Fallbrook High School rugby team, coached by Geoward.

A contingent of his colleagues in the U.S. Air Force Reserve were there to remind us of Geoward’s 26-year service in defense of our free nation and community.

The church members represented different denominations uniting in respect of Geoward’s faith in God.

The friends who gathered each had a one-on-one relationship with Geoward that enriched their lives. It is quite clear that the very large number of family members in the church pews brought with them cherished memories of Geoward.

The presiding minister properly pointed out that Geoward had been born on a distant Pacific island, and the entire family had rallied to comfort the immediate family in island cultural tradition. We, in Fallbrook, give thanks for their example of the strength of love. Finally, everyone in Fallbrook should be thankful that the memorial service was not sullied by media intrusion, often common when tragedy receives headlines.

Richard Overturf

Sonrise deacon