In Memory of a Giant

To the Editor:
My three Gamble grandchildren realize that they lost a giant of a man when their grandfather, Harry Gamble, lost his gallant fight with cancer. Giant, not because he went from high school to becoming the General Manager of the Philadelphia Eagles all on his own. Giant, not because he possessed a doctor’s degree and coached football at Lafayette and Penn. Giant, not because he held a big job with the NFL after leaving the Eagles. Giant in my eyes, because he was the embodiment of simplicity, humility and generosity.
Our three grandchildren acquired their love of nature from Granddad Harry. He taught them a basic respect for life and nature, and he plied his horticultural talent right in his very backyard. He took the boys canoeing even when cancer was trying to cut his days short.
I recall one incident involving Coach Gamble before his son, Tom, and my daughter, Juliette, tied the knot. It happened in a downtown barbershop we both happen to frequent. It was right around draft time for the Eagles, and Harry was smack in the thick of things. I was sitting in the shop waiting my turn to be shorn. Coach Gamble entered the front door and the shop owner and several rabid Eagles fans acknowledged his arrival. I knew of him but didn’t know him. The owner and several patrons invited him to jump into line in celebrity-treatment fashion. Harry declined the offer, sat down, talked to everyone and patiently waited for his rightful turn to be trimmed and shaved.
There was no pretense in this cultured gentleman. He has imbued in our grandchildren an optimistic spirit, an acceptance of diversity among human beings and a love for competitive sports. How this Philadelphia icon interacted with our three grandchildren whom he cherished is a legacy which will carry them far into life. May he rest in the same peace that he brought into our lives.