For Paul and Martha Salsbury

By Shelley Stewart

Paul Salsbury, a dear friend to all at St. Timothy’s, died on July 21, 2004. He has gone to join the company of all the heavenly saints. Of that I have no doubt.

Paul and Martha are a part of our fabric at St. Timothy’s. They are a part of who we are. Their relationship with the church and each other represents so many of the things we value; love, faith, devotion and joy. Seeing them was an affirmation of what God intended us to be as individuals and as married couples. We all are personally saddened by the loss of Paul. At the same time, our own sadness serves to deepen our love and commitment as a community to Martha.

            Below is a reprint of a favorite poem of Paul’s, “High Flight”. Paul, from time to time, would recite parts of this poem at church in his deep, expressive voice. (We have good readers of scripture at St. Timothy’s but no one read the scripture like Paul.) The poem is Paul. It embodies his playfulness, majesty and ultimately, his reverence for God. There is on line in the poem that particularly leapt out to me and spoke of Paul. That line is, “I have touched the windswept heights with easy grace.” Paul carried himself with grace. Paul related to each of us at St. Timothy’s with grace. Paul worshiped along side us with grace. It appeared to be an easy grace because it was simply a part of who he was. We remain ever grateful for the grace Paul brought into our lives. We express our deepest love and sympathy for Martha and her family.

HIGH FLIGHT

Oh!  I have slipped the surly bonds of earth

And danced the skies on laughter-silvered wings;

Sunward I've climbed, and joined the tumbling mirth

O sun-split clouds - and done a hundred things

You have not dreamed of - wheeled and soared and swung

High in the sunlit silence.  Hov'ring there

I've chased the shouting wind along, and flung

My eager craft through footless halls of air.

Up, up the long delirious, burning blue,

I've topped the windswept heights with easy grace

Where never lark, or even eagle flew -

And, while with silent lifting mind I've trod

The high untresspassed sanctity of space,

Put out my hand and touched the face of God.

                                                    Pilot Officer Gillespie Magee

                                                    No. 412 Squadron, RCAF

                                                    Killed 11 December 1941

On November 15th, 2005,  Martha died, joining Paul in union with our Lord in Heaven.