On January 27, 2021 my beloved elder cousin made transition. Cousin Bobby was 89 years old. There was not a time when he wasn't in my life and he was always there celebrating my "big moments" in life -- high school graduation, the birth of my daughter, home ownership, my career, my retirement -- as well as being there for the everyday occasions. His presence in my, and my family's lives, was despite the fact that he lived in Detroit, Michigan and we lived in Buffalo, New York.
He and my father considered themselves brothers -- and he considered me and my brothers his children. There are no words to express how much I love him . . . how much I will miss him. Yet I can rejoice that he was a major part of my life.
When my father made transition in 2011, Cousin Bobby began calling both my mother and me on a regular basis, solidifying his role as our earth angel. My mother told me that their conversations were relatively brief and to the point. However my conversations with him could last over two hours at a time. In one conversation he told me that talking with me was like talking with my father -- I considered that a high honor!
I call out his name as he now celebrates with the Ancestors. Robert S. Bynum. His memory will always be a Blessing.
Cousin Bobby was born to Robert and Verna Elizabeth Button Bynum on July 3, 1931 in Detroit Michigan. He was the second baby boy born to the couple and given the name Robert. The first child was born on October 22, 1929 but died of pneumonia three months later. Growing up I had heard whispers of the first son but it wasn't until I started doing genealogy as an adult that I found proof of the first born Robert Bynum in a death certificate through an Ancestry database.
I also heard, at some point, that Cousin Bobby used his late brother's birth certificate to join the Army. In one of our last conversations he told me that he joined the Army to take a stand against his father who told him that to continue living in the family home he had to either continue his schooling or get a job and pay room and board. He wasn't too keen on either of the options. Joining the Army was a complete surprise to his parents; he told me his mother cried. Although he didn't say it, I believe that if he had used his brother's birth certificate it would have been a way to go around the need for his parents permission to join the military.
Cousin Bobby lived a full life and he told me in conversations that he had no regrets. He was the only one in my world who called me "Sang-Yang Baby". I will miss hearing his special name for me. Of course I will miss his earthly presence but I imagine him hanging out with family . . . and all is well.
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