War and Peace: the life and times of John L. Pollard November 1, 1947 – January 25, 2013

By Loretta Stanaway

 

John Langston Pollard was a gift.  He was a gift from his creator, his grandmother who raised him, his wife and son who shared him with his community, and himself, who gave selflessly to Lansing and to so many causes.

 

He also was gifted: as a thinker, speaker, motivator, warrior, and yes, peacemaker.

 

John’s life played out on two fronts: war and peace. 

 

Many saw the warrior side of John, his public persona, since that got the most publicity.  Many saw the peacemaker side of John, the private persona, that was unheralded.  Some were fortunate enough to have seen both sides of John, the whole person, which was a much greater sum than either part.

 

John, the whole person, was a man of intellect, integrity and intensity.  He carried these aspects of his personality into both fronts of his life equally.

 

He was the top ranked ROTC candidate in the nation when he enrolled at MSU.  His ability to grasp and deconstruct complex financial issues was legendary.  He knew instinctively when the numbers were “hinkey.”

 

He was a man of integrity, never willing to compromise his principles for any one or any reason. 

 

John’s intensity was apparent to anyone who ever met him or saw him in action. 

 

John the warrior waged war for decades upon the things he thought were wrong with this world.

 

He fought to keep kids in school, to motivate them to succeed, to help them overcome poor beginnings, to move past mistakes into a brighter future.  He was Director of the Black Child and Family Institute, Development Director at Impression 5 Museum, Development Director at Lansing Community College, a keynote and motivational speaker, a teacher, a fundraiser, ran for city council and so much more.

 

He fought to keep government accountable on all levels, particularly city government.  John knew the city charter and city ordinances better than probably anyone else, and frequently chastised the mayor and administration for alleged violations of the same.  He fought for transparency and consistency in all areas of local government.  City Council was not immune to his outrages.

 

He fought to keep government fiscally sound, battling numerous proposed tax increases, millage proposals and “bonddoggles” foisted on the public.  He spent untold hours pouring over city financial documents, gleaning out the discrepancies between what was promised and what was delivered, often spending personal resources to FOIA records to back his claims.  He waged war on excessive spending, chiding the administration for failing to act in reigning in structural deficits for years before “structural deficits” became a popular catch phrase. 

 

John the peacemaker waged peace for decades upon the things he thought were wrong with this world.

 

He shoveled snow, raked leaves, trimmed trees, ran errands for those who couldn’t do so themselves.  He waged peace humbly, quietly, with no publicity.

 

He took people to the doctor, hospital, grocery store, city council meetings, when they couldn’t get there on their own.  He waged peace without fanfare of any kind.

 

 

 

He stood up for people when no one else did at hearings, at city hall, against any red tape bureaucracy.  He waged peace with no expectation of reward.

 

John Langston Pollard, gift and gifted, warrior and peacemaker, is gone for now.  We are the worse for his absence.  No one person can take his place.  Those wishing to honor and pay tribute to John, can, however, take up his baton and carry on.  We can wish him peace eternal and we can bestow peace on others in his name.  We can offer peace to his widow Cartis and son Cayenne.  We can remember what John gave to us and to others, and give likewise.

 

John was a man of epic contrasts ~warrior and peacemaker ~little in stature but giant in effect. And now, and forever more, may he rest in PEACE.

 

This was printed in the February 24, 2013 – March 9, 2013 Edition