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Last Friday during the early
morning hours tragedy hit the Village of Ashwaubenon.
Most of us continued with our daily lives, going to
work, taking care of the kids, shopping for school
supplies, just like it should be. But, while we went
through our day-to-day activities, the Village of
Ashwaubenon lost their Village President to a
debilitating disease that afflicted him for over a
year.
As an Editor of a weekly newspaper
I must work closely with the Village, and in particular,
the President. I got to know Nubs pretty well. On the
front page Interim Village President Jerry Menne
described him as “driven”. That he was but he was also
very much a gentleman when you went to war with him. A
warrior with manners and that’s what I liked about him.
Sorrow permeated the Village Hall
last Monday before the funeral, but I have many found
memories of Nubs. His brother Mark said he always had a
twinkle in his eye, which he did. He always offered to
help others. That’s why it was so difficult watching
him struggle with those canisters of oxygen and getting
progressively weaker as time went on. I don’t know how
he did it, but he maintained a sense of humor and a
twinkle in his eye even while fighting for his breath.
We had a rather standing black
humor joke. He would tell me I should do something I
wasn’t too fond of and I would quip, “don’t make me
stand on your oxygen hose”. One day we both lost our
cool during a phone call and ended up screaming at one
another in the morning, but by afternoon he invited me
to his office where I did an interview and we left
laughing and joking.
Nubs may have been a warrior, but
he knew how politics and government should work. He
knew that people were more important than things. He
realized that arguments can erupt but you can still
remain cordial and very often friendly. He never let
the frustrating stress show while on the job. He
probably went home and punched the furniture a few
times, but he always conducted himself as a gentleman
when representing the Village of Ashwaubenon. Jerry
Menne, interim Village President, said he would describe
him as a “decent man” which is a very high compliment in
his book. I would have to agree with that. Nubs was a
decent man who always tried to do the right thing for
his family, his country and his Village.
Everyone who was close to Nubs over
the past few years knew that his passing was a
possibility, but deep down I don’t think anyone really
believed it would happen. His presence filled a room
and it is very difficult to believe people like that can
leave this earth in a split second . . . but they can.
My recollection of Nubs DeCleene is
a man who strived to do the right thing. I don’t think
there can be a bigger tribute to an individual. Money
disappears, possessions deteriorate, but your integrity
remains for generations. His children Chase and Sommer
can tell their children that their grandfather was an
individual who always strived to do that right thing,
and because of that was admired by his community,
thanked by his country and revered by his family. You
talk about a legacy! I don’t think there is one that can
be any better than that.
His twinkle may have been
extinguished through his death but his legacy will keep
that flame alive. I know every time I look at the
Veteran’s monument my mind will wander to the Village
President that served Ashwaubenon with a smile on his
face and a twinkle in his eye.
I will personally miss him.
Sometimes he turned out to be the “loyal opposition” in
this column, but he will be remembered with integrity,
love and the knowledge that Nubs DeCleene being here
made the world a better place when he left it. Semper
Fi Nubs, your friends and family will never let your
twinkle die. You will always be remembered.
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