January 2002
The Director - Features
Harry and Ike
How snafus during President Kennedy's funeral created an opportunity for two former friends to reconcile their differences
It is the little details that, despite meticulous planning, come back to haunt funeral directors and ruin the caliber of service they want to offer the families they serve. Harry and Ike provides a story that demonstrates how snafus and screw-ups, however, might offer a providential opportunity for healing. The story reveals how an oversight at the funeral of President John F. Kennedy eased tensions between U.S. Presidents Harry Truman and Dwight Eisenhower.
The article was written by Harold Ivan Smith, a speaker and grief educator. He received a doctorate of pastoral care from Rice Seminary and a doctorate of spiritual formation from Asbury Theological Seminary. Smith has also published more than 30 books, including his latest, When Your People Are Grieving—Leading in Times of Loss, by Beacon Hill Press of Kansas City.
