This section is dedicated to my brother, Wynn McAllister, who lost his life on December 27, 2010. He was 24 years old.
My message for Wynn
First off I want to thank everyone who has come from all around to show their support for Wynn and my family. I know now more than ever that he has left a genuinely memorable impression on anyone that he met. I know he has left a huge impression on me and it has meant a lot to us to hear what a big part he has been of everyone's life today. My mom's one wish as we were growing up is that we were close as brothers and I'm glad we were able to give that to her throughout our lives.
I don't have to stand up here and talk about the things Wynn loved. If you even met him for a second you would know how very vocal and opinionated he was about his passions. Music, movies, tv, sports, games... he had a top 5 for everything and stuck to it. If you disagreed, it's not that you were wrong, you just not yet been enlightened to his superior taste. He was passionate about life and having great experiences. The song that Will first played up here was a song entitled "
Videotape". If you're like me you probably don't know what most
Radiohead songs mean but Wynn once told me what this one meant. It's about those moments in life, those rich experiences and high points that you would put on your videotape, if you had to sum your life up in an hour or two. Those are the moments that Wynn loved.
I had slowly been converting him to an Auburn fan and just a few weeks ago, he and I were at the Iron Bowl together for his birthday, a game he described as the best football game he'd ever been to. But in the freezing cold, down 24 - 0, I was looking for the nearest exit, but Wynn kept telling me "Let's just score here, and we got this, we got this." He was right. His optimism about the future and competitive spirit could not be matched and I will forever try to carry that with me.
I could spend the rest of the afternoon talking about good times we've had together. These memories will always be with us and nothing can take that away. In the same manner, nothing can change the fact that he is no longer with us so we must do everything we can to remember him for who he was.
As some of you may know, earlier this year both Wynn and I were faced with a very tough time when my dad suffered a stroke. Luckily, we were given a second chance with my dad and went out of our way to spend more time with him, tell him how much we loved him... So when I got the call on Monday evening that something had happened, I immediately thought it was my dad. I knew I had told him I loved him and I felt like I had used my second chance to the fullest and was prepared... but when they said Wynn's name, I was not.
So many things I had not said to him, so many things we had planned to do together and never got to do, so many things he had planned to do. He was always looking towards some event in the future, excited about the future. I know everyone here wished they had just one more chance to talk to him.
But the lesson here is that that is not how life works. More often than not, there are no second chances or warnings. Tragedies happen suddenly and randomly and it has become all too common for us to take for granted the simple pleasures of being around those we love.
So it is my very sincere request that instead of worrying about my family that every one of you leaves here today with a new perspective on life with YOUR family and friends.
I ask each of you to use today as a starting point... A new years resolution, to look around your life at those close to you, take time out of every day and cherish those moments with every one of them. I know those are the parts of life that Wynn loved the most and would want us all to experience for him.
Thank you again very much on behalf of Wynn, myself and our family.
My cousin Jonathan's message for Wynn.
Wynn was my good friend and cousin. We grew up in different parts of the country. I
lived about 1,000 miles away so I would usually only see him at Thanksgiving, Christmas or
during the summer months, but in that time we became good friends. Wynn and I were only two
years apart so it was only natural at family gatherings we would spend our time together.
The past few days as I've reflected on memories of my cousin, I've felt bad because just
about every memory I could recall involved Wynn getting into trouble of some sort. There was
the time when he called 911 from our grandparents' house, and Granddaddy had all the cousins
side by side in a suspect lineup, of course he and every one of us knew all along it was Wynn.
There were the times when we would sneak out at night when staying in West Point and go
swimming in the downtown fountain. We always talked about pouring soap in that fountain but
never mustered up the courage or resourcefulness for that one. One memory involves the day
that Wynn told our younger cousin Christopher the truth about Santa Claus. I'm not sure why he
did that, I'm sure it involved some coaxing on my part, but I've never seen our uncle Bob more
angry than that day. There was also the time when Wynn got kicked out of the swimming pool
for spraying the other guests with a water gun full of hot water. That was just Wynn. It wasn't
that he was a bad kid. He was just mischievous. He never did anything out of malice or ill intent,
I think Wynn honestly just loved to push the limits, and see what he could get away with.
I'll always remember a story my dad would tell about Wynn. We were passing by a coke
machine and Wynn ran up to the machine and pressed all the buttons and out popped a drink.
From that day on my dad always said that Wynn never saw a button he didn't push. I asked
Wynn what made him push those buttons, and he said if I didn't push them he wouldn't know
what would happen.
One of my all time favorite memories of Wynn though, involves the story of his first
Kiss. My wife and I have been debating whether or not this story is appropriate for a funeral, but
what would a service honoring Wynn be without a little controversy.
When I was in high school I lived in San Antonio. Wynn would often come out in the
summer break to stay with us. One summer in particular he was coming out to go to a Weezer
concert. Weezer was a band we both loved, and were excited about going to the concert together.
I assumed that Wynn was just coming out to Texas to visit me and go to see Weezer, but of
course, Wynn had some ulterior motives. One day while driving around Wynn asked if I could
take him to the outlet malls in San Marcos. I asked him why he wanted to go to the outlets and
he said he was meeting a girl there. Apparently Wynn had become good friends with a girl from
Texas on a Weezer message board and had arranged to meet her in San Marcos. I joked with
Wynn that it was probably going to be some overweight 40-year-old man waiting for him, but
being the ever supportive and loving cousin I agreed to take Wynn to meet the girl.
Sure enough there she was, outside the stores waiting for Wynn. I waited for a few
minutes to make sure no one was going to kidnap him and then left. I won't go into details today,
but when I came back to pick him up 30 or so minutes later, the girl was kissing Wynn as they
were sprawled on top of one of those coin operated spaceship rides. Wynn got back on the car
with the silliest grin on his face. He spent the rest of that trip plotting how he was going to move
to Texas and be with his new girlfriend. I guess it didn't work out between the two of them. That
sort of thing would only happen to Wynn.
He loved life, and lived it to the fullest. He was only 24 years old, but packed more in
those 24 years than most do in a lifetime. He spent a summer living and working on a sheep farm
in Australia. He traveled the country with family and friends. He started various cover bands
throughout high school. He mastered just about every video game he ever tried. He got to
celebrate last season as his Saints won the Super Bowl. As we were talking earlier today Sam
said that Wynn celebrated Saint's first downs the way that most people celebrate game victories.
I think that the past few months of Wynn's life were possibly the best of his entire life. He
got to go New Orleans on Halloween and cheer for the Saints in the Superdome. He went to the
Iron Bowl with his best friend and brother Sam, and witnessed a historic game. He also got to go
to the Egg Bowl with his Dad. Just two weeks ago Wynn gathered us all up for a traditional game
of family football. He always loved our Christmas football games. Afterwards he joked that it
was probably the most exercise he had done in a few years.
Wynn had also found true love. Some men spend their entire lives searching for true love
but I believe Wynn had already found that. Lizzie, I know there were ups and downs in your
relationship, as there are in any relationship, but I truly believe that Wynn loved you with all his
heart.
For those closest to Wynn I think there was an obvious change in him over the last year or
so. He had become enthralled with the culinary world. His Facebook page was always full of
pictures of his latest creations. He loved coming up with new and creative dishes. He had found
his calling in life. I don't think it was the act of cooking that really excited him though; I think he
got the most joy out of sharing his food with others. The memory I will always carry with me is
of Wynn watching the family enjoy his creme brulee, or standing over the stove while he talks
about the spices and ingredients of his shrimp and grits. Wynn was only 24 years old, but at such
a young age he had already found something that he was not only passionate about but had a
talent for, that's something that some men never find in an entire lifetime. Wynn's life may have
been cut tragically short, but it was a full and rich life.
I could go on for hours with stories and good memories of Wynn, but I wanted to end
with a quote from Drew Brees, the quarterback of the Saints. This quote is from an interview he
gave when asked about the devastation in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina:
"I believe wholeheartedly the fact that everything happens for a reason. At times, God is going to put you in a position to wonder why this is happening to me or to us, and yet you know
it's happening for a reason. It's there to make you stronger and to give you the opportunity to
accomplish something later on."
I may never understand why God took Wynn from us at such a young age, but I know that
our God is all-knowing, all-powerful, and all-loving, and I know that all things work together for
the good of those who love Him.
Wynn, I love you, thank you for the memories, we will miss you.
My aunt Gayle's article for Wynn.
When my daughter-in-law called me last Monday night and told me that my nephew, Wynn McAllister, had been killed in a car accident, I think my response several times was, "That's not true! That can't be true! Not Wynn!"
As harsh reality set in, I realized it was indeed true. As I made the trip from Starkville to Jackson to be with my little sister, I was reminded of a night many years ago when I learned of the death of another young man who was very special to me - Bubba Wells. Here were two young men who were taken from this earthly life at such an early age. As it did with Bubba, my mind was filled with memories of Wynn.
From the day Wynn was born, he had a twinkly in his eye and a special little wry grin that would melt your heart. And, I promise you - he used those two physical traits to his full advantage throughout life! He reminded me of the typical little Norman Rockwell boy - sandy red hair, freckles, and that look of innocence regardless of the circumstance. I remember him as a very young boy standing at the kitchen counter beating eggs with a fork to make an omelet. I remember his saying, "Aunt Gayle, this is the greatest thing in the whole world," when I gave him a whisk to beat his eggs.
This past Thanksgiving, I remember the young chef standing over his Mom's stove making us creme brulee and caramelizing onions. He as so proud as he watched us all enjoy his dishes. Cooking was his passion.
But, really, Wynn was passionate about everything - the New Orleans Saints, MSU Bulldogs, Auburn Tigers, music, video games, his family, his friends - and the list could go on.
Since Wynn and my son, Jonathan, were only two years apart, each summer Wynn spent time with our family in New Mexico and Texas. I remember one morning at breakfast (probably at 11:00am) Wynn said, "Aunt Gayle, these are the best pancakes I ever had." And, the next day those were the best ones. It did not matter what event we had planned - it was always the "greatest day I ever spent" or "the best day of my life!" His zest for life was contagious.
In his eulogy to Wynn, Jonathan pointed out that Wynn used to push every button on every machine he saw. When Jonathan asked him why he did that, Wynn replied, "If I don't, I'll never know what would happen!" And, that's the way Wynn lived his life. He experienced life to the fullest. If something did not work out, he never looked upon it as a failure - he looked upon it as a learning experience. Life was good! Wynn was always looking for adventure.
And so on Dec. 27, 2010, Wynn Hardin McAllister embarked on the greatest adventure of his life - he came face to face with our Lord Jesus Christ and was held in His loving arms.
Why did God want Wynn at the early age of 24? Why could he not leave him with us longer? How in such a short time could Wynn have served his purpose here on Earth?
At Wynn's Celebration of Life, Sam, his brother, said, and I quote, "More often than not, there are no second chances or warnings. Tragedies happen suddenly and randomly, and it has become all too common for us to take for granted the simple pleasures of being around those we love.
So, it is my very sincere request that every one of you leave her today with a newfound perspective on life with YOUR family and friends. I ask that each of you use today as a starting point to look around your life at those close to you. Take time out of every day and cherish those moments with every one of them. I know those are the parts of life that Wynn loved the most and would want us to experience for him."
So, here we are, Wynn's family and friends - left here on Earth without Wynn's physical presence. We mourn his loss. We question his los. We want him back. We want to talk to him one more time. But as my dear Aunt Sarah told us, "If Wynn were given the chance to come back, he would not want to return." He is at Home with his Father. He has walked the Earth as his Heavenly Father did and now, as the old hymn says, "When we all see Jesus, we'll sing and shout for victory!"
We shall feel Wynn's spiritual presence with us each day. We shall fill the void he left in our hearts with our wonderful memories. Some days our hearts will ache more than others. But in our grief, we also have peace for we know that one day we shall be lifted up in His arms and rejoice with Wynn and other loved ones who will welcome us Home.
Wynn Hardin McAllister
November 22, 1986 - December 27, 2010
Wynn Hardin McAllister, age 24 of Jackson, MS, died from injuries sustained in a car accident in Starkville, MS on Monday, December 27. Wynn was born on November 22, 1986, in Jackson, Mississippi. He is the son of John McAllister and Susan McAllister of Ridgeland. He graduated from Jackson Academy in 2005. In May, 2010, he graduated from the Culinard School of Culinary Arts in Birmingham, Alabama. He was employed by Aramark at Mississippi State University. Wynn had a love for family and friends. His greatest joy was watching and attending games of his beloved New Orleans Saints. He always wore his Saints jersey for each game. He also loved cooking unique dishes for his family and friends. His love for cooking came from his grandmother. He loved to impress his mom with his crème brulee and other culinary dishes. In addition to his parents, Wynn is survived by his brother, Sam McAllister of Birmingham, Alabama; his paternal grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. R.S. McAllister of Jackson; maternal grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. Robert L. Elliott of West Point; his aunt, Gayle Elliott of West Point; uncles, Bob Elliott (Judy) of Birmingham, Rusty and Conner McAllister of Jackson; cousins, Drew Anthony (Kelli), Cory Anthony (Joan) both of Starkville, Jonathan Rhoades (Emilie) of Marietta, Ga, Lindsey and Christopher Martin of Birmingham, AnnaClaire Elliott of Birmingham, Russ and Dave McAllister of Jackson. The pallbearers will be Sam McAllister, Drew Anthony, Cory Anthony, Jonathan Rhoades, Christopher Martin, Taylor Hildebrand and Jay Stroble. In lieu of flowers please send memorials to Liberty's Kitchen, Inc. P.O. Box 19293, New Orleans, LA 70179 in loving memory of Wynn McAllister.
Final Resting Place
32.448796, -90.154769
