Moreau 
Integration Three
3/4/21

Eulogy: 

William Patrick Linnen, known as Liam by friends and family, was a son, husband, brother, great father, grandfather, great-grandfather, dog owner, and benefactor. He is survived by his brother, three sons and two daughters, eight grandsons and nine granddaughters, two great-grandsons, two great granddaughters, his golden retriever, and countless dear friends. He was a lifetime resident of the city of Chicago born to Anne and Joe Linnen in 2002.  His loved ones would tell you he is most known for his smile and sense of humor.  
	Linnen was educated at Saint Ignatius College Prep ‘21 and the University of Notre Dame ‘25. At Ignatius, he developed a love for running. He continued this love by competing in marathons until his mid-70s. At Notre Dame, he developed a great love for helping others and the common good. A great graduate of the university. Up until his early eighties, he would never miss a home game tailgater (unless there was a home White Sox baseball game)! His three grandchildren at the University at the time would tell you: he was a master on the grill! 
	With his Notre Dame education, Linnen had success in the business world. He was successful at a young age, so he got the courage to go out on his own. In 2029, he married the love of his life. He eventually opened his own start-up firm in 2037. By 2042, Linnen’s company was one of the top earning firms in the country - he was featured in business magazines across the globe. Employees that worked for Linnen concur: “everyday one of us saw him in the office our day was made, his smile was contagious.” However, Linnen was always around to coach one of his kids’ little league games or help with homework - he was a family man in every sense of the word. 
Linnen was a great disciple of the Lord. He was very involved at his Chicago parish. He was monumental in starting and even ran his parish’s soup kitchen for some time.  He created a foundation that enabled unprivileged refugee children to receive otherwise unattainable educational opportunities. He was on the board of Chicago Catholic Charities. He was involved with “Healthy Chicago”, which helps low-income household families receive healthy and nutritious food. 
Linnen enjoyed his well-deserved retirement while remaining active in his Chicago charities. Avid skiers and hikers, he and his wife retired in Deer Valley. When they got sick of the cold ski weather (Linnen would blame that on the wife), he retired to his beach house in Anguilla. However, the city of Chicago was his true love. A life-long White Sox fan, Linnen bought the team in 2058. As an owner, he rarely missed a game (sometimes to his wife’s dismay). 
Linnen was known for his impromptu stand up sessions at family parties. In his words (not mine): “I am the king of comedy; I would make SNL or whatever comedy show you young ins like nowadays go out of business. I would have made it big time if I did not fall for your mother/grandmother/great-grandmother. Whatever (big hand wave), that’s for another life, hopefully I am not slowed down by the wife in that one.” His wife would just shake her head - knowing it was just another joke. Linnen loved her more than anything in the world. 
Linnen will be missed by all who know him. His smile and laugh will never be forgotten. He has impacted countless lives for the better. This earth was made better with him in it.  Whenever a young one in the family was crying, a true sweet tooth, Linnen was the man to cheer them up: “Stop crying, for Pete’s sake. Just rub it on a brick and enjoy some candy (hands child candy). By the way, do not tell your mother about the candy.” 


Reflection:
I want to be remembered as a charitable person and family man. I want the relationships in my life to be strong and life-giving. I believe I have a heart that responds and wants to be with others: “Solidarity, however, is not an automatic mechanism. It cannot be programmed or controlled. It is a free response born from the heart of each and everyone. Yes, a free response!” ("Why the only future worth building includes everyone" by His Holiness Pope Francis - Moreau FYE Week Seven). I believe I possess this free response. This free response implies I talked about myself as a family man, well-liked boss, and good friend in my Eulogy. 
	Solidarity must be developed in a person. Fr. Hesburgh continues to inspire me to develop skills in solidarity. Fr. Hesburgh taught me that in a world that can be divided at times we must bring people together. Hesburgh was that example of solidarity: “He could bring people together…that’s the kind of leader we need today” ("Hesburgh", by Patrick Creadon - Moreau FYE Week Two) I talked about myself as a charitable person. This giving back implies barriers being broken between communities - true solidarity. In my perspective, bridging gaps between people inspires me to live a life well-lived.
	In order to find inspiration to make the world a better place, we must explore life. To explore life, we should discern our path: "What are possible ways of living a life well-lived?" ("Navigating Your Career Journey", by Meruelo Family Center for Career Development - Moreau FYE Week Four). I mentioned my education led me to success in the business world. This is because education will help me explore what interests me. In turn, this will lead to the real me. If I find a career that intrigues me, I am bound to be successful because I will be more passionate about my job. My passion lies in being in solidarity by helping and inspiring others. Therefore, I wrote about helping others.
	While navigating my career journey, I should continue to ask myself questions in order to gauge my interests. I did not name a specific company or career choice in my writing because I have no idea what I want to do after school. My classes at Notre Dame will help me formulate these opinions. I should make the realization that our strengths and weaknesses both teach us something about ourselves: “It’s actually in facing the darkest realities of life that we find light in them” ("Meet the Nun Who Wants You to Remember You will Die", by Ruth Graham - Moreau FYE Week Three). In my career search, stepping out of my comfort zone will enable me to find what truly fascinates me. By always standing for what he believes is morally right, Fr. Hesburgh inspires me to reach out of my comfort zone to find this light.
These questions about a life-well lived will lead to further career and life discernment in general.  Conservations with those who love and care for us the most can guide us on the right path. Sometimes others see aspects of our personalities that we overlook. Learning about these traits is inspiring. It enables one to look at their life from a whole new perspective. Upon learning about these new perspectives, I can explore career options on Irish Compass ("Discerning a Life Well-Lived Irish Compass Activity", by Moreau FYE instructors - Moreau Week Five). Irish compass will hopefully lead me to enjoy my work. As I talked about it, my coworkers constantly saw me smiling. Finding work that leads me to happiness is important to me. 
Practicing self-reflection will help me find happiness in my career choice. Slowing down  and truly getting to know yourself is important in this process: “But as fast as geography is coming under our control, the clock is exerting more and more tyranny over us. And the more we can contact others, the more, it sometimes seems, we lose contact with ourselves” ("Why we need to slow down our lives", by Pico Iyer - Moreau FYE Week One). In writing this piece, I realized that life is short. Hence, we must make the most of every day. Reflecting on everyday makes me more appreciative and grateful like Sister Theresa Aletheia. 
Obstacles can get in the way of practicing self-reflection. Therefore, asking yourself the right questions internally and externally are vital to a life well lived. Asking questions that trap us in the past is not helpful: “‘Why’ questions trap us in our past; ‘what’ questions help us create a better future” ("Five Minutes", by The Grotto Network - Moreau FYE Week Six). Asking why there is evil in the world has no purpose. But, asking what you can do to fix these negative aspects of the world has a purpose. Various times in my writing, it is implied that I asked myself: how can I make a difference in a person’s life? What can I do to be a force of good? Focusing on others will enable me to get out of my own obstacles. Serving others enables me to help myself.