Examples of those unnecessarily and tragically killed before their time are all around us.

They are especially easy to find in small communities like St. John the Baptist Parish, where we can reach out and touch those who suffer through these traumas.

Our parish was reminded of an old one and suffered through a new one this week.

In a scene that can only be described as beautiful, an overflow crowd of family members and friends packed the St. John Parish Council meeting Tuesday night in Edgard to support an ordinance naming the West Bank Recreation Park of Edgard “Juan Anthony Joseph Park.”

Numerous attendees, including every single Council member and Juan’s brave parents, spoke in memory and in honor of Juan.

They praised a gifted young man who used his skills to impact others through mentorship, athletics, coaching and education.

Unfortunately, Juan, 27, was killed nearly four years ago through gun violence, the victim of a hothead shooter who failed to realize Juan was bravely serving as a peacemaker during a late-night altercation.

Parish Council Chairman Lennix Madere Jr. delivered some particularly moving comments on Juan’s behalf, noting while as a teacher, a high school-aged Juan would tease him by saying he was going to marry his daughter.

After hearing the news from a friend about Juan’s death, Madere said his reaction was simple.

“The first thing I told him was I know it’s nothing he did,” Madere said. “I know that because that is the kind of person (Juan) was. It was not his fault. The wrong place at the wrong time with someone else who had no regard. He took a good man, a good father, a good son, good friend a good person.

“It was a pleasure to have known him.

“Everyone spoke about all the accomplishments he (achieved,) and all of those are great things, but none of the things he accomplished were more or better than who he was. He was greater than any award he ever got.”

About an hour after the tributes to Juan and after much of the crowd had left the Council meeting, I started receiving text messages concerning EMS response for a traffic crash that was taking place on the opposite side of the parish, along River Road in LaPlace.

A coworker was at the scene where emergency medical personnel were frantically trying to free a man pinned in a truck following a nasty collision.

The man turned out to be 59-year-old LaPlace resident James Heard, who died a few hours later while at the hospital.

He was coming back from Vacation Bible School and was struck, according to police, by a driver who was not using his vehicle’s headlights.

I reached out to James’ family and three members took time, amidst their grief, to visit L’OBSERVATEUR Wednesday afternoon to share their memories of James.

He was uncomplicated and sweet, family said. He was a giver, he was a hard worker and he was a friend.

He certainly shouldn’t have been killed on his way home from church.

In the days since I heard the warm words for Juan and enjoyed the sweet conversation about James, my family has struggled to gain some understanding.

It’s simply not fair, and it’s never going to be fair. Tragedy is a part of life. So, it’s important to remember and continue to speak about those we’ve lost.

However, it’s even more important to love on those and thank those special people who are actively in our lives today.

As we all know, tomorrow is never promised.

Stephen Hemelt is publisher and editor of L’OBSERVATEUR. He can be reached at 985-652-9545 or stephen.hemelt@lobservateur.com.