Read the Summer 2013 Issue! - Father Ryan High School

When you look out on the field at about 6:58 on Friday nights
this fall, you’ll notice something new about our traditional
bagpiper’s attire. But what’s
new is only part of the story…
and that part is only part of
another story…all threads in
a tale that ties and binds and
heals across the entire Father
Ryan community.
The story begins here in
Nashville, but its telling
takes us to the British Isles,
to Mexico, to a restaurant in
Cool Springs and back home
to Norwood, each part of
the story producing tears of
sadness and hurt, tears of
celebration and joy.
It begins with Julian Gomez
’86, that bagpiper. He took
over the responsibility last
year for leading the team onto
the field, carrying a beautiful
bagpipe and wearing none
of the bagpiper’s clothes. He
wanted to add the traditional
bagpiper’s uniform to the job,
adding that special touch to
elevate the game experience
and honor our heritage. What
a nice idea…and what a
significant expense, one that
seemed out of the realm of
possibility. But something was
in the works, something no
one knew, just yet. And that is
only part of the story.
Julian will tell you that
wearing the clothes became an
opportunity to honor Kevin
Davis ’09, a young man he’d
never met but to whom he
was now intimately linked.
Kevin, the son of our principal
Paul Davis ’81 and Teresa
Sharp Davis ’81, and brother
of Philip Davis ’08. Kevin,
so full of life and questions
and smiles and energy, who
had a knack for bringing
people together, was killed
in an accident in Mexico
while there on spring break
in March 2012. A loss that
broke the hearts of his family
and pulled together a whole community in a hug of support and
love. It was on the morning of Kevin’s celebration of life Mass
that Julian learned of this unique young man. When the family
Half a
million
threads,
each
Kevin-Sent
The bagpiper, Julian Gomez ‘85 and Kevin Davis ‘09. The Double
Davidson kilt connects them both.
expressed a longing for the bagpiper’s mournful melody to carry
Kevin home, Julian answered the call on a moment’s notice,
literally. That spring morning,
standing in the pouring
rain at Kevin’s graveside,
he witnessed firsthand the
community coming together
in an extraordinary way to say
goodbye to this remarkable
young man. So the kilt, for
Julian, became more than a
bagpiper’s dress; it became a
salute to someone special and,
by extension, to the entire
Father Ryan community. Now
that’s a lovely and touching
story…but even that isn’t the
whole story.
Paul, Teresa and Philip will
tell you that the outpouring
of support, the prayers, the
letters, the hugs, the tears have
buoyed them throughout the
past year. They’ve been moved
by the many gifts to the Kevin
Paul Davis ’09 Scholarship,
which is now endowed and
was presented this year for the
first time (see sidebar). How
it touched them to see Kevin’s
name remembered and a
Father Ryan student benefiting
from this tragedy. They also
talk about the many moments
that happened—continue to
happen—that are hard to
explain. Moments of grace
and beauty; moments that
have changed lives in little
ways; moments some would
call coincidences, but family
and friends recognize as
“Kevin-sents”, events that they
believe are divinely sent. Now
we are getting to the heart of
that story and the threads of
that kilt.
Julian talked to the kilt maker,
Mr. Alan Trivett at the House
of Tartan in Scotland, and
put in his order, asking for the
Davis clan tartan. Mr. Trivett
knew the Davis clan was from
the House of Davidson and
the tartan’s colors were green,
blue, red and white. Perfect,
except for that blue—“could it be purple?”, Julian asked,
wishing to tie it even more closely to Kevin and to Father Ryan.
“No” was the first response, but the rest of the story was still
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