Remembering friends Alvin and Jackie Dark. Alvin was born 103 years ago, on January 7, 1922, and Jackie’s birthday was February 13. Alvin passed from this earthly life on November 13, 2014, and Jackie passed 10 years later, on June 4, 2024. I’m glad that, as Christians, we have the assurance of a reunion one day.

They became friends in 2001, which was the year I interviewed each of them for the first time.

When I was the Editor of The Pickens Sentinel, our newspaper’s General Manager, Don Hunt, asked me to write a story on Alvin, who was “the pro to beat” in the Pickens Chamber of Commerce’s golf tournament that year. I met with Alvin and his wife, Jackie, at their home in Easley, and, although I did write about Alvin’s baseball career, I focused the story on his sharing his Christian faith, as I did in later stories on him, as well. Alvin told me that his “most important thing in life” was to share God’s Word. Whenever he spoke to groups who wanted to hear his baseball stories, he would share his testimony and scripture and about how God had changed his life. He was a good man.

I need to back up a little bit.  I had met Alvin and Jackie a little earlier in 2001, at The Reserve at Lake Keowee location, as the golf course was being planned. Before that, in May of 2001, my new friend Linda had spoken at a “When Women Pray” Christian women’s event at the Pickens YMCA, which I attended and reported about in The Sentinel. The event went over so well that the YMCA Director, my friend Libby, wanted to have a weekly Bible study at the YMCA. The lady who would be leading the Bible study was Jackie Dark. I interviewed Jackie by phone and wrote a story for The Sentinel about her upcoming Bible study, to draw interest in it, for anyone who might want to attend. Then, when I was at The Reserve, I and some other members of the news media were waiting, inside the building, for Jack Nicklaus to return from what would become the golf course he was designing, as we were going to be reporting about it. While we were waiting, Alvin and Jackie came in, to wait for him to arrive, also. I didn’t know who they were. I had talked with her by phone but had not met her yet. The seat beside me was empty, and she asked if it was taken, and I said that it wasn’t, and so she sat down, and, when we started a conversation, we found out who each other was. She excitedly introduced me to Alvin as the young lady who had written about her Bible study. The Bible study started in September of 2001, and I would write more about it, and I would attend many times through the years, especially after I started a Christian publication.

I need to back up a little bit more, a decade prior to our meeting in 2001, actually, when I met Alvin, very briefly, for the very first time, in a store, when he came up to me and started a conversation. After he left, someone asked me, “Do you know who that was?” I said, “No.” And she said, “Alvin Dark.” She explained that he was well known in baseball, but I had no idea then who he was, other than a kind gentleman. Our paths would cross a decade later, and I would come to know him as one of the kindest people I’ve met. He did have a career in sports, as a baseball player and manager, but, to me, his most important title, through the years, was friend. I also had no idea back then, that, a decade later, I would be a newspaper Editor and would  interview him and his wife, and that they would become good friends for several years.

When I started a Christian publication in 2004, I published another story about them. I will treasure these words he wrote that year, along with a verse of scripture, in a Bible of mine: “Thanks, Karen, for your friendship. Your friend Al Dark.” Jackie had written on the same page on the same day, along with a Bible verse, these words: “To sweet Karen, a lovely and gifted Christian. We appreciate your bold step of faith. I will be praying for you. Lovingly, Jackie Dark.”

Here is a part of what Alvin told me during the interview: “My most important thing in life is to share God’s Word with people who want to listen. Because I’m a former Big League baseball player and manager, a lot of people will listen to me in a church. People have asked for me to speak to a particular group about baseball, and I would say that I would be willing to come if I can give my personal testimony for Christ. Then, they would ask, ‘Can’t you just tell baseball stories?’ I would say, ‘No. I’m not an entertainer. I want to share God’s Word.’ And, if they want me under those conditions, then fine. Every so often, someone will tell me that he got saved in one of my services, all because he was coming to see what the old baseball player was going to say. All I do is give them God’s Word.  I don’t take credit for anybody getting saved through my words. All I’m doing is memorizing scripture and telling people what the scripture has meant to me and how it has changed my life.”

I attended special services, and sat with Alvin and Jackie, at their church, and, then later, in 2005, after their Pastor moved to another state and became an evangelist, Alvin and Jackie, along with several other couples from their church, joined our church. When their Pastor returned to our state to speak at a local church, Jackie and Alvin invited me to attend the special services, along with other couples from their former church who had joined our church, and whom I came to know as good friends, as well. I was privileged to see them every Sunday at our own church and attend Sunday School class with them for several years.

I also enjoyed visiting with them often in their home. Now, they are in their heavenly home – gone, and missed, but never forgotten.