It’s been a couple of rough weeks.

As I told you a few weeks ago, Town Fire Chief Scott La Greca passed away a week after we had an announcement in the paper that he was retiring.

Then a week ago I heard that town pioneer and Fountain Hills Presbyterian Church founder Glenn Atchinson had died, Then later in the week I got word that Fort McDowell Tribal President Dr. Clinton Pattea had passed away.

Glenn wasn’t your typical pastor. He wore a tie-dye robe when he gave his sermons. He started the church in a bar called Little John’s, and he donated his bar stool from which he gave that first sermon to the River of Time Museum where it is on permanent display.

But he did far more for his community than lead his congregation for the next 25 years. He was actively involved in the community taking public stances on local political issues. He co-authored the first by-laws of the Chamber of Commerce. He later revised those by-laws and served terms as treasurer and president of the Chamber.

He was on the original committee to evaluate programs of prevention of teen drug use and was co-founder of the Ministers Fellowship. Among his other accomplishments were writing the first draft for the merger of the Community Association and Civic Association. He advised the School District on a Community Schools program, chaired the Citizens Advisory Committee for MCO Properties and was on the organizing board of the Sunridge Foundation.

He was also a strong voice and activist for the town’s incorporation, and following his retirement, he became chaplain at the Fountain View Village Senior Living Community.

And one more thing . . . he married Diane and me on Dec. 19, 1997.

Dr. Pattea was a good neighbor to Fountain Hills. Whenever he spoke here to groups he jokingly referred to Fountain Hills as a suburb of Fort McDowell.

He loved the museum. He stood up at a fund-raising dinner held in my honor back in 2002 and pledged $50,000 for the museum. The tribe has continually supported the museum through the years since then. He served on the boards of both the Historical Society and the museum foundation.

Several years ago, the museum’s traveling exhibit room was renamed in his honor.

Throughout his life, he devoted himself to the betterment of the lives of his people. He was proud to be a Yavapai.

In a statement issued by the tribe upon his death, it said, “He will be deeply missed by all who knew him. But we at Fort McDowell will continue in his legacy of promoting education, preserving our native language and maintaining our tribal sovereignty and self-reliance.”

All three of these men will be greatly missed.

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Tickets are now available to the museum’s annual Italian Dinner fundraiser set for Saturday, Aug. 10.

Advance tickets are $15 or two for $25. A table of eight is $100 and may be reserved by calling Debbie Skehen at 816-4186.

Tickets are available at Gridleys, Sami’s Fine Jewelry, Kay Kinder’s Fountain Fashions, CSI Printing, The Times and the museum during its summer hours on Friday from 1 to 4 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.