The celebration of life for Mayor Wally Nichols was this past Saturday, and it was certainly something to see.

Hosted out of the Boys & Girls Club McKee branch, the gym housing about 500 chairs was packed with family, friends and acquaintances of Mayor Wally, all coming together to bid farewell to a rather fantastic guy.

There was a Wally Wall off to one side boasting all sorts of memories and messages from those in attendance.

As the show got rolling, Pastor Justin Erickson explained that the service would feel almost like a biography for Fountain Hills’ fifth mayor, which it certainly did.

Comments were broken down into categories, with folks speaking about Mayor Wally in regards to his impact on the community, his professional life, mentoring, friends, family and faith.

There were some tears, sure, but there was also plenty of laughter rippling through the crowd. Since more than one story shared about ole Wally had to do with his love of jokes, pranks and a good chuckle, I think that’s exactly how he would have wanted it.

I only hope that, in life, Mayor Wally knew how much he meant to this town and its residents. That was on clear display this weekend and, in a way, it was staggering. The guy clearly impacted a lot of lives.

Maybe that’s one final lesson we can learn from Mayor Wally. Save for Tom and Huck, not many folks are afforded the opportunity to sit in on their own funeral. I’m sure Wally received just as much love as he gave in life (if that’s even possible), but that’s not always the case.

We shouldn’t wait to share that love with others. Mayor Wally sure didn’t.

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Speaking of sharing the love, I attended my 10th consecutive Senior Recognition Night last week, where graduating seniors of Fountain Hills High School were presented with a ridiculous amount of support from local clubs, businesses, families and organizations.

Student after student marched up to the stage to receive special recognition for their performance in academics, athletics, service and the like, earning a bit of financial support to help them on their way into life after high school.

Some are going to trade schools, others to community colleges and still others to universities. Some might decide that their path leads to none of the above.

Whatever the case, their parents, teachers and neighbors joined in celebration of their achievements thus far, along with a resounding “good luck” for whatever adventures lie in store for them next.

Senior Recognition Night is a pretty special event and I’m thankful to have once again been a part of it. And in case you are curious as to what all of the hubbub is about, we took so many photos of scholarship winners that they will have to appear across two issues of The Times. Look for the first batch of photos in this week’s paper and the rest on May 25.

Congrats, kiddos. You’ve earned it.