Cabot is definitely a class act. I went to an outdoor summer concert to see a local orchestra, and he was the special guest singing several patriotic and Americana numbers. At the time I did not know he was a singer. Afterward my wife and I and some couples we were with bumped into him on our way out, and told him how much we enjoyed the concert. He was very gracious, and not in any hurry to get away from us.
About two months ago while on Facebook on a Saturday morning,, I saw my neighbor's son posted a picture of Cabot with my neighbor at their house just three doors down from me. I saw it and yelled out to my wife, "Hey, Cabot Rea's just down the street! Grab your smart phone!". Yes, that passes for major excitement where I live. No, we didn't really grab our smartphone, and we somehow restrained ourselves from going down the street to gawk.
I knew my neighbor drove for Greyhound for several years, but I didn't know that he was always the Otterbein University choir's choice to drive them whenever they traveled out of state, and that he and Cabot got to know each other when Cabot was a student and a member of the choir. Turns out Cabot was visiting that day because he found out my neighbor had been battling cancer for ten years, and had just resigned himself to stopping treatment to await the inevitable.
I didn't think anymore about it until my neighbor passed away last month - we went to the funeral held at the neighborhood church where me and my neighbor and his family attend. Mrs. Zunardo and I were sitting close to the front, the pastor asked if anyone wanted to voice any favorite memories of my neighbor - and this familiar voice behind us booms out, just like it's the 6 o'clock news. Startled us a bit, but Cabot held forth as if he lived next door and knew everyone in the place. Told a few good stories, too. I know my neighbor's family really appreciated the gesture.
As I said, a class act. Congratulations and best of luck to him.
