Father Smith and Captain Tom's Funeral

Today was Tom's funeral. The Post provided the military honors including the pall bearers, Color Guard and Rifle Squad. I was in the Color Guard holding the post colors(flag). After the casket was brought into the church, I went in for the Mass. Fr. Smith is a retired priest in residence at Immaculate Conception Church here in Madison. He is well into his 80's. He started off by calling Tom "Robert". At another point he called him "William." Eventually he called him Thomas and by the end of Mass he was Tom. I couldn't tell you what the sermon was about because he started talking about the military and then he was talking about cadillacs and taking his driver's test and then about driving to Wyoming. Needless to say it was the most interesting funeral that I have ever been to. The young funeral director was sitting at the end of the pew I was in. When Fr. Smith called Tom Robert, the funeral director just put his head in his hands. Trevor, the funeral director, has coordinated many of the military funerals that the post goes to. He always asks families if the deceased was a veteran and then explains to the family about the funeral team and the military honors we provide. At the funerals he explains what is going to take place and coordinates everything. I know that that is his job but he and Tom have been coordinating the funerals for a few years now. Anyways, I think poor Trevor thought Fr. Smith was going to continue to refer to Tom as Robert. I'm sure that Tom would have had a good laugh.