08/11/2026
Today, we said goodbye to Major Jamie McGuckin.
We gathered to celebrate your life, to honor the man and leader you were, and then stood by your graveside for one final farewell. I’m still trying to make sense of the grief and the reality that you are gone.
Tonight, while searching for some understanding and comfort, I came across an email you once sent to our staff at the Oklahoma County Detention Center.
You wrote it on April 6, following the passing of Clinton Vaught while he was at boot camp. In a moment when our people were hurting, you did what you so often did—you found words to help others carry their grief.
The email was titled “A Prayer for Those in Mourning.”
Dear Lord, In the depths of our hearts, we carry the weight of sadness and the ache of mourning. We acknowledge these emotions for they are a testament to the love we held for those we have lost and the pain of their absence in our lives.
Help us, dear God, to embrace our sadness without guilt or shame. Grant us the wisdom to understand that grief is a natural and necessary part of the human experience. In our mourning, may we find strength in our memories, solace in our tears, and comfort in the support of those who walk this journey with us.
Lord, we also pray for the promise of joy in the morning. We trust in your unfailing love and the hope of new beginnings. Help us recognize the small glimmers of light amid the darkness, the moments of peace amidst the pain. Guide us on the path to healing so that as the dawn breaks, we may find joy once more. May our hearts be open to the beauty of life, even as we remember those who are no longer with us. In the name of your boundless love and grace, we pray. Amen.
Today, those words you shared to comfort us after the loss of someone else feel as though they have found their way back to us when we need them most—only this time, we are mourning you.
There is something incredibly difficult, yet meaningful, about finding your words on the very day we laid you to rest.
You spent so much of your life serving others, leading others, encouraging others, and being there during some of their hardest moments. And somehow, even after saying goodbye to you, you are still doing that.
Rest easy, Major.
Your watch is over, but your words, your leadership, your friendship, and the impact you made on so many lives remain with us.
Until we meet again, Major. You will be deeply missed and never forgotten.