Wednesday, September 2, 2020
LTC. Lovings had a very positive influence on myself and many others who had the pleasure of him being our Senior Army Instructor at Rickards High School. He was a mans man who did not tolerate much nonsense. He would be blessing you out for some knucklehead thing you did and the whole time you knew he cared. By my Senior year, we would mess with him just to get him fired up over something and sit back and enjoy the ride.
I was in his office, sometime in the 95-96 school year, grading the Freshman vocabulary word tests. He was sitting at his desk (with his pipe) and asked me a question. "Reeves, do you know what the real definition of Tact is?" Tact was one of the words on that weeks list. "I don't know Sir, what is the real definition of Tact?" I asked. "Tact is the way of telling someone to go to hell and have them look forward to the trip!" He began to laugh that subtle laugh of his while I processed what was just said. "Sir, I reckon that it is." Now, I took all those vocabulary tests, and feel that I have a relatively decent vocabulary myself. I can't remember another word for word definition of any of the words other than that of Tact. I have used that definition through out my Military and DOD career and shared it with many people along the way.
Thank you Sir for always keeping it real and not sugar coating things just because we were teenagers.
Matthew Reeves
Soldier & Family Readiness Specialist
Florida National Guard Family Programs
1225 Easterwood Dr
Tallahassee, FL 32311
850-528-9476 (cell)
matthew.p.reeves2.civ@mail.mil
(321) 214-7337 
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