what kind of man is this?

What kind  of man is he?
We were walking down a gravel road near Lake of the Ozarks on a warm spring day, Lucey dog romping in the sun, not hot but pretty warm for sure.  We were enjoying some exercise, strolling, and waved to  him and his friend sitting in rockers on the front porch of a yellow house under the shade trees.  We kept walking on, picking up trash as we spied it on the side of the road.  A couple in a black car - GENZ was on their license plate - we noticed because the traffic was so non-existent - said we should get an award.  Jim told her how simple it is to walk along and carry a bag and put trash in it!  She laughed and rolled her eyes.  At the end of "our road" aptly named Paradise, we turned around and began to walk back.  At the yellow house, he had the hose out watering flowers.  He dropped the hose and rushed over across his lawn to us on the road, and invited us up on the porch for cold watermelon.  The other man was not there anymore.  I said "well, or course" and he turned off the hose, dusted off the rocking chairs and told us to sit down.  I told him my name and called him Jerry because he had a sign with "Jerry  Gillespie" hanging up pretty big and bold.  Jerry smiled and went inside.  Out he came with 2 plates, forks and huge slices of ice cold watermelon, and a salt shaker for us to use in his bib overalls pocket.  "to make the melon taste sweeter" which was news to me.  His warmth and generosity made conversation easy, us slurping, enjoying the cold wetness and shade, and he telling about his children and how they want him to move, how he enjoys the peace of the yard and nature, bits about the neighbors and weather and winter that wasn't this year.  He'd mentioned his wife once and how she'd thought about opening a bakery in town but didn't because there was only traffic during a few months of summer and not enough to keep a business going, you know.  I asked about her as we were leaving "was she inside?".  He got real quiet and said "she passed 2 years ago exactly today, the 24th".  I gasped and caught a glimpse of a tear before he turned his head to clear the plats.  "Real nice to meet you folks.  Come back anytime".  I went over and took his hand and said how sorry I was and thank you again for your kindness and the watermelon and the visit in the shade.  I am stunned by his gesture of reaching out to us - strangers walking on the road - on the anniversary of her death.  I can't even remember her name  - it was on the sign too but I'm embarrassed to say I didn't pay attention close enough.  We didn't walk to clean up the road and we didn't walk for exercise on the beautiful day.  According to an angel's plan, we walked to meet Jerry and  spend some simple holy time on his front porch.  Maybe easing loneliness - or maybe there is not easing of it, I don't know yet. Maybe my day will come.   I only know that sharing a day like today, gentle breeze and puffy clouds, watermelon with an old man - well, it's just a gift, a treasure really.  I want to walk down that gravel road again and spend more time sitting on Jerry's front porch.  What kind of a man is he anyway?