He was 13 when his dad died. Today he is 75.

He taught me patience and love for others. He is RW at times, ticks me off. Makes me want to 'spit nails' as he would say.

He served in the Korean war. Never complained about it.

His dad died at home. His mom never married again. They moved to a small town, Byesville, Ohio. Where he met my mom. Her dad was the Mayor and Police chief, her mom a school teacher.

When his mom was sick he and his brother built a large garage behind the house here - in one weekend. Put in electric and plumbing for her. I remember helping with it.

He tried his best to be a good dad. He, and I to be sure, were not perfect.

He taught me about computers, and chess. When I was afraid of storms he held me. He didn't always understand me, nor I him.

The only pic we have of him and his dad he has sitting in the kitchen. I scanned it in tonight.



I don't know what all he went through growing up way back when. I don't know what it is like to have dreams of doing things with your dad, and then having him up and die one day.

We don't always see eye to eye, but I always know you love me and taught me to be the person I am (as did mom).

Your dad and You. And a song from my youth that I hope expresses some of what I feel:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_3U1slCv75E

I care and love for others because of you and mom.

My dad turned 75 last week and I am mighty glad to still have him around.

day he was here. This was a great post, straight story. thank you for sharing.

I am so glad you love him so much and enjoy having him around!

My father perished @ 78 years of age 11/10/98 in an early am attached garage fire that also destroyed or damaged many antiques in the home that my mother had collected over the years. My father refinished the antique wood furniture that my mother bought in that garage, so there were a lot of combustible and flammable chemicals inside. We were told that the fire may have been electrical in origin, but I think that his next door neighbor dropped a cigarette into a vinyl chair in the garage when he came over to visit him and it smouldered all night until it caught fire. My father apparently heard the smoke alarm and went into the garage to throw the burning chair out, and yelled to the neighbors to call 911. He was in his underwear, and being always modest, went back into the garage to go back into the house, but the ongoing fire activated the automatic garage door and closed it on him. He did not make it back into the house, and died at the door.

My wife's mother died exactly five years later to the same day of cancer.

About a week after my fathers death, I had a vivid dream of him in a suit and trenchcoat that he wore to work when I was young, he approached me in the basement of my house looked me right in the eye, and said: "you are going to lose this house" Then he vanished and I woke up. 10 years later my house was foreclosed on due to my becoming disabled, and my wife losing her career job to outsourcing (India) a few weeks after I lost mine.

Thanks for posting. My dad died in 1981, he had left my Mom in 1954 and I saw him about a half dozen times after that. Tried once to connect with him in the 1970's, but it really wasn't worth the effort beyond explaining to me that there was absolutely no connection between us at all.

Life has it's twists & turns. :thumbsup: