Hello, Everyone. I wanted to speak for a moment on behalf of myself and my brother, Dave. This isn’t going to be easy, but I’m going to give it my best. I’m not a natural public speaker, but I’m motivated to stand before you because Dave and I loved our Dad so very very much, and we want to share with you what a wonderful father he was.
Our Celebrant, Connie Smith, knows a lot about our Dad, and she’s doing a beautiful job of telling his story. But only Dave and I know what an exceptional experience it was to be a child of this very special man. When it came to parents, Dave and I were truly blessed.
Dad was the smartest guy we ever knew. He always had the answer. He was always working on getting smarter and making himself a better person. Dad went to night school from the time we were born to the time we were in our mid-teens. During the work day, he was an electrician. At night, he was a student. On Sunday mornings, he studied. In his spare time, he maintained our home and our yard. He spent time with his friends. He loved and took care of our Mom. And yet, despite this grueling lifestyle, Dave and I have both come away from our childhood with the impression that we were never neglected. Dad always found time to help us with our science projects, he came to our sporting and school events, he worked on our bikes, he helped me with Girl Scout projects, he was an assistant coach for Dave’s baseball teams. He was there for us at every turn.
Dad was a modest man, an honest man, a sincere man. He was happy, optimistic and rarely down. He was never grouchy, and rarely angry. He found ways to avoid being negative or frustrated. He believed that if you’re going to do it, you should do it right. Dave and I worked hard to be like him. We still do.
Our entire childhood was an education. Every moment spent with Dad was an opportunity to learn something we never knew before. At the knee of the Master,
We learned about electricity, wirenuts, greenfield connectors and needle-nose pliers.
We learned about drywall and 2 by 4s and pink insulation.
We learned about leaves and rocks and fossils.
We learned about sailing and jibs and coming about.
We learned about American history and every year we went on a trip to experience some of that history.
We had clinics in our driveway where we learned how to change the oil in our cars, how to change our flats and rotate our tires. We learned how to jump start our engines, positive to positive, negative to bumper.
We learned about our ancestors and their triumphs and struggles.
We learned the value of education.
We learned the art of getting along with others.
We learned the importance of a sense of humor.
We learned the specifics of living a worthwhile life.
We learned to respect our elders.
We learned self-respect.
We learned that we need to take care of our family.
We learned to be compassionate towards those less fortunate than us.
We learned to live in harmony with nature.
We learned how to be strong.
We learned how to work hard.
We learned that shortcuts rarely work.
We learned how to earn money.
We learned how to save money.
We learned how to laugh, especially at ourselves, and we did it often.
Dave describes Dad as a white collar guy with a blue collar background, and I think that’s a pretty good way to put it. He was a military man, a craftsman, a construction worker, a teacher, an administrator. He was a husband, a father, a son, a brother, a grandpa, a father-in-law, a son-in-law. He played all of his many roles with love in his heart and in a way that enhanced us and made us better people. He was truly one of a kind.
This has been the most difficult time we have ever been through, and those of you who knew our Dad, those of you who know any of us, understand what an enormous loss this is for our family. Starting tomorrow, we face a new normal, a life without Dad, something we never thought would come this soon. But what Dad’s life may have lacked in length, it was surely made up in quality. He fit so much good into the life God gave him. He has surely earned a very special place in Heaven.
Dave and I would like to thank the wonderful people here at Busch who have been so compassionate and caring, so helpful and accommodating. Everyone we’ve met here has treated us as though our preferences and wishes for our Dad are their top priority. We’re so grateful to all of you.
On behalf of our Mom, our spouses, Robert and Sheila, and our sons, Michael, Steven, Grant and Gregory, Dave and I thank each of you, from the bottom of our hearts, so very much being here today, and for the support, prayers, visits and the help you’ve offered us over the past few weeks. Spending time with all of you yesterday and today and being given the chance to talk about our Dad has helped us so much. Looking over all the names in the registry book last night was proof of two things that Dave and I already knew – we’ve been truly blessed with our immediate and extended families, and we sure know how to pick our friends. We’ve fallen to our lowest low, and your love and support will help us pick ourselves up again and move forward. Thank you to each and every one of you.
