Dad was a generous, devoted family man. He was home every night and every weekend. Though four children must have been financially, mentally and physically demanding, he never made anything seem more important than his wife and kids. Dad sacrificed and never complained. Would give his kids anything and never think twice.
He met Mom (Annette) when they were both little more than kids themselves – they married the day after Mom's 18th birthday. They had great fun doing anything from '50s dancing to acting crazy at the Laundromat with their friends. Their lack of funds never deterred their love of fun or their love of each other.
Corine came first, followed closely by Lance and then Sussette. Years later, much to everyone's surprise, came Monique, the blessing of their lives.
When the house was full of the three first children, Sundays were spent at Sunday school, church and finally dinner at his mother's house. That always meant lots of family and lots of farm-style food. Later, when Monique came around, weekends were spent reading the Sunday funnies and eating stacks of pancakes or waffles. Dad loved the foods he grew up eating. He loved his mother's homemade noodles and ice cream (and absolutely, passionately hated ketchup).
Many a summer Friday night was spent outside with a flashlight digging for earthworms for an early Saturday morning fishing trip. The kids spent more time throwing rocks in the river than pulling fish out, but that never stopped Dad from taking us back again.
Dad, with Mom, went anywhere his kids went. This took them to Indiana to visit Corine and Amish country and the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville. Las Vegas to visit Lance, and then Susie and his first grandchild. Boston to see Monique and the leaves change. Reno to visit Corine and eventually to live for five years.
Dad had a love/hate relationship with the Denver Broncos. In fact, those nail-biting fourth quarters might have contributed to his heart trouble. He would yell and hoot and holler during the games all the while eating nachos with jalapeños so hot they were the envy of the neighborhood.
Dad was a machinist. Not a mechanic – an important distinction. He understood how to break an engine down and rebuild it again. Something he did at work, on the cars and around the house. He fixed broken vacuums, rewired faulty plugs and finished the basements in the houses we lived in so each kid had their own bedroom.
Eventually came grandchildren. Corine married into her children, Kevin and Ryan. Dad would sit around and play games being a good sport though he was never much of a game player. Susie's children Alexandra and Andrew were the long-awaited grandchildren. Alexandra, known as Alex, was born in Las Vegas. She loved her pacifier and Barney. Andrew, known as Drew, was born in Colorado Springs with a sense of humor and loved by everyone. Dad spent a lot of time with Alex and Drew and loved them very much.
Grandcats were never in short supply. Stormy would sit on Dad's chest for hours, happy for the quiet and warm contentment she found there. Max was the handsome gray tabby that caught Dad's heart. Jack was the other handsome tabby in the family. Boots wore a tux, was a good boy and Dad liked him. Scout was proclaimed as "loving his groceries," and "nothing could make Hunter happy." Dad summed up every cat's personality in a short, succinct sentence.
His own pets were much loved and much spoiled. There was a dachshund named Tinker Bell, Johnny the Cat, Isabelle and Priscilla, black labs, Benji the rescued squirrel and the last baby of his life, Janet, a gray and white tabby who he could not love more. From his childhood were Champ the horse, named after Gene Autry's, and Ring, a German shepherd, and a pet turkey that gobbled outside his window when he was bed-bound with the mumps.
Dad was a cowboy at heart. He loved country music before it was cool. He wore a western hat and boots. He loved being out in nature and finding God there. Farm animals and his life on the farm were a favorite topic. He even took us to a tractor pull in Kansas.
It's clear Dad's family loved him, but it's important to note that everyone – that is everyone – loved Dad. He was uniquely charismatic. He was quiet, but so pleasant and open and lovable that people flocked around him. You couldn't help but love Dad.