Special Words About My Special Dad
By Daughter, Jan
My dad was truly an amazing father, grandpa, husband, relative and friend. He loved God’s people—pure and simple. And that love couldn’t help but shine through in that wonderful, caring smile, his warm, twinkling blue eyes and his favorite line that you knew was always there, “What can I do to help?” My dad was a people person. He loved his job at Mobil Oil as the employee relations manager. He got involved in people’s lives and helped them in many ways, not just work related. He was a witness for God and that was always right there in whatever he did. As Stephen’s Ministers, dad and mom comforted many people when they were ill, hospitalized or just in need. Dad was an active listener but he also spoke the good news of eternal life with Jesus Christ.
The verse mom and dad had for their wedding was from Joshua “As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord!” As a kid growing up, we always had family devotions every night—dad wanted us to know Jesus on a personal level. We had a wonderful old bible story book we would read and I remember the stories coming alive for me. We always ended with the Lord’s Prayer. That is how we ended dad’s last few minutes with us--with the same wonderful prayer.
“This is the day which the Lord has made; Let us rejoice and be glad in it. For the Lord is good and his mercy endureth forever. Again I say, rejoice!” Looking through dad’s papers we found a note that said he liked to link these verses together. He wrote, “This is how I tried to start my days all of my life—even as a boy.” We heard these words many mornings—what a great way to start a day with such joy and praise to God!
Dad was a positive person. He always looked for the good in every person and situation. He never focused on the negative—that just wasn’t in his kind and gentle nature.
Dad was a gentleman—he would always open the door for us—even at the Sunrise Assisted Living Center—when we would go outside he would insist on opening the door and letting us go first. His Alzheimer's had progressed but he still greeted the other residents there with a warm handshake, a reassuring hug, a twinkle in his eye or one of his famous smiles.
Mom and dad had a “marriage made in heaven.” They had been married for 59 years and continued to be oh so much in love. “For better, for worse, in sickness and in health—they lived those vows.
Dad was a great father. We always knew we could come to him for his advice, his love and his support. We will miss dad so much—as my husband, Glen, said just after dad died: “I just lost my hero.” We’ve all lost our hero but we know that he is celebrating with us today for: “This is the day the Lord has made. Let us rejoice and be glad in it!”