A Tribute To My Dad
My dad was smart! There was nothing he couldn't do and he did it well - no matter what it was. He only had about a Gr. 6 education, brought up in the country and that's the way it was back in those days. Boys went to work and become men while they were still really only boys.
He was always looked up to and respected and I heard more than one other man call him "a prince of a man". I always thought he was very handsome and loved it when my girlfriends would make those kind of comments. After all, that was MY dad they were talking about!
He was quiet, shy, reserved and not that much of a talker most of the time. I don't remember him ever being afraid of anything and "fear" was not something that was passed on to us.
He rose to leadership -- a supervisory position in the company he worked for -- and took many courses in order to upgrade and learn what was necessary to keep up with the electronics and telecommunications part of his work.
I remember him going out in the middle of the night and on holidays .... working overtime ..... and never complaining. It was extra money after all.
He was patient, not a complainer, thankful for what he had and contented overall but not adverse to getting ahead either.
He taught me to skate. He took me hunting with him. We went on lots of family vacations, camping trips and I have so many great memories of times spent playing games, swimming in the summer and skating and sliding in the winter.
Curling, bowling, baseball, were some of the sports he was involved in and he was good and was always chosen as a team leader.
Great gardener, and could do everything from carpentry to building grandfather clocks, plumbing, electrical work and everything inbetween. He's always loved to travel and had a sense of adventure that brought him here to the West Coast when he was only 16 years of age and he came alone.
My dad isn't doing real well physically anymore and it kills me to see him going downhill. He told me this morning that sight is pretty much gone in one eye and the other eye has been affected by cataracts. He has a heart condition and he told me he hurts a lot.
I'm so thankful I had a dad who loved God, took me to church, who was kind, who showed respect to my sisters and I, who allowed us to think for ourselves and allowed us a fair amount of independence.
He was never a worrier, never a trouble maker, not a complainer and he exemplified manhood and masculinity to me as well as the quality of excellence.
I take this opportunity and it's a privilege to pay honour and tribute to my dad today.
I LOVE YOU DAD 