[dafischer]

Early Friday morning, my 98 yr old dad went into cardiac arrest, and couldn't be resuscitated, after being brought to the ER. It was over quickly, so he didn't suffer, and his health was declining over the past two years. He was born in Germany in 1924, came to the US in 1928, and was drafted out of the ROTC program @ Wake Forest after politely refusing an offer to join the OSS. After the war, where he served as a PFC in the 96th infantry in the Pacific, he went back to college and worked at my grandfather's Esso station, graduating in 1950. Got his first teaching position in industrial Arts the same year at Somerville, NJ High School. He retired from that job as dept head in 1989, and to say that he was a good instructor with a strong even handed work ethic is an understatement, and he used those traits on me, as an only child, involving me in his hobby of antique car restoration.

But being a hard headed Kraut, it was often a "my way or the highway" situation, and being a teacher he felt the need to be a teacher to me as well, by bankrolling various $100 hoopties in the late 60's and early 70's, with me providing parts purchased by funds from after school jobs to put them into operating condition.
Unfortunately he micro managed everything, I did the work , while he got the hernia, which led to a lot of head butting over the years. But the older I got the more that I realized he was trying to ensure that I'd be successful, and that any job was worth doing well, and he succeeded in that.

I stopped by his house Thursday to help him out with some things he couldn't do, with his limited mobility, on one of his cars and noticed something wasn't right with him, so I wasn't too surprised when the call came in the next morning. Dad, I love ya with all of my heart, and if you can read this, please know how thankful I am for all that you taught me and did for me. But now you've cursed me with another 7 cars to add to my inventory.

Sorry for the dissertation, but I just wanted to put some of my feelings down in writing.