At 1:45AM, my Dad died in his sleep. He was 93. For the past several days he slept pretty much constantly not even waking to eat. Yesterday he was pretty unresponsive but 'alive'.
He never graduated High School but rather he enlisted in the Army during WWII. He was wounded in action and was awarded the Bronze Star and Purple Heart were he served the 102 Ozark. He joined so he could give his mother money and later took on the BAR as a weapon because it provide him an extra $6 a month to send home. Little did he realize that the Germans were not fans of 40 caliber machine gun being shot at them and during a particular battle shelled him were he was wounded and sent home.
After his discharge from the Army, he returned home to CT where he married my Mom who he knew all his life for she was his little sisters best friend. They were married for 57 years until her passing in 2005.
He was employed by the Naval Undersea Warfare Center until he retired in 1981. He then worked at a buddies car dealership basically walking around and talking to people and from time to time would buy old beaters that weren't good enough for a trade-in but he would offer a few hundred dollars for them then flip them a few months later for a very slight profit ($20 to $50).
He finally stopped 'working' to care for my Mom in 1998. She soon become too difficult to care for alone so he made the impossible decision to put her into a care home. He visited her every day for over 4 years. From 8AM till 9PM, feeding her, washing her, reading to her, rubbing lotion on her feet or hands. He did this every day even though there were care givers to help. There was a time when the flu shut the facility to outside visitors. I remember talking to him that night and he told me that she was pretty unresponsive for several days and he did what he said was the unimaginable - he prayed for God to finally take her, that she wouldn't want to be that way. She was too proud and while he would miss her terribly it was for the best. And it was one of only a few times I witnessed him cry. She died that night.
Active in civic affairs, president of the Lions Club, past Commander of the local VFW, a former president of the School PTA and a Cub Scout Pack leader. He also managed and coached various Minor League, Little League and Babe Ruth youth baseball teams. He was a Dad that all your friends would talk about with amazing memories and kind words. He left a positive impact were ever he was and an lasting impression of a Gentlemen and kind soul.
He attended all our games and performances and always smiled, never yelled aggressively but exuded a positive attitude always. He came from harsh conditions, his father was a raging drunk and his mother wasn't much better. Later on in life he shared stories of his childhood and the war which were horrific to say the least (which included being chased by his father with an axe to being the solders who came upon Gardelegan in Germany) but he always manged to end each story with 'but there are people that had it much worse then I did. I have a great life'. Later after my Mom died he would often tell me how he loved us and was proud of us.
He was a great Dad and I will miss him. I can only hope to be the fraction of a man he was. I love you Dad...
