My dad died this past week after a long struggle with Emphysema and also. I think. from losing his wife (my mom) three years ago.

My dad grew up in a small town in Ohio. He lost hisfather at an early age and lived with his mom but spent most of his time at his granny's house (a farm in the country). When he graduated high-school and  started going to OSU in Columbus. He couldn't afford to live there so he hitch hiked too and from on the weekends and stayed with whoever he could through the week.

He met my mom at the Ohio State Fair one summer. They were both working at the Borden Building that sold swiss cheese sandwiches and ice cream. My mom worked the counter and my dad worked maintenance and also stayed there at night as a watchman.  All the counter girls thought my dad was so cute and "mysterious". He was very shy and reserved and kept to himself. My mom. on the other hand was very outgoing and on a bet went over to talk to him. The rest, as they say, is history.

Dad was blessed with three girls. We lived in a small rental property that had one bathroom. He adjusted his hours so he got up at 5 am so he could use the bathroom! He came home right before we got home from school (probably also to use the bathroom lol). 

Dad had been raised without much physical affection. Actually not much verbal either, but what he didn't show in hugs and kisses he did in deeds. Playing football with us, him and us three against another family of three boys. We won most of the time! Helping put together a fort out in our back yard consisting of scraps we dragged home. Making homemade Halloween costumes to rival any store bought ones. Making homemade ice cream. He created a clay board that had three different "lands". One was a western town, another a cave man dwelling complete with dinosaurs, and then a knight and dragon area. A "river" ran down the middle. We spent hours of winter time, days and nights, creating people, horses, trees, houses etc. and making up stories. He built doll houses for us, rebuilt bikes, helped us find various small pets who escaped from there cages before the cat got them.

Later years were taken up with my mom (who had bipolar) and her extravagant ideas, moods and breakdowns. He vary rarely inter feared with  her grandiose ideas as long as they didn't hurt her or us. If she wanted to have dessert for dinner that was fine with him, if she wanted to listen to the Beetles for days at a time that was also ok. When they finally got a diagnosis and name for her illness, he took her to doctors, and made sure she took her medicines. During all of this he still made sure we were taken care of. Some times leaving work to come home and make us lunch, making sure we were up for school. 

Dad didn't continue in college after he got married and worked for the same company for 20 years. He also worked a part time job in the summer at a local plant nursery. He would often take us with him to work and let us help him plant trees. 

As we got older and as all teens do found new interests and friends he spent more time looking after my mom. She had gotten a degree in nursing and (as we all know) sometimes worked for a couple years then couldn't work for a time. He dealt with the finances accordingly, taking on extra work.

When he was 45 years old he took a chance and time for himself to go back to school and get his degree as an Occupational Assistant. He then took a job in a Nursing home where he found a whole new group of people to care for. 

When I got married and then pregnant with our first daughter, my husband was in the military and couldn't be there for the birth. My dad and mom were there with me. I had to have an emergency C-section and was sedated. Dad heard my daughters first cry and was the first one to hold her!

By now it seems like my dad had no faults. He would be the first to tell you that he was not perfect. He was extremely competitive  at games. We would play board games, and cards and he would have to win! Once we were playing soldiers outside. We all had our own regiment of plastic soldiers and the way we fought our wars was with a squirt gun. If your soldier was "shot" and got wet, he was dead. Dad decided to make raincoats out of leaves so they wouldn't get wet! When we played at the clay board. We would throw darts to "shoot" cowboys or dinosaurs. To our surprise the darts would bounce off his men or creatures. It turned out he was freezing his men or creatures thus making them impenetrable! He was very controlling and wanted everything his way. Schedules were set and chores and punishments were dealt. 

As stated above, Dad wasn't into physical affection nor words but as he got older and especially after my mom died, we were able to exchange hugs and I love you's. Once again I think he was fulfilling a need that my mom usually met but it also allowed him to verbally express his own feelings.

Dad shaped my life and gave me so many positive values. He also gave my husband the strength and encouragement to face a lifetime with a bipolar wife and mother. 

I miss you daddy, and I know you are up there with mom continuing to look out for your three girls and there families!