During one of those later park walks.
Still pretty broken up about this. That was very tough, but at least I was there. Anyhow, below is what I’ll read at the service in Calgary this Monday. They advised us to keep to the cheerful, positive stuff. Sadly, going to two services in September for friends prepared me a little. One good thing, it’s brought me closer to family.
Finally, they put his obit up: [link]
Maybe later, I might be able to come up with something more searching. Probably not for the blog, however.
The things I’d like to remember about my Dad is my growing up, and having a really great childhood, despite a lot of challenges. Moving from city to city. Finding a new home, having to make new friends. We took some excellent trips, to Montana and the western coast of the US. Went skiing a lot… and our family was one of the first in Calgary to take up cross country skiing. People would come up to us and ask about the flimsy wooden skis on top of the car. Were we ski jumpers, or something?
More personally, from Dad I remember help with school, sharing spy and historical novels, and fooling with model airplane engines. After school, I’d sometimes go to his office at the Calgary Board of Education, and play with the computers. They were a lot bigger, and slower in those days. I still like computers. Not a programmer, though.
We had our differences, politically, and otherwise, but things never got out of hand. He loved to challenge me, and taught me how to solve problems. That was his computing and management background coming out. Above all, he taught me not to give up, no matter what life throws at you.
My mom’s death in my last year of university affected our whole family deeply. Dad, I’m afraid, most of all. Living in the east and working as a writer, I miss the family stuff. Still, it was great, even in the later years to take him for a little walk in the park.
My sister Paula did most of the work taking care of him in the tough times, despite her own responsibilities, and I’m always grateful for this. As a poet said, “What thou lovest well remains, the rest is dross. / What thou lovest well shall not be reft from thee.”
Tags: obits