The Dessert Table-note the chocolate-dipped strawberries
The Razorback Cake
Reading an excerpt from his autobiography to an attentive audience
This is my incredible dad, at his well-attended book-signing party, back in September 2007. He wrote an autobiography of the first eighteen years of his life, growing up as an orphan boy in the midst of the Great Depression and World War II. It's called "The Story of an Arkansas Boy", and it's a great read. (let me know if you are interested, we have a few copies) He's wearing a centennial anniversary t-shirt from the School of the Ozarks, the boarding school that reared him and features largely in the book.
Joey is looking up at his grandpa as he reads to the audience. Joey loved his grandpa, and was so like him--his 4th generation red hair and brown eyes, his entertaining writing style, and his love for sports and political discussion. Powerful DNA from a powerful Patriarch.
My dad is a retired welder with the Southern California Gas Company, and he can fix just about anything. If you saw the movie "Gran Turino", and you remove the profanity and racism, you have a pretty good picture of my dad. He even lives in a Vietnamese immigrant neighborhood where his neighbors bring him food and gifts! My dad is wise, intelligent, well-read, generous, fit and self-reliant. He loves the Arkansas Razorbacks unconditionally. He's an anchor in a storm and he's been an empathetic, caring support to us in our loss of Joey.
We love you, Wonderful Dad, and honor you today.
Grandchildren are the crown of old men, and the glory of sons (and daughters) is their fathers. Proverbs 17:6
3 comments:
Review Of An Arkansas Boy:
"A good read with redeeptive themes all throughout. It's a hard book to put down so be prepared to stay up late at night."
Craig Englert
Thanks for sharing with us some special tid bits about your father.
How well I remember spending some fascinating moments of conversation with your Dad, on your deck, at one of your important birthdays. . . Was it your thirtieth? He bragged a lot about you! :-) Your resemblance to him is uncanny.
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