Death of a Father

Vanity | 27 September, 2006 | Marktwain

[pwatson]

That was a wonderful eulogy. I just left the hospital where my Dad of 88 years is recovering from surgery on his tail bone where a bed sore worked its way into his bone. He is doing fine, but old age is finally getting him down. He too is of the greatest Generation May 21, 1918. My mom 86 is in a nursing home with stage one Alzheimer's. Never apologize we are the salt of the earth and the patriot's of the Republic. We are the sons and daughters of the best American generation on earth. We are the last stand against the entire world for life, liberty and the pursuit of justice, the American Way. We stand against Democrats, Liberals, The MSM, Muslim Islamist, Socialist, Communist and various Despots of the word. It is your father and mother and mine that made us who we are.

[Biblebelter]

As the Baby Boomers approach late middle age, our parents are dying. There are not many of the "Greatest Generation" left.

This is something that I privately reflect upon quite often. Thank you for publicly sharing your reflections. I am truly sorry for your loss.

[TexasTransplant]

VFW needs to include this in their next Magazine.

(American Legion (do they still exist?) still needs to apologize to Viet Nam Vets publicly)

TT

[Eagles6]

Wonderful story. Your loss is shared here.

[slugbug]

What a beautiful tribute to your father. My condolences to you and your family.

[oust the louse]

I know your pain. I just lost my Ftaher on August the 23rd to cancer. I was with him when he took his last breath. He went listening to his favorite song (walk through this world with me). I put it on for him and my Mom was holding him when he went. I told her that was his way of saying everything is OK.... that was a very incredible moment.

I find myself grabbing for the phone to call him after one of the kids does something or I'm having a bad day....I just plain miss him.

[jch10]

Thank you for posting your thoughts. Our parents were the "Greatest" generation. They arose to the task at hand without whining and made their own way.
Prayers for the comfort of your family.

[Ignatz]

The most serious event in most men's lives is the death of their father. It was mine, that's for sure, and I was well prepared. My father spent the latter half of his life a fine Christian man in word and in deed, besieged by a body that no longer wanted to support life. And he brought up his four boys to be fine young men. I sympathize with your loss, and I found your tribute touching and appropriate. In fact, I'm sure you could have written volumes more on how this man shaped you into the man you are today!
Know this: the pain of losing him will fade. You will smile again, I promise. But you will think of him often throughout the rest of your life, and you will unconciously seek his council on issues that you face by asking yourself, "what would Dad have done in this situation?". And you can still make him very proud of you!

[TexasTransplant]

Many years ago my Mother took me and my siblings to Nursing Homes, she said it makes them happy to see children and you can meet people that were alive during the Civil War, people that actually traveled in a Wagon Train, people that may have actually met "Billy the Kid" (That's the one that got me to go, I bet I asked every one of them if they met Billy the Kid...)

I Love my Mother, God Rest Her Soul, she was a School Teacher and she knew where History resides, I don't have to go to the Home any more, I can just query my friends.

TT

[Kathy in Alaska]

RIP LeRoy Weingarten

Abide With Me

[diamond6]

bump for later

[sweetiepiezer]

What a beautiful tribute to your Dad.I am sure he will be sorely missed and by reading this post, know he did well raising his children. I could read the love and compassion you had for him.
You were blessed to have him for so long, I lost my dad when he was 29, 55 years ago and often dream how things would have been with him here.
He was one of God's greatest gifts to you.
May God keep him in his tender loving care.
God Bless you, marktwain and your family.
Hugz for your Mom.

[Twinkie]

I understand. My Daddy was a soldier in WWII who learned how to hunt out of necessity as a boy, a member of The Greatest Generation. I understand; he passed away at 81 yrs. of age four years ago. So sorry for your loss; I understand. We have to rise to meet the challenge of this day in their honor. Tell the children about those men and that generation of people. We are living in dangerous times.

[68-69TonkinGulfYachtClub]

"I wanted to write a tribute to the man who had the greatest influence on my life."

Your father would be proud.

Sorry to hear of your loss.

[TexasTransplant]

What a wonderful Man, and an equally wonderful Tribute.

I'm still kinda at a loss for words, your Tribute moved me and inspired me on a couple of different levels.

TT

[Myrddin]

Condolences on your loss. At least you had the pleasure of speaking with your father to the last. I had a mere 15 seconds of "discussion" with my dad about his latest great "find" at Radio Shack. Mom came on the phone and told him not to bother everyone with such trivia. Those were our last words Nov 26, 2003. Dad passed Dec 17, 2003. He was 73.

Your "vanity" post was perfectly fine.

[Ax]

I lost my dad 36 years ago yesterday. He was only 56, a retired Detroit cop. He and my mother were visiting my wife and myself; we were stationed in England at the time. We were driving around the continent and had stopped in Paris. We were on a tour bus back to the city from Versailles when he suffered a massive heart attack. Within 90 seconds he was in the ER of a Parisian hospital; everything that could've been done was done. I miss him every day. My mom survived 17 years without him and she went in Feb 1987. I lost my wife of 36 years back in 2001. It never gets easier.

[Myrddin]

My dad wanted to be cremated and buried at sea. We did that, but the burial at sea was special. While at the Pentagon, my dad was the project officer for the patrol gunboat hydrofoils (PGH-1 Flagstaff and PGH-2 Tucumcari). The skipper of the current generation of guided missile hydrofoils lives next door to my sister. His boat is a 2nd generation from my dad's project. The skipper of the guided missile hydrofoil took my dad's ashes out to the Coronado islands on his boat. My nephew played taps on his trumpet before the ashes were dropped in the water.

[TexasBeth]

I lost my Dad Sept 15. I wish I could put his life into words the way you have for your Dad. It was lovely. My Dad was only 65 and was a retired Air Force Lt. Col. He died in my arms and I just can't even believe how much I miss him. Prayers for your family and to the others that have lost their loved ones in this thread.

Beth

[bannie]

This post meant a great deal to me. With thanks to God my parents are both 86 and doing very well. I do, however, sometimes catch a glimpse of a future I don't want to see. I can not imagine life without my parents. They are my parents. They are in the center of me.

I can't imagine how you feel.

I do know that I am so lucky to be the daughter of my parents...it seems that you have the same fortune.