Tribute To Our Dad

To all whose life my father touched he had a unique and special impact. Whether as a respectful and devoted son, or a caring, loving, and loyal husband, an inspirational and understanding father, or a cherished and trusted friend, he was a man who made a difference.

My brothers and sisters and I feel particularly proud and privileged to have had the life of this man so intricately wound within our own. He was a father figure, indeed---but so much more.

He was a man of conviction, commitment, and compassion who continually put the concerns of others before his own.

He was a man who loved many things in life but two that he treasured in particular were health and freedom. And he felt if those two things were intact anything could be possible, and fortunately, for most of his life he enjoyed both.

He was a man who taught us not only by lecture but by example and he lived the kind of life to which each of us could rightfully aspire.

A common thread of experience that the five kids shared with Dad is the long drive we'd take with him out to Fillmore, his hometown, a rite of passage when we turned sixteen just prior to getting our driver's license. On these long excursions we would drive, and he'd expound on his personal beliefs offering gems of wisdom, weaving a rich tapestry of philosophical consistency and excellence.

My father was a man who respected the past yet lived in the present and welcomed the future. In respecting the past he never forgot those who positively influenced his life, especially his mother who he visited frequently, giving her the support and comfort that a devoted son should.

He enjoyed the present and took the time to fully experience it. Last May, he visited me in New York on his way back from Europe, interrupting a very busy schedule. He spent two days with me as we took meals together and saw movies and walked the streets, Rockefeller Center, and Central Park, because Dad was a man who cherished his family and spent as much time as he could, whenever he could, with us.

He was confident about the future especially after the birth of his grandchildren for he looked at life as a continuing relay race and felt it incumbent upon each generation to pass the baton to the next with as much wisdom and inspiration and leverage as possible so that succeeding generations could attain heights which previous generations could only dream about.

My father was a pious man without being self-righteous. He repeatedly told us to hold our heads proudly among men but humbly before God. And his attitude toward his fellow man was accurately captured in those famous words of Will Rogers, words Dad often repeated, "I never met a man I didn't like". And he truly believed this. He felt that in every person there was something worthy of respect and attention and to all he met he treated with this conviction.

Because of his love for people he was a natural for the business he was in. He firmly believed that the customer always came first. And though he may have been the titular boss of his business he knew that every person who walked through the turnstile was, in fact, the real boss.

And, of course, there was the lighter side to Dad. Any of us who have ever eaten a meal with him know that he never met a food he didn't like and he embraced everything from menudo to sushi with equal passion. After all, the way he ate reflected the way he lived----with gusto and enthusiasm. And tonight, even as we mourn his passing, I'm sure that he'd be most pleased if our fondest recollection of him would be the twinkle in his eye or the sound of his laughter for he was a man who always saw the brighter side of life. In crisis he saw opportunity. In failure he saw the seeds for future success.

In 1978, it was Cardinal Cushing who remarked upon the passing of Pope John Paul I, whose Papal term lasted but one month that, "There is nothing as certain as death and nothing as uncertain as its passing". How fully aware my father was of this thought, and he lived each day accordingly, as though it might be his last. 

How will I remember my father?

When I think of Dad I'll remember the favorite college professor we all had, the one whose lectures were filled with fresh insights gleaned from years of personal experience and research and thinking; the one whose class you always looked forward to and never missed; the one who inspired you to read the extra book, write the extra paper, study the extra hour for your own benefit, not his.

When I think of my Dad I'll remember the trusted friend that we all have or wished we had. The one that you could call at any time of the day or night with a problem and receive a sensitive and supportive ear; the one who could supply clarity surrounding a confusing issue; the one to whom you could tell anything to and know that your confidence would not be betrayed.

When I think of my Dad I'll remember the team player who never put his interests above others, but the one who could lead the team when necessary. The guy you looked for in the clutch to deliver the big play when the game was on the line. He was a winner.

That's how I'll remember my Dad. He was a man who lived a life with principles and without regrets. He was a man who dared to dream and had the courage to pursue his dreams. He loved life and he lived it fully. He was a good man and a great father. May he rest in everlasting peace.