# Memories of Your Father



## SeaBreeze

With Father's Day right around the corner, I thought we could tell if there are any special memories of our fathers, or particular things that they used to say.  I had good times in the country with my father in the summertime.  He really wasn't a cigar smoker, but when the gnats/mosquitoes were bad on a still evening, he would light up a White Owl cigar, and I'd sit on his lap to keep the bugs away.  I loved the smell of those cigars, and I was just a little one.  I was a picky eater, and he'd catch fish and my mother would prepare it for us all.  My dad would always say, 'eat your fish, it's brain food'. :love_heart:


----------



## Bettyann

I never met any man that impressed me more than my father. He was gentle and kind, and when he would laugh or get really tickled at something...he would SO thoroughly enjoy it so much he would make ME laugh. He was so kind to people, and taught me lessons that benefitted me my whole life. He was equally comfortable with the 'rich and famous' that he had met to the hobo's that came to the door for a sandwich... treated everyone with respect.
I remember him saying that his idea of an 'ideal church setting' would be him in his overalls standing in the middle of the woods with the sun shining through the leaves.


----------



## i_am_Lois

My father played guitar & harmonica. He loved entertaining anyone who'd listen. He often joined me & all my friends outside to play, where he'd invent games. For us kids, his game of follow the arrow was our favorite. We'd give him a 5 minute head start. It would be evening so each kid had a flashlight. We'd search the ground for arrows he drew with chalk (indicating what direction he went). Sometimes there would be 2 arrows pointing in different directions. We'd have to split up. The group that found more arrows would holler & the other group would rush to join us. These arrows took us on a long winding journey through our neighborhood. When we'd come upon a cross with 4 arrows, one pointing in each direction we knew he was hiding nearby watching us. By this time we were pumped. We'd scream, and dad would come out like a (silly) monster. We'd scream some more. I have childhood friends I keep in contact with. Take one guess what they like to reminisce about.
Here's a photo of me with my Dad's guitar.
View attachment 7684


Dad also liked to get dressed up as various characters on Halloween and go trick-or-treating with me and my sister. He always brought his guitar along, and would play a song if anyone invited us in their home (many did). Here's a photo taken of us one Halloween when Dad decided to get dressed up as a woman.
View attachment 7685


----------



## Capt Lightning

My father was a dull, uninteresting, unambitious character with an acute sense of right and wrong.  He was right and we were wrong.  I regret not having had a better relationship with my him, but he left me with determination never to be like him.  Correction, he was an expert plasterer - I wish I had got him to teach me that skill.


----------



## Michael.

Growing up was not always easy as my mother had to perform two roles in our family.

My father was in the military and was often absent for long periods.

I remember how strict he looked with his mustache but with me he was a real softie.

I have only fond memories of him.


----------



## Bullie76

My Dad had rheumatoid arthritis through out most of his adult life. Stayed active though. And I guess that's the thing I remember most about him, he wouldn't let his bad days get him down. 

He introduced me to the game of golf and I am most grateful for that. A game I have enjoyed playing over the years. The one day I remember most is a day we played golf together. The only day we played together as he simply couldn't play because of his arthritis. But that day he felt pretty good and wanted to play. He couldn't play that well, but he really enjoyed the day although he was hurting bad at the end of the round. Too bad we didn't get to do it again. His favorite hobby was flying. That is something he could do regularly and I went up with him many times. Those were good days too.


----------



## Justme

My father died in 2005 of prostate cancer, he was 83. He worked hard building up his very successful horticultural business in our island home, starting it from scratch after WW2. The Germans had left our property in a terrible mess! My father ensured his family were comfortable materially. He enjoyed sport, particularly F1 car racing, cricket and soccer. He loved fast large cars, and taught his four daughters how to drive from the age of twelve. He was quite strict and I had plenty of thrashings throughout my childhood when going where angels feared to tread as I usually did. Now our mother has gone too; the Will Trust he set in place has finally been wound up, I think he would be very proud of the amount he has left his children, double the amount he had hoped he would leave us.


----------



## Honey

I wish I had many memories but sadly I haven't, my dad passed away when I was 10 years old, his illness was kept from us, I used to walk with him everywhere as though I was his nurse, he used to get out of breath easily and it was a long time before I found out he had lung cancer. When he died I wasn't even allowed to go to his funeral even though we'd been so close but back then it wasn't the norm.


----------



## Davey Jones

Capt Lightning said:


> My father was a dull, uninteresting, unambitious character with an acute sense of right and wrong. He was right and we were wrong. I regret not having had a better relationship with my him, but he left me with determination never to be like him.



Absolute same here re Father.


----------



## Justme

The middle boy is my father with his two brothers, taken in the late 20s. The eldest boy is still alive at 93.


----------



## Falcon

My father was he best father anyone could ask for. His attributes are too numerous to list here.


----------



## taffboy

Strong hard working man who must have had sad times it was only when he had died I found out I had a sister who died very young then my brother died before he did and I think that was enough for him .Everybody speaks well of him locally now after all thease years and it makes me very proud.


----------



## Pam

My dad was quite simply the nicest person I have ever known.


----------



## taffboy

Pam said:


> My dad was quite simply the nicest person I have ever known.


I think that's all you can ask for.


----------



## Vivjen

I have a fantastic father; and I am SOOO lucky, as he is still alive; hale in mind although his body plays up!
i have sent the required card; as I always do....and will call tomorrow..


----------



## avrp

My father was a SOB. He was a hard worker, very ambitious. He could do just about anything he set his mind to. He even helped my mom learn how to sew from a pattern. He provided well for us and made a good living for us (his 10 children and wife) 
But to me, he was a SOB.


----------



## GeorgiaXplant

My dad? Like most little girls probably do, I thought he was the handsomest, smartest, bravest, best dad ever. It seemed to me that he could do anything and make any wish of mine come true. When my parents divorced, it was the end of my little-kid world. Until the day he died, I still thought he was the handsomest, smartest, bravest, best dad ever. He was one of six brothers. They were all handsome and smart and brave, but MY dad was the best of the bunch! If he was still alive, he'd be 98 in September.


----------



## Pappy

Mom and Dad separated when I was a little guy so I never new my Dad as a full time person. I use to visit him once in awhile but the visits weren't all that pleasant as my step mom always made me uncomfortable. I had fun going to visit Dad as I took the train from Norwich, NY to Utica, Ny all by myself. 

The older I got, the more I realized that Dad was quite a man. After fighting in Iwo Jima and receiving a couple awards for bravery, I began to admire the man himself. 

Dad just celebrated his 98 birthday and I was so proud of him as he received more awards from the governor and a flag that flew over the Capital in Washington. There wasn't a dry eye in the house as my half sister rented a hall and there were about 50 relatives there.

Now I can say I love you Dad and very proud of you.


----------



## Ina

A great story Pappy, and you can still hear the pride you have.:thumbsup1:


----------



## Sassycakes

I have to admit I was a Daddy's girl. He was perfect in every way. He gave me confidence and strength it myself. He was kind ,caring,loving and generous to me and everyone else. I came from a family of 3 children and even after we all married my Dad would never buy anything for himself unless he bought it for all of us. If he bought a microwave he bought one for all of us and did the same with almost everything he bought. He didn't want anything unless we all had it. He did the same with our children too. He passed away almost 20yrs ago and I miss him as much today as the first day he was gone. I was truly Blessed to have him as a Dad.


----------



## Misty

Sorry for your loss, Sassy. Your Dad was Very Special indeed, and you were all definitely Blessed by his Love, Caring and Sharing. :love_heart:


----------



## taffboy

Sassycakes said:


> I have to admit I was a Daddy's girl. He was perfect in every way. He gave me confidence and strength it myself. He was kind ,caring,loving and generous to me and everyone else. I came from a family of 3 children and even after we all married my Dad would never buy anything for himself unless he bought it for all of us. If he bought a microwave he bought one for all of us and did the same with almost everything he bought. He didn't want anything unless we all had it. He did the same with our children too. He passed away almost 20yrs ago and I miss him as much today as the first day he was gone. I was truly Blessed to have him as a Dad.


 Sounds  like a lovely man.


----------



## Bee

I was 17 1/2 when my dad died and having three elder brothers I was the apple of his eye

One incidence that springs to mind about him...........I was out with a friend one night and we wanted to go for a drink but we were underage and I suggested going to the local pub my dad used and we would get served, we went in and I sidled up to my dad and he asked what I was doing there, I told him I had come to buy him a drink with that he said.............'Oh! I will have a double whisky with you babe'.

My dad was my hero.


----------



## taffboy

Bee said:


> I was 17 1/2 when my dad died and having three elder brothers I was the apple of his eye
> Love it
> One incidence that springs to mind about him...........I was out with a friend one night and we wanted to go for a drink but we were underage and I suggested going to the local pub my dad used and we would get served, we went in and I sidled up to my dad and he asked what I was doing there, I told him I had come to buy him a drink with that he said.............'Oh! I will have a double whisky with you babe'.
> 
> My dad was my hero.


Love it


----------



## fureverywhere

I'm resurrecting this thread. My Dad? Yowsa, some day there will be a memorial service with more people than we can fit. He did proud service in WWII. An educator for some forty years, teacher's associations, credit union, a whole bunch of groups that had my parents entertaining every weekend. Later he and my Mom, he and his partner traveled the world. If I went to the right place in Wales and mentioned his name someone would remember.

At 94 he's still here. A bit more fragile and opinionated but yes still alive and well. What did he teach me? "Persistence is a virtue", how to garden, that exercise daily can be fun, how to appreciate classical music. He was wrong about companion animals. Otherwise it could be engraved in stone.


----------



## Ruth n Jersey

My Dad was a wonderful man. I always felt safe with him and I knew he would be there for me no matter what. He never ever disciplined me,never even raised his voice, left that up to my mom when it was necessary. Yet, the thought that I might in some way hurt him or he would be disappointed in me by my actions was more than enough to keep me in line as I was growing up. He wasn't one to express his feelings in words, but I absolutely knew he loved me with all his heart and I loved him back just as much. Every night just as I was about to go to bed he would say,don't take any wooden nickles. I miss him and my mom so very much and it isn't getting any easier as time goes by I can tell you that.


----------



## oldman

My Dad was my best friend. What more do I need to say?


----------



## jujube

We lost Pop in 1994.  His last 10 years were a struggle but hardly anyone outside the family knew how sick he was.....he wasn't a complainer and he had a zest for life that kept him going long after his heart should have given out.  He was the family jokester, the class clown, and could figure out a way to fix _anything_.  He made friends instantly......at his memorial service at the beach (beer, bonfire, fireworks, etc. - he wanted a Viking funeral but the Coast Guard looked askance at setting a perfectly good boat on fire and pushing it out to sea) I started talking to a young man I didn't know and asked him how he met Pop.  He said he was the respiratory tech at the hospital (my dad was only in the hospital for three days when he died).  I asked if he came to all his patients' funerals and he said, no, that he and Pop had talked a lot the first day (Pop was on a respirator the rest of the time) and that he felt a "spiritual connection" to him and wanted the chance to honor him.  That made me cry.  

My father was a long-time Boy Scout leader, a leader in our church, and very active in the community.  He was also active at my school.....WAY too active for my taste sometimes.  For instance, when we had our yearly Latin Club banquet, parents were invited.  A few of the mothers would drape themselves in bedsheets and show up, but Pop went out and got a fantastic Roman soldier costume, had me teach him a few Latin phrases and showed up at the banquet claiming to be bearing a message from Julius Caesar.  Needless to say, our Latin teachers invited him back (and he attended) for several years after I graduated.  I was pretty humiliated the first time (you know how teenagers are....), but got used to it after a while.  

He also made himself a perfectly horrible caveman outfit out of an old fur coat, with a scary mask and fright wig, and liked to hide in the bushes on Halloween.  He'd jump out and chase the kids.  I was pretty humiliated _for years_. 

Even though he's been gone for over 20 years, I still think about him daily.  He was special.  He was a good, moral, honest and honorable man who worked hard for his family, his country and gave his best to his company.  I loved him dearly, even if he did break my "Hair" album the first time he heard it.  He had strong ideas about what was proper in the house and a song about masturbation _didn't_ fit on that list.


----------



## Susie

My dad was always hiding under the latest car in the garage, trying to fix something.
He enjoyed driving my brother and me around S.F., showing us the sights he so loved.
I never knew him well, or even understood him. wish I had been kinder to him, but at age 17 I was still affected by WW2 in Germany (where I lived with my loving grandparents).


----------



## Lon

My dad died at age 92, 11 years older than I am now and the thing that I loved most about him was the time he spent playing with me. I had the only father in the neighborhood that got out and played catch with me, taught me to ice skate, swim, build Lincoln Logs, Make miniture trains etc.


----------



## Sassycakes

I know people say no one can be perfect, and I just think they feel that way because they never met my Dad. My Dad passed away in 1993 at 79 yrs of age and I think of him everyday. There was never a time when he disappointed me. He was always there for me and my sister and brother,and then our children.My husband always said my Dad treated him better than his own Dad. The family never gets together without mentioning  my Dad.
We have a joke about who my Dad's favorite was,and everyone say's they were his favorite. I always carry this picture with me and I show it to them and say "I was Poppy's favorite. Just look who has both hands on his shoulder. Daddy's Little Girl." It worked the first time,but now they all carry a picture of them hugging my Dad.


----------



## SeaBreeze

Great photo Sassy, the love in that picture shines through. :love_heart:


----------



## fureverywhere

I love that picture, you were so cute darlin'.


----------



## Marley

Even though me and brother were born on the 1st, day of hunting  season, (Ohio). He informed everybody we were going to be hunters.Bro didn't have that chance, he died when we were four. Whenever there was trouble in the families dad would step in and take five or seven cousins. And made hunters out of the girls as well as the boys. All of us did trap & skeet shooting at a sportsman's club. Dad was made honorary member at one club. We took so many trips throughout the USA; in the car, on the trains. He could do a WC Fields voice, and going on a trip it was telling our neighbor in that voice, "Were Broadening Our Horizons".:love_heart:


----------



## Byrd

What a darling picture.


----------



## Ken N Tx

The one thing that I like about Facebook is that my Children/Grandchildren get to see pictures of my father that they would not otherwise see!!


----------

