Our father, AKA – Pops… lived life on his terms. He never took the “normal” path in life and typically would choose the road less traveled. For those of us that ever took a “drive” with my father know this sediment to be true. His choices in life took him and our family from Hannibal, MO where he was born to OK, Denver, to Southern California and back to St. Charles and then several other states, some 2 or 3 time over. Because of him we are left with countless stories from all over.
Pam, Kevin, Tim, Craig and myself; Elaine, our spouses, his grandchildren, great grandchildren and anyone else my father’s life touched cannot answer simple questions about my father without a smile or a brief laugh, because that was my father’s life, never simple and living life on his own terms.
Preparing for the service today we were asked simple questions about him for the obituary. But answering the simplest of question like what did my father did for a living can be complicated. When asked, we all smiled, laughed a little and then started to tell stories. He was educated to be an accountant, but was always creative with numbers; He was the ultimate salesman, literally at one point selling ice to Eskimos; A professional gambler that taught us how to handicap the racing form and box an exacta to levy our chances to win; A perpetual entrepreneur that always had a business plan to make his next million; And even, at one point a taxi cab driver in Vegas.
Never daunted by closed doors. The will to challenge the norm. The tenacity to take risks and the ability to recreate himself to survive is the legacy he gives us.
In this legacy also comes a deep compassion to give and a love for family that he kept close to his heart. No matter the path he was on, or the miles that separated us he was always a phone call away to help in any way he could.
We grew up in St. Peters with a strong foundation at home, my father gave us stories and much more. His passing does not end his story. His journey now passes to us to continue. My father gave us the strength to pursue life on our own terms and as he lived his life, we will continue ours in his memory and with him in our hearts.