My Father.......

What do I know of my Father? Besides that he was a good Man, loving husband, and wonderful father, and provider, just what else do I know? My mother saved many papers. Important papers, which she kept “safely” in a shoe box wrapped with a bungee cord around it, on a shelf in the closet.

My Father was born in Fall River, Mass., on March 5, 1913. His father’s name was John, 33, of Fall River and mother’s name was Carrie M, 31, .of Portsmouth, R.I. John, was a carpenter. My father only completed school through the sixth grade. It was then which his father died and he had to go to work. He had three brothers and one sister. His older sister brought him up. He was the youngest in the family.

My Father enlisted into the Navy on March 12, 1931 for three years. He was in the Headquarters Company of the 26th Division. He was Honorable Discharged by expiration term of service on the 11th day of March 1934. It appears that he reenlisted on March 2, 1936 for another 3 years, in which he was honorably discharged on May 22, 1939

He went into active duty on 9/10/41 to Sept. 43 for foreign and/or sea service world war II.. He served in the Navy and the Seabees. He was married at the time and living in Everett Mass. Working at the G.E. Co. in Everett. He received the World War II Victory Medal; the Asiatic-Pacific Medal and the American Theater medal. He was a sheet metal worker. He was described when enrolled as: 23 years of age and by occupation as a truck driver. His record was of "excellence". Having brown hair, brown eyes, light complexion and was five feet eight and one fourth inches in height.

My mother graduated from High school in 1937. My father and mother met in a small town in New Hampshire. They were in a shop called candy land and had a large soda fountain with tables and booths. An old love letter from my father to my mother started out “Dear…..You might not remember me, but we met in candy land. My parents married on March 4th, 1939. At that time, both were living in Somerville, Mass.

My sister was born on October 13, 1942 in Everett Mass. My brother was born December 4, 1946, also in Everett and I was born October 9, 1953, in Quincy, Mass.

My father passed away in January 1976. I was 22 years old at the time.

My father loved my mother. They had a good marriage. He was a good family man and provider. He was very protective of his family. He was dedicated to his family and his work, which he worked at the General Electric Company until he was near of age to retire.

My father loved animals, especially dogs. He loved children. He enjoyed hunting and fishing for awhile; he enjoyed travel. My parents had many good friends and they enjoyed good times. Often, there was a relative or friend they'd take in to live with us, to help them out. My parents enjoyed playing cards, having sing-a-longs, parties with sing along with Mitch Miller and his band (follow the bouncing ball), dancing (I remember standing on my father's shoes, as he would dance with me) and camping.

He enjoyed television and shows as Lawrence Welk, The Honeymooners, All in the Family, to name a few. He also enjoyed short wave radio and scanners. He loved telling jokes and remembered them all.

I remember also that my father took care of me often. He worked second shift. I remember coming home for lunch for my six years in elementary school, and my father would have my lunch ready for me (Frank-O-American spag. usually) and I'd sit in the living room with it on a tray in front of me, and watch "Big Brother Bob Emery" before I had to walk back to school for the afternoon. He would drive me, if it was raining.

I remember sitting on his lap often; I remember him reading the newspaper by the fire blazing in the dining room fireplace, having his coffee there on a Sunday morning with the records playing. I remember when I was little and at times would wake in the night afraid of some noise I thought I heard outside, and I would go and wake him and he'd always comfort me.

He taught me how to ride a bike. He had patience. And when I ran out of the house once, in one of my rebellious, teenage moods, he was running right behind me. We walked back home together.

Though my father was a quiet man, and did not show emotions often, I felt always very close to my father. He was a very handsome man and remained as such through the years. He had the nicest smile, the whitest teeth and silver, grey thick wavey hair. He was intelligent and I remember even as a child, he use to invent things. Had he only patterned these things, he would of been wealthy, for years later they had been once again "invented" and patterned. I remember him "inventing" before its day, the radio alarm clock and the flip tops rather than using a can opening and twist off caps long before they existed.

He had a hobby of building things. He had small area in the basement as his "work shop" and I remember hearing his table saw buzzing away on the weekends. He built my sister and brother a club house when they were young. He also built a play house for me, when I was young. How we all enjoyed these for many years. He loved fixing things and it seemed he could do most.

I remember the morning my father passed away that January. He had been ill with heart disease for a few years and had a few heart attacks. He was weak and had to be careful of his diet and life style. My parents had sold their home and moved to their summer home now permanently as there was less stress there, in the country. And I remember my mother sitting at the dining room table, playing solitaire until the wee hours of the morning, night after night, listening, in case he woke and needed her.

The night before my father passed away, He and my mother had gone to a relative's home for a New Year's type celebration. For the first time in a long time, I remember my father danced again, and sang again, and saw many relatives and friends he had not seen for a long time. He even toasted with a drink, all of this he had not done for a long time. he told jokes and laughed alot. He felt good, better than he had in a very long time. He truely enjoyed himself and was enjoyed by all.

That next morning he did not wake.

I alway felt that it was "planned" as this way. For after so long of suffering, my father had an opportunity once again to be around all his family and friends, in a good time. And for the first time in a very long time, my father had a great time.

And then it was over.

I cried and I cried but I never thought differently; that my father had that last night just as he did. Just as he was suppose to. For that, I was grateful.

So often through the years, I've thought of my father. I wished he knew me now. The changed me. I wished he had met my girls. He would of loved them. My son and his other grandchildren that did know him, called him "Pa". I wish he knew of my life. I wish he had been a part of it longer.

I think of him often.