I just don't care at the moment.Follow

Sorry. I hope you feel better.

I'm sorry to hear that. Hopefully you can take comfort in that he had a nice long run

Sorry Elne.

I'm so sorry Elne. I hope this time with your family, even for such a sad reason, becomes occasion for you all to reflect on his life and become closer to one another.

Nexa

Thank you everyone. I think my grand son said it best today, as they drove over to my parents house.

We are going to go Celebrate our grandpa's life!

I'm now got Poisoning Pigeons in the Park by Tom Lehrer going though my head, as I think of all the great music we got to listen to growing up. Now if I can convince my siblings to just let me have the 7 inch disks. I posted elsewhere on eeknights* blog that I would love to have a few of his songs played at the service, but not sure my family would go along.

If you follow this link be sure to vote for Moody McBallfiddler as his new cover photo. I follow this guy only because he has great taste in playmates and old crime fiction art. Oh and I read one of his books once.

My sympathies for your loss, I wish for smoother seas ahead for you.

My condolences Elne, sad news indeed.

Thanks againeveryone.

today as I think of my dad, I want to let people know how amazing he was. After serving in the Air Force for 2 years as a Bombardier in New Mexico, between WWII and the Korean War, he used his GI bill to major in Architecture at Univ of Ill, Navy Pier, were he met my Mom and Aunt and their best friend and roommate, Betty. Mom worked for one of his professors and set him up as a blind date for her sister.

soon he was being invited over regularly for dinner, as they took pity on how he was spending his evenings in the library and living off Baby Ruth bars and cokes. While I'm sure their wonderful cooking may have been a factor in my father's interest in coming over for dinner, I'm glad to say it wasn't the only reason he married my mom.

After the wedding on Labor day, Dad went on to Notre Dame to get his degree. His first job out of college was as a draftsman for Studebaker. Their first car was also a Studebaker with a trunk so long you could but skis in it. He then went on to work for a major architectural firm in Chicago, were he had his portrait done for a headache ad my uncle made for a drug company.

Not wanting to stay in a firm were he be lucky to ever be more then a draftsman for the guys upstairs who names still are on the firms masthead, he moved us all to Pittsburgh and went working for US Steel in research. We moved 3 times while he was their trying to find a place were mom wouldn't get sinus headaches. Finally her Doctor told Dad he had to find a job somewhere there wasn't any steel mills, so dad retired and changed careers.

Dad spent the next 2 years at Catholic Univ, learning what little was then taught on Acoustics and the math and computer languages he would need for his job at The National Assoc. of Home Builders in Rockville. There he and his co workers study ways to make home materials quieter. I used to love going to the lab and looking at all the equipment they used there. Still there was no way to advance at the job, so once again Dad left and went to work for himself as a contractor, taking all the Acoustical testing equipment as his retirement pay.

We struggle for nearly 2 years as he found that while he didn't have a problem finding clients, getting them to pay his fees was like pulling teeth. So dad when on to take the job as Manager of Maryland Airport Noise Abatement program.

Maryland was the first state to create a law to try to keep housing developments from being built next to airports, as unlike most Airports that are own by cities,the state own the 4 airports in the state. No government agency at the time had done anything like this and so he became the leading expert on Airport Noise Abatement over the next several years. He worked for the state until he was able to retire again and then work first as an employee for a consultant firm, writing software for Airports across the country and the US Navy Air Stations before retiring once again so they could move back to Baltimore and finish remodeling the home they had been working on since 1977.

Still he worked as a consultant for the same firm from his home until 1999, when he retired for the last time, so to take care of my mom who was dying of breast cancer. I only once saw him cry at the service for her after 9/1/2000. He lived on his own in the house they worked so hard to finish during their last years together. It's there we are all gathering to Celebrate my father's life, as his first great grandson like to say. But then Ian was lucky to get to know my father before he became ill. I had hope my mom would live to long enough to also see her first great grand child. She did get to meet my future son-in-law, and know about the pregnancy.

I off to go sign the paper work with my sister and 2 brothers that live here in Baltimore. I hope you can understand a little of how proud I am for my father, as I cry over the love and joy he gave me.

Sorry for your loss EC.

Big hugs, Elne. He must have been an amazing man to have had a hand in such an amazing woman such as you. My thoughts are with you and your fam.

Sorry for your loss ElneClare

Everyones thoughts here and elsewhere I've posted have been a great help as I am coming to terms with my dad's death. My family has finally set a day and time for the services the day before Thanksgiving. No clergy as dad wasn't religious, instead people will be offered a chance to say a few words if they want, with one of my sisters looking for a passage to read.

Either my daughter or I will read what she wrote Monday. I have to make sure I print it out so all those who want a copy.

Meanwhile my daughters are making plans to go out tomorrow to cub and the Cruxshadows concert after we have dinner on Thanksgiving.

Special Thanks to Angsty to making sure I'll be able to see the band live.

My condolences, Elne.