Today my father would have celebrated his 85th birthday. He is dearly loved and deeply missed. Thank you, Dad, for the forever imprint you placed on my heart. I’m so grateful to be your daughter.

You took us to the other side of the world to serve others but that never stopped you from taking care of us. No fixit request we dropped on you last minute was ever too much. You modeled what being a faithful spouse should look like. You were a man of few words and much integrity, with the tenacity required to catch Canada’s biggest and finest and bring home the BPOW fishing trophy to prove it.

• I will miss you telling me “love you lots” when you said goodbye.
• I will miss your dry humor, sometimes so esoteric that only you knew you were saying something funny.
• I will miss you grumbling about Mom making taco salad for dinner on “fun food Friday.”
• I will miss you ringing my doorbell and sending the dog into distinctive fits of yowling, announcing that we were about to welcome a very special guest.
• I will miss being able to take my broken “whatevers” over to your house – knowing you’ll figure out a way to make it all better.
• I will miss you calling me Barbie, watching Fox News, and listening to obnoxious talk radio super loud while you paint my house.
• I will miss your reaching for my hand as we bow our heads and thank God for the food.
• I will miss your declining days, when you took long naps in your chair.
• I will miss you being sick – but… still here with us.

Now that you’re gone, it feels like the earth has shifted on its axis. And until we see each other again, I will never stop missing you.

I love you, Dad. Love you lots…