This Sunday will be the 15th Father's Day I have spent without my daddy

[demtenjeep]

My father was a great man. He worked at the same airplane manufacturing plant his whole adult life beginning on the day of his graduation and ending with his death 45 years later. (except for the 2 years he served in the Army during the Korean Conflict from being drafted) He never had to serve overseas but instead was an instructor at West Point for soldiers that did go overseas.

He and my mother raised 6 children, two boys and four girls. He loved his children fiercely and although they were not rich, what we lacked in finances, we made up with in love. We are a close family and Daddy's death rocked us all and still does 15 years later.

My father worked at an Aircraft Manufacturing plant and many times turned down lead because he didn't want the other guys in the plant to think he was better than them. He quietly paid his machinist union dues and when they went on strike, he walked the picket line when it was his turn. He never made a big deal over politics, but he did vote in every election. He also gave blood as often as he could because he had 0- blood. He never bragged, it was just want a mad did.

He was diagnosed with Leukemia on December 31st 1996 and died March 31st 1997. The day of his official retirement party, while the guys in the plant were waiting with balloons and cake and cards, my father was quietly taking his last breath. It was never proved, but probably the leukemia had some connection to his job of 45 years.

I know many fathers are not perfect, but if yours is still alive, please let them know you love them. I would give anything to tell my father I loved him one more time.

Happy Father's Day Daddy. I know you are looking down over us, I miss you and love you so very much.

[Warren Stupidity]

1. 10 years since my dad died.

He wasn't a big fan of father's day, but he was a fine person and I will miss him as long as I live.

[Luminous Animal]

2. It's been 35 years for me. He died when I was 18 and he was 38. I still miss him and

think about him nearly every day. He wasn't a fan of father's day either so we didn't make a fuss but we did give him a card. For the last 10 years, it was the same card. He'd look at it and say, "Thanks, kids," and my mom would pick it up and put it in the drawer for the next year.

I wish my daughter could have met him. He loved kids so much. Though, the stories I have told her are so vivid that she once told me that even though she never met him, she loved him and missed him, too.

[Irishonly]

4. 26 years for me

I also wish my daughter could have met my dad. The stories help and she is very proud of him.

[n2doc]

11. 35 years for me too. I was 12.

Never did really get to know him, even though I heard a lot of stories. He flew P51's in WWII, and gliders for fun/competition later in life.

[freshwest]

13. 48 years. I generally don't know what to say when one mentions a parent dying this century.

Most of my family died very early in my life so I had to 'accept it' but I'm not sure I ever came to a mature understanding as I'd just turned 13. It seems that I can never say the right thing, other than I'm sorry.

[unc70]

20. 45 years for me

It really doesn't matter how many, you never get over it.

[Historic NY]

21. "I'm sorry" is okay.......

lost my father 44 yrs ago I was 12...

[freshwest]

22. Thanks. It just seemed my reaction is still at that age, stunned. I think you understand me.

[elleng]

3. This Sunday will be the first for me, dem.

[demtenjeep]

5. Big hugs to you.

time never takes away the pain, just makes it easier to handle

[elleng]

12. Thanks. Still think of him as with us, as he always will be.

He lived near my brother + family for the last 4 years, and before that in Florid, away from all of us. Brother+ probably feel his absence more accutely than I do, as they saw him often, but we're now in touch, emotionally, more than before.

[tularetom]

6. My dad died 10 years ago yesterday

He and my mom both re-enlisted in the Navy in early 1942 when I was 6 months old. My dad wound up in the Marines and served in the Pacific until the end of the war. He later graduated from Western Kentucky University which he attended on the GI bill and was an accountant, a farmer and a propane dealer until he got too arthritic to keep working full time in the early 80's.

They raised 3 kids, two of which survived them and while my dad was the most stoic and unemotional person I've ever met, he was always there when we needed him. Sometimes he seemed disappointed in my brother and myself but he was always supportive of any half assed plan we wanted to try.

I only regret he didn't live to see the birth of his first great-great-grandchild in 2008.

[proud2BlibKansan]

7. My dad will be gone 13 years in August

I still miss him.

[midnight]

8. K&R

[Lisa0825]

9. WOW.... me too.

[kestrel91316]

10. 32 years for me. Father's Day is sadder for me than his birthday (July 4)

or the day he died or even Christmas (because I have other family to take up the slack).

You only have one Dad and mine was taken when he was only 47.

[spanone]

14. lost my dad in 1973. i'll miss him as long as i live.

died of a heart attack at the age of 46

[RZM]

15. My father has congestive heart failure. He came very close to dying in 2001

I was ready for my goodbyes, but he made it somehow.

I cherish every moment I spend with him. He's a great guy and I'm glad that he and I have a good relationship. We disagree on politics, but we have a lot of fun doing it.

I'm sorry about you loss. But rest assured that you father's memory will live on with you. And as long as you're around, he is too.

[Silver Swan]

16. Today would have been my father's 98th birthday

But he died at age forty, in 1954.

I have long ago accepted my loss.

But tomorrow will be one year since my daughters' father died, so it is more immediate and painful for them.

He died last year while participating in the "Ride the Rockies" bicycle ride. Some people say, "Well, at least he died doing what he loved."
That only provides a small amount of comfort.

(We were divorced in 1999, but his death still came as a shock. We had been married 26 years.)

[Oneka]

17. Lost my Dad in 1991

He also died of cancer, at the age of 68. he fought his cancer for 3 years. I was only 18 when he was diagnosed. I didn't have a good relationship with my father in my late teens, but my mother, god rest her soul, did something brilliant, shortly after my dad got cancer.
She always attended church on Saturday evenings, she called me up every week, and pretty much begged me to come watch my dad while she spent an hour and a half, at church. He was somewhat mobile but needed help getting to the bathroom, and such. As the weeks, turned into months, my dad got better and more mobile, he really didn't need me hanging around helping him out. I found myself coming over anyway, just to hang out and listen to stories, he often had other visitors on Saturday's. As the months turned to years, i found myself enjoying my time with my dad more and more, on our Saturday evenings. I look back at this time in my life VERY fondly, as
my dad and I patched up our relationship, and i am glad we had the time to do it.
21 years later, i will be celebrating my first Fathers Day as a dad, to a wonderful 6 month old daughter. I sure wish she could have met him.

[dsc]

18. This is my first

been a really long month.

[demtenjeep]

19. I'm sorry

it is hard especially on Father's Day.


My father was a gentle Giant. Full of love and obligation. I am sure he was tired the last few years. He drove over 100 miles to work and back each day for 30 some years because my mom wanted to live in a small town.

hugs to everyone missing their fathers

[freshwest]

23. Sorry he's not here for you now, but what a legacy. A good life well lived.

[demtenjeep]

24. thank you

yes he was an amazing man and I was blessed to be his daughter

[demtenjeep]

30. when he was drafted, he and my mother were newlyweds

he was stationed at West Point after boot camp

Neither of them had lived outside of BFE Kansas

New York was too big for them and when his time was up, they moved back to Kansas where he spent the rest of his life.

I would have loved to see them experience NY. My oldest brother was born there, the rest of us in Ks.

[GObamaGO]

25. He sounds like he was a good man

Sorry you lost him to cancer. Awful way to go.

[demtenjeep]

26. he was the best

he must have been sick longer than anyone knew, we never went to the dr growing up unless we were not breathing or bleeding too badly to stop at home.

I am sure had he had regular physicals, we could have caught it much sooner and had him a lot longer. There were only 3 months from DX to death and inbetween that time he was in the hospital 3 times for infusions and platelets. He had to be talked into going to the hospital the weekend he died.

HE died at 5:52 on March 31st with all of his kids and his wife surrounded by his bedside. The sound of that monitor going flatline is not something you can soon forget.


I'm sorry, I just miss him a lot and Father's day is hard

[GObamaGO]

27. I cannot imagine

I still have my dad among the living. I am sorry your dad went so fast and too soon.

[TuxedoKat]

28. 15 years for me too this year

my dad passed in November of '97. I still miss him so much too and I wish my kids had known him and vice versa. I tell them all the stories he told me about his childhood/life hoping they will pass them along. I need to write them down for them too though.

[renate]

29. K&R for this sweet thread

[malaise]

31. 29 years since my dad died

I sang this for him as a little girl one fathers' day - it was the first daddy song I ever knew and he was delighted

[demtenjeep]

33. that is awesome

My dad's favorite Christmas song was Away in a Manger. I think because us girls sang it for him all the time

[malaise]

36. Very cool

Great thread

[REP]

32. Mine died 18 years this July 18. He was 56. Bone cancer of the spinal column.

[undeterred]

34. 20 years since the last Fathers Day

I miss him very much.

[maryellen99]

35. It will be my 8th nt

[leftynyc]

37. My daddy died on May 5

so this will be my first without him and all the incessant ads - on tv and online - have made this a most difficult week. Dad is the one who raised me (along with mom) to be the liberal I am and one of the two organizations listed to donate to (in lieu of flowers) was Planned Parenthood cuz daddy was a very strong supporter of them.

I still wake up every day and just for a second wonder if it was a nightmare and that he's still with us. It breaks my heart every day. I join you in asking people who have relationships with their parents to cherish them, spend as much time as you can with them cuz there really is never enough time. And for those who are not with us anymore, my fervent prayer is that they rest in peace.

[demtenjeep]

38. I love you daddy and miss you so very much

just wanted you to know.

[Swede]

39. My dad passed away 10 years ago.

I miss him very much.