Father's

Max, my dad, as I remember him.

A few weeks ago I attended the funeral of my dad's best friend. They attended school together, went to war at the same time, married roommates and remained best friends throughout the rest of their lives. The funderal was like a tribute to my father as well, for his named was mentioned over and over. Carl's son reflected on what he had learned from his father. It started me thinking. What did I learn from my father? I had never seriously thought about this question prior to Carl's funeral. Carl lived to be 82, my father however only lived to 54. Perhaps this is why I never contemplated that I learned many things from my father. At the "mature" age of 24 when my father passed away (24 yes; mature no) I did not really appreciate the amazing person that made up Max.

My dad and his sweetheart!

So 30 years late, Dad, here is my tribute to you!

1. I learned you owe it to yourself to demand excellence of yourself in whatever you do. My dad excelled in everything he did. He never accepted a job or assignment without doing it "the best."

2. I learned you can boldly champion a cause in a quiet, invisible way. My father championed many people in our community who had physical and mental disabilities by making the way possible for them to get employment at the Tooele Army Depot. Very few people knew he did this and he never spoke about it.



3. I learned to love sports. My dad was a talented athlete. He played basketball and football, he wrestled, was a fish in the water, he golfed, he ran track and field. In a somewhat "man's" world I was fortunate enough to learn to love (and understand. . .a very important piece of the puzzle) sports of all kinds.

High School Basketball ( Gotta love those trunks!)

A handsome young soldier


4. I learned about friendship. My dad had friends of all walks of life. I grew up in a time when being "politically correct " was not even a term let alone something practiced. My father was a friend to people of many races and cultures. He defended those friendships and those friends regardless of their backgrounds. He was a true friend who was loyal to his friends to the end of his days. He was never too busy to help a friend.

5. I learned that to become educated is your duty. My father in some quiet way which to this day I can not put a finger on, instilled in all his children the importance of getting their education. My father earned his Bachelor's Degree from the U of U. I still remember my dad driving to Provo in the evenings after work to attend classes to earn his Master's Degree. I always knew that I needed to do well in school and to graduate from college. To his credit, all of his children graduated from college.

6. I learned that it is good to be "passionate" about something. My dad was passionate about the positive influence that sports can have on young people. He worked endless hours in building the successful Western Boys Baseball Assoication.

If you have not taken time to reflect upon what you have learned from your father, take a moment and do so. If you are lucky enough to still have your father around, tell him how much
you appreciate what he has taught you.