Videos of Dad's Life

Remembering Dad In Video

 

 

Forever Young

 

After visiting Dad in the hospital, I would usually go for a walk with my trusty  iPod and my even trustier dog, Max.  During one particular rough patch, I was really struggling with what my Dad, who had always seemed so young and vibrant to me, even at 88, was going through.  When this song from The Band's Last Waltz album came through my headphones I knew it was something I would wish for my Dad - to stay "Forever Young".  Thank's Mr. Dylan.

The audio used in this video is taken from three sources.  One was an interview John did with Dad in 2010 about his early history and his motivation for joining the marines.  Some of the description of Pearl Harbor was taken from a video we did of our vacation to Hawaii where we got to see Pearl Harbor and where Dad was at the time of the attack.  The third was from a trip with Tom & Mary to Monterey, Ca in 2011.

While there are other versions of this song, I chose the live version because you can feel the energy from the audience and I think Bob Dylan put a little more effort in this rendition.  The guitar solos are particularly moving to me and the flow of the song seems to mesh very well with the wonderful experiences that were a part of my Dad's life.  Enjoy!

Family

 



One of the core values Dad gave us was the sense of family.  We did a lot together and came to rely on one another.  While all of us have grown up, moved away, and started familys of our own, when Dad needed us we rallied together.  This is as much a tribute to the Family he built as it is to him.

My Wish

Rascal Flats

My brother, Tom, sent me a link to a youtube video with the lyrics of this song.  I had never heard the song before.  I never thought much about videos that just scrolled the lyrics of the song.  By the time I finished this project I was not thinking about those things very much.  This song and the lyrics are an especially poignant tribute to Dad's life.  This video was a great conclusion to his funeral service.  Thanks, Tom.

One other note that I am compelled to share with you:  Dad's service was on a Friday.  On Saturday, the kids got together to begin the work of taking care of his household items.  I was in the garage and there was an old AM/FM/SHORTWAVE transistor radio my Mom used to use.  I turned it on briefly and noticed the switches were dirty.  I made a note to take it home, spray it with contact cleaner and, if it did not improve, discard it.  The following Sunday my wife was working in the garden planting flowers and I thought, "She needs some music."  I retrieved the radio sprayed it with contact cleaner and turned it on.  I did not even know it was tuned to a station, but as soon as it came on I heard the last 30 seconds of this song.

Tribute to Mom

A special tribute to Mom that we put together for Mother's Day 2012. You can see all the wonderful times we had. Special thanks to Bobby Watt for reading a version of I.O.U.