Forever and Always I Love You Daddy!!

I know I speak for all of my brothers and sisters when I say that we have one of the best dads this planet has ever seen. He is the epitome of the meaning of the word. Dedicated, provider, healer of wounds, and a love to our mother. Anytime, day or night, each of us knows he is just a phone call away or when we were little and afraid of the dark a scream of  "DAAADDDD" would bring him quickly to our bedside.

He told stories of his youth to us a bedtime. Our favorite was about "spaghetti face O'Connell" who got his nick-name when he had a sliding accident and the scrapes on his face (bloody mess) looked like a bowl of spaghetti.

Here he is with his mom showing off a graduation certificate perhaps.

He lied about his age and entered the Navy when he was 17. Those were the days, imagine doing that today?

He was/is very proud to have been a sailor and serve our country.

Dad was always a hands on dad. Not the type that sat down and made things with us, but he was always available to talk to us and share his ways. Just the other day when I visited he told me that what he wanted to do when he was younger was open a Men's Clothing Store. He then described what it would have been like. He has always been a fashion nut and the snappiest of dressers. Look at his argyle socks in the photo above.

His biggest hobby while I grew up was golf. He was a fantastic golfer and won the Club Championship a number of times.

Me and my daddy circa 1975

While my children were young and in their teens, we lived next door to my parents, and as a single parent, my dad was a secondary dad to my two children. He loved taking them out for "surprises" which would often entail a trip to the bakery for something nice and sugary.

Dad and Miss Molly

Scrambling eggs on Christmas-1970's

He and my mom drove all the way from Connecticut to Fort Benning, Georgia to watch my son graduate from boot camp. Here he is shaking hands proudly with his grandson.

 Here they are (my son and his grandpa) hiding their heads after they refused to go on this ride at "Santa's Village".  When the rest of us arrived back to the start of the ride they were no where to be found.Soon we saw this coming around the bend and I snapped a shot.

With his lovely bride!

At most family functions today, he can be seen with one of our dogs or my sister's cat Spring in his lap.

Forever and always I love you Daddy!!