Born October 11th, 1927, Columbus, Bartholomew County, Indiana.
Raised in a small town in Southeastern Indiana, Dad was industrious as a child; he had paper routes, saving his money studiously, and was very active in Boy Scouts earning the highest honor of Eagle Scout. While I was growing up and into my adulthood, Dad always amazed me with the myriad knots he employed for tying up boats, extending rope, securing various items, etc. He helped his mom & dad with chores and sustenance during the Great Depression. Dad's family had a cow for milk, persimmon trees, a vegetable garden etc. At Columbus High School, dad played the trumpet in band, sang in the chorus and had the lead in the school play. Dad graduated High School in Columbus in 1946. He enlisted in the US Army that September. He served overseas in the post WWII Japan Occupation Forces. Dad continued playing his trumpet in an Army band.
Dad attended Purdue University playing trumpet in the band and graduated in 1952 with a degree in Forestry, then joined the workforce as a lumber sales rep while building duplexes to rent/sell on the side.
Dad met my mother on New Year's Eve 1967 via a blind date. He knew my mom was the one for him and he courted her HARD! Mom had other fish in the frying pan, but saw the many strengths and desirable traits of my dad, most importantly his strong Christian and conservative lifestyle. Dad won my mom's heart and they were married less than a year later on November 27th, 1968. Dad passed just a few short months shy of their 50th wedding anniversary which is a testament of their love and devotion to each other. And the love story continues as Mom's last words to Dad were, “So long. Wait for me just outside the Eastern Gate.” After their marriage, Mom and Dad soon moved to Lansing, MI, my mom's home town, to settle down and raise their family. There, Dad secured a position with the State of Michigan in Social Services and rose through the ranks to become the state wide Administrator of Foster Care and Adoption. He served his fellow citizens for most of his entire working life.
My dad brought 3 children into the marriage, and he took on three new children. I was the youngest of those children and never thought of my dad as anything other than just that: my Dad; my Father. He loved, nurtured and raised my brother, sister and I as his own. No one could ask for a better role model and I've never known a better man.
Dad was an avid boater who loved being on a lake. He taught his family how to water ski and we spent many a time over the decades together out on Indian Lake water skiing, swimming and just enjoying being on the boat together. These were times of strong family bonding and great joy for us all. Both Mom and Dad skied into their 80's.
Dad took the term “Handy Man” to the extreme. He contracted, supervised and executed the building of a very comfortable cottage on the Indian Lake Nazarene Campground. Only the excavation and septic system were carried out by outside contractors. Literally everything else was accomplished by our family through his knowledge, skills, abilities and tireless work ethic. The cottage has all of the amenities of a modern home and while other camp meeting attendees were roughing it in cabins with no electricity, water or other comforts, we stayed in what seemed like the Ritz Carlton. This episode in our lives taught me the important value of hard work and the amazing results to be realized. Dad also bought several houses in Lansing as we kids were growing up and rented them out as investments. Through helping my dad with the upkeep of these houses (sometimes to my great teenage protestations) I learned the “Handy Man” skills that I still employ to this day. We re-roofed houses, replaced all the copper plumbing in basements, replaced old wiring, cleaned main drains to the city sewer lines, etc. I will never quite be to the level my dad was, but I am grateful for the skills and work ethic that he taught me.
From a young age, Dad was a strong Christian. He was taken to church as a baby and made his own personal commitment to Christ at the age of 12. Church was paramount throughout his entire life. As a teen, he played trumpet in the church band and sang in the choir. As an adult, Dad was always in a leadership position on the board, serving as Church Treasurer for over 30 years as well as any other position the Pastor and God lead him to. Dad completed 10 Work and Witness trips to developing countries using both his spiritual and physical muscles. His moral compass was always on course; I never saw him falter and he always exhibited strong Christian values.
Funeral Services will be held on Saturday, June 2, 2018 at Chapman Memorial Church of the Nazarene, 7520 E. U Ave, Vicksburg, MI 49097. Visitation will be held from 10:00 am until the service at 11:00 am.
Interment will follow in Evergreen Cemetery, Mt. Hope Hwy, Lansing, MI at 3:30 pm.
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