I feel like I have two things I need to do: share my thoughts on dad and thank thousands of people. Both of these tasks are daunting to say the least. My father was a fiercely devoted and passionate husband, instilling in Ben and I the importance of holding this relationship above all others in life. He was a man who would don a tux and take the ferry to Bainbridge Island just to deliver a rose to mom or fill her tiny coffee cup hundreds of times each morning as she read the paper. He was an involved and joyful father, teaching us important lessons and terrible jokes. I’ll never forget the last “mandate” dad and I had. He had been given two pedicures by mom and asked if I’d like to go along with him. Knowing how uncomfortable this made him, I gladly accepted. We laughed though the entire ordeal, me telling him how bad his feet stunk and him reminding me that my feet don’t even match, all the while suggesting colors for each other’s nails. We left and quickly went out for a beer agreeing never to talk about this again. He was a silly and caring grandfather, helping Trevor and Colin with projects, reading countless books to them and showing genuine interest in Pokemon, Nintendo, and numerous Lego battles.

What yesterday’s memorial showed me was what an amazing friend and mentor dad was as well and to so many people! He was a humble man who would have been overwhelmed by the 200+ people who showed up and surprised by the ways he touched so many of you. Our family is strong and we will “get through this” whatever that means. But, without the support of neighbors, friends and co-workers (many of you with more than one of these titles) this would be much, much more difficult. We have had people from everywhere helping us though this. The hugs, flowers, meals, prayers, yard work, party planning, cleaning, checking in, cards, donations to Guide Dogs, and countless offers of help have kept us buoyant thought this. Thank you all so much.

I miss my dad more than I thought possible. But I am holding onto the often-repeated idea that, in small and large ways, he lives on in all of us. That is a big responsibility. If you take anything from his life, remember to live each day to the fullest, find your passions and dive in head-first and love your family and friends with everything you have.

Mike