Page created by: Linda

-- Dad was an amazing Dad

I received a unicycle for Christmas one year and told me he would give me $ if I was able to ride it around the block, which was about a mile. I finally was able to do it. He was a good motivator and taught me perseverance.
He taught me how to drive a stick shift VW bug. Everyday we would go to this really steep hill and he would make me cut the car off and crank it back up without rolling backwards. He was a good teacher. He taught me not to give up.
Anytime anything needed repairing or building. He would do it himself and when working with me, he would show me how to do it myself. He never wanted to hire anyone to do anything. He taught me to be self sufficient and believe I can do it.
He showed me you can love someone else unconditionally.
He showed me you can rise above where you came from and be the best you can be.
He showed me kindness with his huge heart.
I love my Dad. I miss my Dad.

-- Grandpa loved to build things, loved DIY Projects. He loved driving his Big Rig and traveling in his motorhome with Granny all over the United States of America. Going to the beach and throwing the grandkids in the ocean and burying them up to their heads in the sand. Square Dancing with his friends. When resting at home, he loved watching reruns of Andy Griffith.

-- Grandpa loved being with family, being outside, and loved getting into his shop and woodworking. He was always the first one to help friends or family. He helped out with Hurricane Michael cleanup well into his seventies. He was a gentle soul and a man who loved his family. He loved westerns and traveling with his family. I remember the hikes down the creek.

-- Grandpa is one of the strongest people I know inside and out. He was always working with his hands, building something, creating something, or driving his Big Rig. When I was younger, I knew that Grandpa would always be in his work shop working on his latest project. I have some trees that he created out of copper hanging on my living room wall. He loved taking his children and grandchildren on vacation with Granny at his side. He loved their motorhome and I have many fond memories of trips of camping at KOA sites as we went up the coast to New York to see the Statue of Liberty and all of the Museums of Washington We also traveled to the Okefenokee Swamp, where we learned to fish and stay in the boat as we would go down the swamp and watch out for alligators. The trips with Granny and Grandpa are filled with fond memories. I remember as a little girl, me and my sister rode in his Big Rig cab as he drove around the neighborhood. We thought that it was the coolest thing in the world that he got to drive this giant truck. Granny and Grandpa also loved to square dance years ago. He and Granny would get dressed up in matching outfits, which were amazing, and go dance every week. I know it was something that they both really enjoyed. Every time I saw him, he always greeted me with a, “Hey Grand-person” and I would always respond back, “Hey Grandpa”. I miss hearing his voice. I miss seeing him. I miss him very much.

Parkinson's Update -
Sadly, we lost our father to a fall from Parkinson's 19 days before his 86th birthday.

Why would we think our Dad had Parkinson's, no one in our family had ever been diagnosed with Parkinson's. We all knew Dad had some challenges at times, but no one suspected it was Parkinson's. When he was diagnosed, we began to do everything we could to find out how to help, how to fix it, how to make it go away, so he could continue to live his life the way he deserved. A life he had worked so hard for.

We need to find a cure for his horrific disease. A disease that takes your life away from you. A disease that causes your soul to become a prisoner trapped in a body that no longer works.

I have found comfort in the webinars and stories the MJF Foundation has. I know we are so close to finding more things that can help Parkinson's. I hope in some way the contributions given from this page help make a cure possible, so no one has to ever have a Tribute Page for anyone passing from Parkinson related accidents or illnesses.