beautiful wives, loving (if not perfect ) children, and a constant interest and concern for what the world was coming to.
Where did that energy and genuine interest for family and human affairs come from, and how did he sustain it?
Was he really interested in birds, or was it his way to connect with me that he always reported new bird sightings/behaviors from Florida? With Rich he might talk about the hubris of the current presidency; with Jeff the beloved Indians; with Lisa art and family; with Larry finances and paintings. He was genuinely interested in all these things, and informed as well, but I think a lot had to do with his aptitude in engaging people. He really liked assessing people and
their experiences.
As a child, he was always the voice of authority and the one to reckon with with, Roie being the one to give comfort and understanding. But that was the period, and I also remember dancing
on his feet( that was glorious) and holding onto his back when we dived into the waves at Good Harbor Beach and his hitting the tennis balls to me over and over again, trying to help me with my strokes.
He introduced me to photography and printing, which I enjoyed for years, stock analysis which I'm still learning, he gave me binoculars, cameras, and some lucite sculptures I'm still not quite
sure of.
The intimidating part of being a child of his was that he really presumed you could do all the things he had: learn business operations, understand salesmanship, actually hit a golf ball, drive
without without ever once having an accident!, swim, sail, thread an 8 mm projector, fiberglass a dent in the hull, and "listen to your mother!"
He was so generous, it became difficult to accept. Why didn't he spend more money on himself? Well, it turned out to be simple; he had more fun giving it away.
And what I learned about my Father in his last years, and with wonderful Dot, is that he wanted to have fun! To meet new people, to talk about new ideas ( and his ideas of course) to engage with his grandchildren and to try to alert more people to need for a return to integrity in governance.
He really was a remarkable personality and I know the loss of his presence will only heighten with the years and the awful first holidays. And he was a FOP, a Friend of Phil, which I will always cherish!
This is one of the classics many of us have seen before, but on the back father wrote:"Can yoo ever believe we were that young. This was in Rockport in the summer of 1937- I was at Wm & Mary Love, Dad PS not fair- we should our life at the top- or should we-" I think the way he lived all his years, with the loving support of Dottie, Erma, Jacki, the Eckloffs and others was that you make the most of the years you're given, even when it's hard!
-MarcieMarcie and Peg (Phil's Mom) and AL
Another view of Marcie and Phil's wedding in 1970, with Al in the foreground.
1 comment:
And Marcie -- you, too, are a caretaker and a recorder, someone who remembers friends and family's every hobby and can intelligently discuss it. You are someone whom I am always so glad to see. Your post is mostly about your father's effect on the rest of the world, but it's also important to point out that the world is better with you in it.
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