by Patrick Stewart

Created on: October 27, 2008

Gone But Always Remembered

He was not famous nor was he someone who really cared about fame. He was a father and a husband with many dreams, and just as many failures in his life. This did not make him a bad person it made him a real one.

January 9, 1929 was the day that my father John Marvin Stewart entered the World to accompany his brother Robert and Sister Joanne. His mother, my Grandmother loved him the most because he was the baby and that love and protective coveting is what made my dad the man he was. From all I know of my dad he had a decent childhood. He was very intelligent and like me may have been too smart for his own good. He never could stay focused on one dream because dad was sure he could have them all.

When my father was just 17 years old he went to War in Korea. He was stationed in Hamburg, Germany. I am glad because if he would have been in Korea I probably would not be writing this memoir. He served for a short term because he was called home for a family emergency. He was given an honorable discharge and he reurned to Cleveland, Ohio to his wife who he married around 1948. My dad had 6 boys from his first marriage and he lost a little girl who was born with a hole in her heart. Her name was Nancy I remember this because it was tatooed on his left arm. That loss almost killed my dad. To have a little girl was something he dearly and truly wanted.

Well dad and his wife did have six boys and they had a rough marriage, many struggles and many problems due to the fact that dad was a good looking man and for one of his many jobs he was a bartender in a local bar and the ladies had a thing for the good looking blue eyed man with black curly hair. So you can figure he was quite the ladies man and that did not stay to well with the wife. Within a few years of separating from his wife he met my mother and started a family with her I was the first born. Born on December 1st 1966, then my Brother was born November 1st 1967, and 4 years later on June 28th 1971 my dad got his little girl. His pride and joy.

I will tell you that dad loved all of his children beyond words and knew how to be a father and was darn good at it. I do not ever hardly remember getting spanked, although I know it was quite often, but I remember almost everything that we did as a family as well as the stuff that just me and dad did.

The real kicker is that I lost my father on December 6, 1973 I had just turned 7 years old. My dad was my hero because he was my dad and for nothing else. The really funny part of this is that I am just like him in many many ways. I am so much like him that as I got older it hurt my mother to watch me grow up because she could see my dad everyday and that was really hard on her. Although she found someone to spend her life with and be a father to us as we grew, it never repalced the love that she had for my old man.

Little memories, big memories it does not matter because they are memories. Nowadays Mom lives with me and my wife. I am the father of 4 beautiful kids and I got the girls my dad wanted. I have 3 of them and one terrific son, they all make me proud each day. Yes just like my dad I used to love the ladies all shapes and sizes but I found my best friend and hopefully I can make my dad proud where ever he is.

I love you dad, thank you for giving me life.

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