by Judith Hamilton

Created on: June 20, 2009

This little article could not possibly cover how great my Dad was. He passed away four years ago from colon cancer. My father was in his early eighties but looked as though he was sixty. Dad faithfully did Tae Bo three times a week. Dad was Swiss but learned to speak English well. Dad was proud to become a citizen of the U.S. and we were proud of him when he made his speech on that day. He worked as an engineer and loved his job but Dad also had many other interests and one was woodworking for which he received certificates for doing his apprenticeship. Dad once made a beautiful table out of two by four's, he also made a coffee table with a chess board on it which now sits in my living room. Dad was also a gifted chess player.

Dad was quite a funny guy. I remember one Christmas when tensions were high like they often are around the holidays. Mom was upset because time was running out to get a Christmas tree Dad came through at the last minute and came home with the most pitiful little "Charlie Brown" Christmas type tree. The needles fell with every step that Dad took and my mother was in tears. Dad had a solution to the problem already worked out, it was a plan in the making, my father went to the car and came back with extra branches and being the great woodworker he was bore holes into the trunk of our sad little Christmas tree and tried to liven up the fragile pine with the transplanted branches. I can't remember what the tree looked like after Dad's tree makeover but with my mother as the decorater I know it had to have been beautiful but I do remember that by Christmas Eve we were all happy and thankful for what we had even with all our flaws.

My father was also an excellent provider but not too much of a cook. When my mother became ill, being an independent person he tried to make dinner and I was happy to explain to him that it would be better to defrost chicken before cooking it. Dad did make a mean batch of scrambled eggs though, I believe he put the milk in the pan first and then the eggs.

The best thing about my Dad was that he was a good husband to my mother and a great family man. Even when we were all grown up he would always be there for my sister's and I at a moments notice. Dad took much interest in his children, grandchildren, and other family members and you didn't have to be blood related to be considered family in my father's eyes. I wish everyone could have a father as good as mind was.

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