Catherine

I am so honored to be my father’s daughter. From the very beginning of my life, he has prioritized family and set an example of enduring, hard working love for me, Elizabeth, and my Mom, as evidenced by their 50 year wedding anniversary earlier this year. 

He has taught me so much else too - from very neat handwriting (unavoidable when your Dad’s a 1st grade teacher), patience, and really enjoying a great laugh to the joy you get in cooking for others and appreciating a wonderful meal that you didn’t have to cook yourself. That all jobs don’t have to be done perfectly as long as you do your best. Like when I was in 1st grade and my Mom was traveling for work, so my Dad had to braid my hair (decades before online videos of how to braid). The braid was FINE - I wasn’t bothered by it, but my 1st grade teacher took pleasure in helping out and redoing it before school. 

Timeliness was drilled into us from a very young age and went so far as driving on the grass and extremely close to the chute of a concrete truck on our street in order to make it to ballet on time. We were never late.

Never abandoning a commitment was also drilled into us. ‘Don’t start something you’re not going to finish.’ ‘You made a commitment.’ That has served us well as adults- at least in knowing we should define the end before we take on something new!

Mostly, though, as a kid I recognized the love he had for teaching. And being super glad he was my Dad because not all of my teachers had that love for teaching. The way he was so animated and unbelievably creative in the classroom. The way students adored him as much as he enjoyed them. 

He also set a great example with each challenge he took on- from doing the Bike Ride Across Georgia and earning his doctorate in mid-life to thriving at the Senior Center classes while undergoing treatments for metastatic cancer. Such resilience under duress. 

I wish you a wonderful day and year, Dad, full of laughs and tears, reminding you how AMAZING you are!!!

I love you so much,

Ca