Mon 14 Sep 1998 Memorial Service for Dad

On the Saturday after Dad died, my cousin Flossie and her husband Skip came to discuss the service we planned for Dad on Monday afternoon. Dad had seen Skip preside over a memorial service recently and had said that he thought Skip did a particularly fine job. So we were delighted to find that Skip and Flossie had nothing else planned for Monday.

Skip had met Dad a few times, but felt he had very little idea what to say. We reviewed a two or three page resume, and spoke about the things we most wanted to remember.

Dad loved children and often it seemed his greatest rapport was with the very youngest. He loved visual humor, like Charlie Chaplin's, and he had a wonderfully expressive face.

The "Magic Man" is one of my indelible images of Dad, and this nickname was often repeated through the next few days. Countless youngsters have dubbed him so after watching his disappearing coin tricks. Robin said she would read a letter Dad wrote her. Nancy and Mom said they'd rather not speak. I was dying to speak. I would speak until nobody wanted to listen.

I thought of my earlier experiences in public speaking. Few and far between they were. But so exhilarating! And so necessary sometimes. I excused myself for wanting to hog the spotlight a little, to play the buffoon in Dad's honor, and to steal a little of the glory of Dad's best jokes. I told myself that Dad would not forgive me if I did not pay proper tribute to such a connoisseur of conversation and lover of sight gags and funny stories.

Next page:
My earlier experience in public speaking


Return to Remembering Dad


Other Pages at this Site

Return to Home Page Dave Butler's Rainforest Cottage at GeoCities


This page written by Dave Butler, Computer Guide
dbut@erols.com



This page hosted by GeoCities logo
Get your own Free Home Page

1