Gene was many things. He was a brother, co-worker, friend, mentor, teacher, father in law, to my brother and I he was Dad, and to our children he was simply PaPa. He was a virtuous, faithful, strong willed, patriotic man who impacted more peoples lives than I believe he was aware of. Dad was raised here in Lumberton, one of six children raised by Margaret and Andrew. Brought up on a farm he learned the value of hard work at an early age. Many of his best personality traits can be traced directly to his upbringing. Growing up in a Catholic home, his faith was a big influence in how he conducted himself day to day. From the stories I hear, and from Dad’s own account of himself he was an energetic, precocious child who was a handful for my Grandma. Those characteristics stayed with him for life. As a teenager Dad found his love for speed, and so began my Grandmothers prayer vigil for his safety. As a young man he continued his football career from high school into junior college. I am unsure what he specifically studied at Pearl River, but the outcome was the beginning of what proved to be a lifelong career, that he loved and was a huge part of him. Dads career as an engineer took him all over the country. He worked on projects with numerous company’s, some in Mississippi, Louisiana, Alabama, California, Maryland, Washington, and Kansas. Hard work was something my Dad knew well, understood and excelled at. He worked on a variety of ships, and airplanes. During his stay in Kansas he even worked on Air Force 1 and 2. He was proud of his contribution to that project. His contributions through his career were many, as were his accomplishments, he achieved the success he experienced in his career through hard work, dedication, and perseverance. His last stop in his career was in Meridian for Lockheed. He loved it there, in many ways this was a coming home for him. His career instilled in me a love of aerospace, and aircraft. I have fond memories of several times we attended airshows, or exhibitions with aircraft. His passion for his work was evident, he loved every bit of it. As passionate as he was about his work, there was another role that was important to him and that was his role as a father to Chris and I. He wanted nothing but the best for us and our children. Rather than try to articulate to you how special my bond was with my Dad, I d like to instead share a few life lessons I ll carry with me. • Change your oil every 3k-5k miles, and check your tire pressure too it’s just the responsible thing to do. • It’s easier to look for the good in people rather than the bad. • 10 miles over the speed limit is not speeding, it helps traffic flow better. • Love is easier than anger. • Some of the most beautiful things come out of the most painful experiences. • A gut feeling, or instinct should be honored. • Guardian angels do exist. • Prayer and conversations with God should occur multiple times a day. • God equipped us to live, function and prosper in the world within which we live. • A child is God’s greatest gift. • Marriage vows are not to be taken lightly. • Your child’s spouse is to be loved, welcomed into the family, and treated as your own child. • Failure is nothing to fear. • Happiness is choice. As much love as he held in his heart for Chris and I, that love multiplied when we had children of our own. My favorite times with my Dad were when I was sharing my children with him. Every grandchild experienced his complete attention, and admiration. When they were infants he would hold them, for hours and talk to them. As they became toddlers he rejoiced in everything they did, even when they were being troublesome. As they have grown into tweens and teens, he delighted in their personalities, and held nothing but optimism and joy about the people they are growing into. During some of Dad’s best years not only was he a doting grandfather, but he was brave enough to share with me things he regretted, things he felt like he had failed at. There were so many good things about my father, but for me as a daughter there is a lot of comfort in knowing that he like all of us was human. Some of the most prolific lessons I ll carry with me are lessons that came from some of his most heartbreaking failures. Throughout some of his most trying times Dad clung to his faith, and the sincere belief that God had a plan for everything. Jeremiah 29:11 says : “For I know the plans I have for you.” Declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Rest in Peace Dad, you will be missed!
Posted on: Sat, 17 Jan 2015 20:55:48 +0000
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