December Talking Meme: My Dad
It still barely qualifies as Christmas, and though computer problems might have caused me to need some grace on other entries, I'm determined to do this one.
My dad wasn't a tall man, or a big one. He didn't stun you with his good looks and charm. Instead, what most people remember about him is his warmth. He was a truly gentle man, tender-hearted in the extreme, with a love for beautiful things. Good music could move him to tears, and he loved watching dancing, too. He loved history, especially WWII history, especially the Pacific theater. He was so excited when we found out I'd be going to Japan because Japan fascinated him. He also loved old-school SF. Zenna Henderson's "The People" books were favorites of his. Old B-movies - War of the Worlds, Day of the Triffids, This Island Earth, etc. - he had a soft spot for them.
Dad was a devoted Christian. He was an elder at just about every church we ever attended, save only for the last one, and that only because he wasn't strong enough to take on the duties. He read the Christmas story from Luke's Gospel to the family every Christmas. (No one read it this year. No one felt up to it.) He loved God, he loved theology, and he loved church.
Dad was a great teacher. He taught chemistry and organic chemistry at the University of Alaska for over 30 years, and not one of his colleagues ever had anything bad to say about him. Some of his students did, because he was a tough grader, but if you met one who was really serious about the subject, you'd hear nothing but praise. I remember eavesdropping on a bunch of students one time at UAA. They were discussing the classes they'd just signed up for for next term. "I've got Heasley for Chemistry," one said. "Yeah, Heasley's great," said another, and I thought, That's my Dad.
Most of all, though, Dad was a great husband and father. He was devoted to my mother. They had an egalitarian marriage before they were popular. The dogma of the churches they attended was always that the man is the head of the household, the wife/mother stays home and always defers to her husband, etc. They gave it lip service, and then quietly did their own thing. Mom was better at getting the bills paid on time than Dad was, so he left it up to her. On the other hand, he was much gentler when washing our hair than Mom was, so he was the Shampoo Man. In later years, he would get up and make coffee and breakfast while Mom took her morning walk, and they'd eat together when she got home.
He was the best Dad ever.
I miss him.
My dad wasn't a tall man, or a big one. He didn't stun you with his good looks and charm. Instead, what most people remember about him is his warmth. He was a truly gentle man, tender-hearted in the extreme, with a love for beautiful things. Good music could move him to tears, and he loved watching dancing, too. He loved history, especially WWII history, especially the Pacific theater. He was so excited when we found out I'd be going to Japan because Japan fascinated him. He also loved old-school SF. Zenna Henderson's "The People" books were favorites of his. Old B-movies - War of the Worlds, Day of the Triffids, This Island Earth, etc. - he had a soft spot for them.
Dad was a devoted Christian. He was an elder at just about every church we ever attended, save only for the last one, and that only because he wasn't strong enough to take on the duties. He read the Christmas story from Luke's Gospel to the family every Christmas. (No one read it this year. No one felt up to it.) He loved God, he loved theology, and he loved church.
Dad was a great teacher. He taught chemistry and organic chemistry at the University of Alaska for over 30 years, and not one of his colleagues ever had anything bad to say about him. Some of his students did, because he was a tough grader, but if you met one who was really serious about the subject, you'd hear nothing but praise. I remember eavesdropping on a bunch of students one time at UAA. They were discussing the classes they'd just signed up for for next term. "I've got Heasley for Chemistry," one said. "Yeah, Heasley's great," said another, and I thought, That's my Dad.
Most of all, though, Dad was a great husband and father. He was devoted to my mother. They had an egalitarian marriage before they were popular. The dogma of the churches they attended was always that the man is the head of the household, the wife/mother stays home and always defers to her husband, etc. They gave it lip service, and then quietly did their own thing. Mom was better at getting the bills paid on time than Dad was, so he left it up to her. On the other hand, he was much gentler when washing our hair than Mom was, so he was the Shampoo Man. In later years, he would get up and make coffee and breakfast while Mom took her morning walk, and they'd eat together when she got home.
He was the best Dad ever.
I miss him.