HAPPY FATHERS DAY!!!!!!

My father gave me his half of the birth process but unfortunately he played only a minor role in my life. First he and my mother divorced when I was four,then he served in WWII for the next two years. He returned from the war in early 1946 and he died in June 1948 when I was ten.

The Clintons had it right when they said "it took a village to raise a child".

I was blessed to have five men participate in being a major part of raising me from childhood to manhood.





My grandfather Ramsey was the number one most powerful influence for good in my life.{notice the streetcar tracks behind grandpa}


Right before he died he looked right at Nancy and told her "he always treated me as his son."

On the left is my dad and next to him is his brother and my uncle Wib. Somehow they met up in Luzon,Philippines. Uncle Wib tried hard to be in my life after my fathers death.

Nancy's dad Jim McCoy led me by good example from the day I met him in 1956 until his death in 1996.

My uncle Bob was like a father to me as he taught me to drive, helped me buy my first car, took me to more sporting events than any kid I know. One year I almost died from pneumonia and when I began to recover he bought me a big birthday cake with lots of flowers but it was not my birthday.

One of many lessons I learned was you did not have to be the birth father to be a kind loving father.

Somehow I forgot to post a picture of my stepfather Razz. We did not have a good father/son relationship but it was primarily my fault.I am sure today you would have sent me to CFS for lots of counseling. I was simply full of blame,and resentment.Yet he had a big role in my development as I had a personal goal that I would be a better husband and father.

HAPPY FATHERS DAY!!!!!!