Hello fellow FGT Forum members. It's been a tough and interesting past 8 months. As I posted some time ago my father was diagnosed with Stage 4 bone cancer early this year. It has been a tough, but short battle with cancer winning. My Dad passed away peacefully on August 19th. Today marked the final day getting his and my mother's affairs in order. Fortunately, all the hard work and attention I have given to their financial and well-being has helped me to get their affairs squared away to settle the estate and keep my Mom in good stead until the good Lord calls her home too. Since January, I have spent nearly every day visiting with him and my Mom, moving him to three different clinics and facilities and getting their affairs in order, working on a daily basis. Now, I have to return to a new "normal".
My Dad was an interesting guy who always made me (and others) laugh and was my best motivational coach. As a young man he served our country as a special agent in the Counter Intelligence Corps. Most people don't know about that brief piece of American history. He basically was a Homeland Security agent before anyone would have ever dreamed of some wacko's crashing airliners into our city skylines. Back in the late 1950's, the C.I.C. (prior to the C.I.A.) was charged with stemming the "Red Threat". My Dad was a non-commissioned officer in the U.S. Army, serving in plain clothes side by side with the F.B.I. stationed in Cleveland, Ohio. His role was to identify, gather intelligence (and sometimes arrest) subversives, communists and the likes. He liked to say that he served his country guarding the shores of Lake Erie. I'm sure he did much more than that. He later worked as a top V.P. for The White Motor Coporation and reported to S.J. (Bunkie) Knudson, the famous Detroit car executive. I remember as a young teen hearing his stories about riding in Bunkie's helicopter and flying around with him on their corporate jet. He later left the corporate world to go back into public service and turned around the biggest (and most administratively troubled) district attorney's office in the State of Oklahoma as the head of all administrative and management affairs. He retired from that post at age 70, then was called back by some of the judges in the State of Oklahoma to help run things on the judicial side. He retired a second time from the State at age 76 then moved back to Ohio to be with his family and friends after a 20 year absence. We're glad we were able to spend lots of time with he and my Mom during the last 7 years. I'll miss him!
I now hope to get back to "moderating" as they say on the Ford GT Forum, and hope to attend the rally with a bit more peace in my heart and mind knowing that he'll be watching down on us sipping on his great Manhattan in the sky as he shares a toast with us. (He actually shared Bony's deep love of the Maker's Mark Manhattan - His priest, his brother, sisters, sons, and grandsons all shared a toast at his wake!) I have to admit that I was quite worried about being so far away if he were still hanging on through the Fall.
Thanks to all of you who have shared encouraging words and prayers during this tough time. I appreciate the thoughtfulness and care that has been shown to me by this close-knit FGT Community. In fact some have even shared medical references to physicians, clinics and the like and it all is much appreciated. I look forward to seeing most (if not all) of you at the Rally! Here's to our fallen heroes!
My Dad was an interesting guy who always made me (and others) laugh and was my best motivational coach. As a young man he served our country as a special agent in the Counter Intelligence Corps. Most people don't know about that brief piece of American history. He basically was a Homeland Security agent before anyone would have ever dreamed of some wacko's crashing airliners into our city skylines. Back in the late 1950's, the C.I.C. (prior to the C.I.A.) was charged with stemming the "Red Threat". My Dad was a non-commissioned officer in the U.S. Army, serving in plain clothes side by side with the F.B.I. stationed in Cleveland, Ohio. His role was to identify, gather intelligence (and sometimes arrest) subversives, communists and the likes. He liked to say that he served his country guarding the shores of Lake Erie. I'm sure he did much more than that. He later worked as a top V.P. for The White Motor Coporation and reported to S.J. (Bunkie) Knudson, the famous Detroit car executive. I remember as a young teen hearing his stories about riding in Bunkie's helicopter and flying around with him on their corporate jet. He later left the corporate world to go back into public service and turned around the biggest (and most administratively troubled) district attorney's office in the State of Oklahoma as the head of all administrative and management affairs. He retired from that post at age 70, then was called back by some of the judges in the State of Oklahoma to help run things on the judicial side. He retired a second time from the State at age 76 then moved back to Ohio to be with his family and friends after a 20 year absence. We're glad we were able to spend lots of time with he and my Mom during the last 7 years. I'll miss him!
I now hope to get back to "moderating" as they say on the Ford GT Forum, and hope to attend the rally with a bit more peace in my heart and mind knowing that he'll be watching down on us sipping on his great Manhattan in the sky as he shares a toast with us. (He actually shared Bony's deep love of the Maker's Mark Manhattan - His priest, his brother, sisters, sons, and grandsons all shared a toast at his wake!) I have to admit that I was quite worried about being so far away if he were still hanging on through the Fall.
Thanks to all of you who have shared encouraging words and prayers during this tough time. I appreciate the thoughtfulness and care that has been shown to me by this close-knit FGT Community. In fact some have even shared medical references to physicians, clinics and the like and it all is much appreciated. I look forward to seeing most (if not all) of you at the Rally! Here's to our fallen heroes!
