Sadly not a good Thanksgiving.

[Ken Garlock]

Yesterday morning I got a call from the nurse at the Ohio Masonic Home telling me that my father had just died.

There is a lot I could tell you about Dad. But, I will narrow it down to the fact that he was my friend and mentor throughout the 65 years of my life. He was known by just about everyone at the OMH, about 600 including residents and staff. I am sure that they will miss him nearly as much as I will.

Every Sunday at 6 PM I would make a call to him, and he would answer on the second ring. That had been going on since he became a resident of the home on October 31, 1997. In recent years I would buy him an airline ticket in the spring and he would come down to visit with us for a week. Not bad for a man in his middle nineties. Then, I would fly up to spend a week with him in Springfield Oh. in the fall. Dad had his 97th birthday this last September.

Tuesday I will be flying up to Akron for a final good bye, and see him put to rest beside my Mom.

[David Wilson]

Ken You have our deepest sympathys.

[Boyd Gathwright]

Ken,

.... Sorry for your loss. I think if it were my dad I would feel blessed to have had such a relationship for so many years -- as I'm sure you feel.

Our prayers are with you.

Boyd


Yesterday morning I got a call from the nurse at the Ohio Masonic Home telling me that my father had just died.

There is a lot I could tell you about Dad. But, I will narrow it down to the fact that he was my friend and mentor throughout the 65 years of my life. He was known by just about everyone at the OMH, about 600 including residents and staff. I am sure that they will miss him nearly as much as I will.

Every Sunday at 6 PM I would make a call to him, and he would answer on the second ring. That had been going on since he became a resident of the home on October 31, 1997. In recent years I would buy him an airline ticket in the spring and he would come down to visit with us for a week. Not bad for a man in his middle nineties. Then, I would fly up to spend a week with him in Springfield Oh. in the fall. Dad had his 97th birthday this last September.

Tuesday I will be flying up to Akron for a final good bye, and see him put to rest beside my Mom.

[John Miliunas]

Ken, our sympathies, thoughts and prayers go out to you. Yes, it sounds like a super relationship so, you have some great memories to live with. I have little doubt that he'll remain special to for the rest of your live, as well as many others. Take care.

[Randy Moore]

Ken,
My condolences go to you and your family. I know what it is like to lose a good friend like that as I lost mine about 2 1/2 years ago. I still start to pick up the phone to call him and ask a question now and then

A gain our deepest sympathy to you and your family

Randy

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Ken our most sincere sympathies! What a neat relationship you've obviously had with you father!

[tod evans]

my condolences ken.

[Mark Singer]

Ken,
My sympathathys and prayers

[Jackie Outten]

Ken,

My heart goes out to you for the loss of your dear father. My family and I will keep you in our prayers. You were very lucky to have such a wonderful relationship with your dad.

Jackie

[Richard Wolf]

God Speed.

Richard

[Peter Stahl]

Sorry for your loss Ken. You were very fortunate to have a great Dad for that many years.

Pete

[Tom Hamilton]

What a nice testimony you wrote; thanks for sharing that with us. Blessings to you as you go through the final journey to Ohio.

Tom

[lou sansone]

my thoughts and prayers are with you ken

lou

[Tony Falotico]

My deepest sympathy Ken, You'll be in my thoughts and prayers.

Tony.

[Larry James]

Ken, not a good Thanksgiving, but a lot to be thankful for.

I left home at 17, the military, traveling and college prevented me from ever knowing my father as a man. My father passed away when I was 30, at 63 I envy you having a father as a friend and mentor.

Nothing can mitigate your loss or the sadness, but you can be thankful that you had such a wonderful father for so much of your life.

Thanks for sharing your father with us.

[Jim O'Dell]

Ken, I'm sorry for your loss. Take solice in the long life he had, and the close relationship you had with him. May the Shamrocks fall softly....Jim.

[Vaughn McMillan]

Ken, sorry to hear the news. May the memories of all the good things and good times you shared help to ease the hurt.

- Vaughn

[Andy Hoyt]

While this is sad today, just remember- for sixty three years it wasn't.

This reminds me - I better call my old man.

[Kent Cori]

Ken,

I am sorry to hear of your loss. Clearly you and your Dad had a great relationship. It sounds like he had a host of friends and a very fulfilling life.

My thoughts and prayers are with you and your family. Please take care.

[Richard Gillespie]

Truly sorry to hear of your loss. It sounds like you truly had a wonderful relationship with your father. My sincerest condolences.

[Dennis Peacock]

Ken,

Very sorry to hear of the loss of your father. My thoughts and prayers will be with you and your family during this tough time in your lives.

[John Bailey]

Ken,

I am very sorry for your loss. I lost my dad 2 yrs. ago, and I still miss him. I'm sure your memories of him will always be fond.

John

[Dale Thompson]

Ken,
It is a very deep and personal loss but you must be very thankful for the many years that you and your Dad had together. Dad is in a better place and just remember that there are, "Gaps in the floor of Heaven". Dad is watching every cut. Make sure that he will be proud! :)

Dale T.

[John Hart]

I'm very sorry for your loss Ken. It sounds like a great relationship. Very fond memories to be sure.

[Jerry Olexa]

Its all been said above but worth repeating....you had an enviable and wonderful relationship w your Dad. I know you will miss him. You will be in our prayers at this time of loss.

[Mark Stutz]

You and your family will be in our thouhgts and prayers. After having spent the last 2 days with my mother and father, I realize how special those times really are.

[Bruce Shiverdecker]

You have my sympathies, Ken. It is fortunate that you have so many Good memories of your father. If you dwell on them, they will make things easier .

Bruce

[aurelio alarcon]

Blessings to you and yours during this time.

[Dan Forman]

Ken---Sorry to hear of your loss. Sounds like your dad had a good, long life, and that you will have many happy memories to draw upon over the years, though things may look dark for a while. My thoughts are with you, and I wish you peace.

Dan

[Greg Ladd]

Ken,

My deepest sympathies are extended to you during this time.

Greg

[Keith Starosta]

Ken, my families thoughts and prayers go out to you.

My father died one day before Thanksgiving, three years ago. It's always a tough time. Take care.

Keith

[Frank Hagan]

Ken, I'll add my voice to the ones expressing their sympathy. I lost my dad last year between Christmas and New Year's, and it can sometimes taint a holiday's memory to have a death so close to it.

Like you, I had a lot of respect and love for my dad. My dad's death was not unexpected, as he had been failing for quite a long time. I remember my one emotion other than the sense of grief you expect was that everything we did was so inadequate. At the end of the memorial service, I kept thinking how we had failed to remember him correctly, how little it really meant to spend that hour and try to say that was "goodbye." That adds to the sense of loss.

Near the end, I was with my dad in the hospital, and I told him that I was struggling with how to repay him for everything he did. My dad was not a sentimental person, and was a man of few words, so he just grunted his trademark "huh!" I persisted and told him that I was serious, that the things I see within me that I like, the things that are noble and good, are the things I learned from him. That was his greatest gift to me, and I never knew how to repay that gift.

He looked at me and quietly said "You don't repay a gift."

Huh! He was right. I couldn't repay the gifts, but then, you aren't supposed to. But you can share them. And I figured that's my job now, to pass on the noble and good things I learned from him. And to remember the dignity, faith and humor he used to get through life, and to share those stories with others. In that way, we don't repay what they have given us, but we remember them, and we honor them.

Words are little consolation for the loss, but later, when his passing isn't overshadowing all other thoughts of him, my prayer is that you remember the gifts he gave you and all the others he knew, and that you share them.

[Ken Garlock]

for all the very kind words. While Dad and I didn't always see eye to eye on things, and while I can remember that a belt was not only for holding up his pants, I do know that he was there and helped me more than I deserved.

Although he didn't say it, or show it, he regarded our family of 3 his pride and joy. When I was in grade school, I often went with him out the Masonic Craftsmans Park, where he would do various jobs to help. With a grin, he always call me his "mascot." If he was going after supper, Mom would go along and chat with the other ladies who's husbands were helping out.

When I was about 15, he decided that the two of us should get into ham radio. Together we built our first Heathkit transmitter, then later we constructed other transmitters and put up an antenna pole in the back yard. Dad was active in his ham hobby until just a week or two before he died. He had friends all over Ohio and much of the US as a result of his interest in ham radio. I still have my license, but haven't done anything with it for about 10 years, but maybe someday I will be back at it....

Well, I won't bore you with more stories. I am sure each of you have your own list.

[Bruce Page]

Ken, please accept my deepest sympathies to you and your family.

[Ken Shoemaker]

Ken,
My thoughts are with you and yours. ... Ken

[Ron McNeil]

Ken, I'm trully sorry to hear about your dad passing away. May god bless his sole and may he rest in peace.

[Dale Thompson]

Well, I won't bore you with more stories. I am sure each of you have your own list.

Ken,
Please share as many "Dad" stories as you wish. Sharing with friends is always a GOOD thing. :) It may help you a bit with your grief but it also helps many of us to remember the many good (and, as with the belt, sometimes painful :) ) events, activities and fun that we shared with our own Dads.

If our parents are gone, your stories will remind us to remember them kindly. If they are still with us, your stories should remind us to tell them the things that we may have been putting off for years - just waiting for the RIGHT moment. The RIGHT moment is NOW!! :) It may NEVER come again.

Ken, thanks for sharing! :)

Dale T.

[Howard Norman]

Sorry to hear of your loss Ken. Only time heals the sorrow of such a loss. May God grant you peace and comfort at this difficult time.

Howard

[Randy Moore]

I have to agree with Dale on sharing stories about your Dad. We all have stories about our Dad's and it brings back lots of happy and sad memories of my Dad.

Ken start another thread if you want and I am sure that lots of us Creekers would enjoy about our Dads and would contribute, too.

Randy

[Jim Becker]

Ken, I'm sorry to hear of your loss. There is never a good time for such thing.

Regards,

Jim

[Ernie Nyvall]

Condolences from the Nyvall family. Our thoughts and prayers are with you.

Ernie

[Christopher Pine]

My sympathies to you and your family! Sounds like he had a long and wonderful life...

God Bless!

Chris

[Martin Shupe]

My deepest sympathies, Ken. Cherish the memories.

[Joe Blankshain]

Ken,

My families sympathies and prayers go out to you and your family. Remember the good times with your Dad as you go through this tough ride.

[Jeff Sudmeier]

Ken,

It is great to hear your stories! It is nice to know that he was loved here on earth.

You are in my prayers.

[Tyler Howell]

Sorry For your loss!

[Ted Shrader]

Ken -

You have our condolences on the loss of your father. Know that he raised a good son to carry on in his name.

Ted

[john whittaker]

Ken, Our prayers are with you. One of the best gifts we can receive is a good father. You were blessed with a great dad and enjoyed many many years together. Wishing you safety and peace during your final goodbye trip.
John W

[Steve Knowlton]

Ken, I Am Sorry For Your Loss. When I Lost My Dad 5yrs Ago I Lost My Great Friend. I Am Glad That You Could Talk To Him Every Week. Please Remember All Of The Good Times. It Sure Helps. God Bless You And Your Family

[Dave Ray]

Ken, sorry to hear of your loss. Just keep concentrating on the good memories and warm stories. Your Dad had a good long life and you played a big part in it. Lots of comfort to be drawn from that. It's always good to be around the people you love and admire. When they depart earth, they never depart our hearts.