Hey All, My father passed away yesterday. He had been in a nursing home for about a month. Before that he was in the hospital in Houston where he was diagonised with Lou Gehereg's disease.
I had my Dad at the house Sunday morning where we had a speaker phone conversation with my brother and his family in Ill. I took him back to the home about 1230, I made sure he was back in bed and ok, and I left. I was building a swing set in the back yard for my boys when the home called and said he was having problems and to go to Clear Lake Regional Med center. I got there just as he died. I lost it. I told him he was my hero, that it was ok to go and that I loved him. I said, "good bye Pop," and he died.
I miss him so bad, today is worse than yesterday. If you have read this far, let me tell you about my Dad. He was a retired Air Force Major. He started flying T6's in Florida about 1961. From there he went to Multi traing at Reese AFB in B25's. His first assingment was the C47 then onto C54 and finally into C124's.
Dad left the AF and had some airline interviews at the same time he applied to the FAA. He had accepted the FAA job right before Braniff called. He stayed with the FAA for 23 years. He kicked himself many times for not going to Braniff until that fateful day in June 1982. Dad did many things with the Feds. He was a 727 check airman and was the asssistant POI on the AA Cert back in the 80's. From there, he ran the Southwest Region out of Lubbock until he left for ATL in 1988. He retired from the FAA in 1989.
From ther Dad went to Hughes Aircraft in the C141 and was a pilot instructor the until he fully retired in 2001.
I run into people all the time that knew my Dad. Something that everyone has told me, that when he ran the LBB office, they always felt they could come in and talk about anything. They knew that Dad wasn't there to "bust" them for a mistake. He had the ability to see both sides and to work out problems to everyone's benefit.
Thanks for letting me ramble on. My Dad was my hero, I hope I can still make him proud of me. Good Bye Pop, I love you.
Robert
I had my Dad at the house Sunday morning where we had a speaker phone conversation with my brother and his family in Ill. I took him back to the home about 1230, I made sure he was back in bed and ok, and I left. I was building a swing set in the back yard for my boys when the home called and said he was having problems and to go to Clear Lake Regional Med center. I got there just as he died. I lost it. I told him he was my hero, that it was ok to go and that I loved him. I said, "good bye Pop," and he died.
I miss him so bad, today is worse than yesterday. If you have read this far, let me tell you about my Dad. He was a retired Air Force Major. He started flying T6's in Florida about 1961. From there he went to Multi traing at Reese AFB in B25's. His first assingment was the C47 then onto C54 and finally into C124's.
Dad left the AF and had some airline interviews at the same time he applied to the FAA. He had accepted the FAA job right before Braniff called. He stayed with the FAA for 23 years. He kicked himself many times for not going to Braniff until that fateful day in June 1982. Dad did many things with the Feds. He was a 727 check airman and was the asssistant POI on the AA Cert back in the 80's. From there, he ran the Southwest Region out of Lubbock until he left for ATL in 1988. He retired from the FAA in 1989.
From ther Dad went to Hughes Aircraft in the C141 and was a pilot instructor the until he fully retired in 2001.
I run into people all the time that knew my Dad. Something that everyone has told me, that when he ran the LBB office, they always felt they could come in and talk about anything. They knew that Dad wasn't there to "bust" them for a mistake. He had the ability to see both sides and to work out problems to everyone's benefit.
Thanks for letting me ramble on. My Dad was my hero, I hope I can still make him proud of me. Good Bye Pop, I love you.
Robert