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.