Thank you for coming, everyone. This means a lot, to myself, to my family, and to his memory. I’m not going to talk to you for very long, and I’ve been very careful in my words. Please know that I’m speaking very directly to his concerns.

First off, I cannot address everything he loved, for there was so much. I hope you can fill in the gaps, and this Memorial is for that express purpose. Now I’ll continue.

Many of you friends knew my father from work, or the bar, or even coming over to the house and partaking in the famous barbecues. Many of us think we knew him well, and he allowed us to think that. But he was a far craftier person than even I gave him credit for. He was always thinking about us, never about himself.

My father lived a full life, with hardships and rewards far more reaching than I can encompass. He grew up in a West Saint Paul that was far wilder than today’s West Saint Paul where he had to carry a bat to fend off wild dogs when walking to school (or so he said), when he came of age he went to war on the carrier USS Ranger, where he toured the Pacific and encountered many adventures and wonders. On his return, he moved to Duluth and found happiness in my mother, Nick, and myself. After the divorce, he came back here and reconnected to his hometown and a metric ton of people who were rich with feeling and caring. He worked with US Airways for fifteen years, and during that time he always found happiness and interesting people, during and after work.

He didn’t really talk about himself, not to the degree that really let you know who he was, as he was more interested in you. What you thought, what you felt, how to cheer you and make you happy. And he knew he helped you find at least a little bit of happiness. And that made him happy.

He was gruff at times, downright cranky, but he always did so to make you find the best way to get through your own difficulties and have a good time while doing so. He wasn’t about hand-to-mouth feeding you things. He wanted you to be better.

The last ten years have been trying on him. Since the aneurysm, he sometimes wasn’t able to find the words he wanted to tell you. You may say that you understood, but it was important that he said them. Since he didn’t have a chance, this eulogy gives me the chance to say the words he said to me, but couldn’t say to you, for him.

Thank you, everyone, for the good times. Thank you for giving your prayers. Thank you for giving your regards. Thank you for your well wishes. Thank you for your thoughts.

As this is important, I say again: thank you for the good times, thank you for the trying times, thank you for everything.

All of those times/prayers/regards/wishes/thoughts reminded him of the goodness of all of you. He loved you all. You all meant more to him than you may think, or really believe, or understand. Your happiness enriched him more than any of us suspected, or truly understood.

Your visit here means more than simple words can express. Thank you a million times over. Thank you, thank you, thank you. Very much.

Please, share your memories and your thoughts. That was what his house was about, and that was what he was about.