Dad's funeral

This is the talk I gave at my fathers funeral:


Isn’t it funny how the most random things can always remind us of someone? Its not even always a constant occurrence, just one moment can trigger a memory. Sometimes it makes you hopeful, sometimes you cry, sometimes you giggle. There is nothing better then remembering the good things in life. We all have trials and pain that help us grow, but what really defines us is the smiles. My dad was so great at that. Even after tough times he was always trying to make people smile. Every day he would crack silly jokes to people he hardly even knew.  Waitresses, that one I will always remember. Before he went to Las Vegas a couple weeks ago he took me out to eat. There we were eating and he was flirting with the waiter for me. He told him to look how beautiful I was. The waiter just blushed, said he agreed, and told me sorry but he was married. That was Kim though, always trying to be friends with everyone. There was never a time that  I heard him say anything bad about anyone. Angel, Valentine, he always had something  so sweet to call me, always some complement to give me. When I was with him I always felt like the most special person in the whole world. He is the kindest sweetest man I know.  



When I was younger he had this cabinet full of keys and the game was that if I could find the right key I could open what he called  my cupboard . Every single time I went to see him he had some new toy for me. He wanted nothing more then to buy me a car, he talked about it all the time. All I had to do was ask he said.  If he had it he would have gave me the world. Anything to make me smile he would say. Generosity was a very strong quality in him. He didn’t have much but if you needed it he would give it to you, even if he needed it more. I was always in first place to him. There was so many things we did together, but he knew shopping was always my favorite. I brought Karli with me once, he didn’t want her to go home empty handed so he bought her something too. My daddy loved to meet my friends. He would sit for hours just listening to me talk about them and he always sincerely tried to remember them.  As most of you know I am a rambler, I can talk for hours to someone I hardly know, just like him. He  always seemed to love talking to me. He is the most generous man I know.



When he told me he loved me, every time, without fail he would hug me and say,” If I hugged you as much as I loved you, I would break you.”  I would try to squeeze his hand as much as I loved him, he would laugh and call me a wuss.  I loved my daddy. He let me play with his hair, I brushed it and put it in ponytails, last fathers day he even let me cut it. That was amazing , he said,” feel special , its only you I would let do this, I don’t even trust barbers.” Respect was something he never denied me.  He never mocked me or laughed at me. Nothing I said was ever stupid to him, and anyone one who disagreed with me disagreed with my dad. With him I was always right. His favorite story to tell me was one year when I was about 3 or 4, we were at the store on my birthday. You see when I was little I thought everyone celebrated my birthday for me, with pink and hearts. No one wanted  to tell me that valentines day wasn’t just for me. Especially my daddy. So when a little girl about my age decided it was time for me to know. I broke in to tears, there came daddy to reassure me that I was right, it was just my day.  Whenever I asked a question, he always knew the answer. Maybe it wasn’t always correct, but when I was younger he was the smartest man I knew.



I was always the Princess with him. Every time he saw me he would dress up. Coming to see me in work clothes was unquestionable. But a while ago I used to get to go to work with him. Always some new construction site. My daddy loved building things. It was his favorite thing in the world to teach me. About the tools around his shop, what they were called and how to use them. Hw always said that when I was an interior designer we would work together, I would design he would build.  He was so talented, always some new beautiful project he said he would make me. Every single piece meant something to him,  whether it had some memory while he was making it or the wood it was made out of.  I have the most beautiful cherry wood jewelry box he made me. He is the best carpenter I know.


Saltine crackers with cheddar cheese and green olives will always be our snack. Chili will always remind me of him. The smell of sawdust will always be him. Every time someone way taller then me picks me up when they hug me, I will feel  him. Every time I look in the mirror I will see his loving, kind, gentle eyes.  When I laugh, I will see his smile. When I close my eyes at night I will see his face. I can stand here and tell you all these wonderful happy moments I had with him  but no one will ever understand what he is to me. I am his daughter, he is my daddy.  I love him more then anyone can say. He is the best  father for me that I know.