He was a person who was not perfect, but he worked hard to take care of everyone around him. He was taught as a youngster how to take care of people. He was taught you take care of the widows. Whether, it was to cut wood or to mow their lawns. When he got taller he was able to work in the lumber fields with his father and uncles. We loved the story about how the eggs disappeared every day. They finally stayed up and watched and the little mice would work together to get those eggs. they would roll it out of the egg cartons to the mouse who was down below and he would catch it and take it out. He would read his kids stories about the 3 little pigs. We learned pretty quick that maybe he was pulling our legs because the piggies house was reinforced with rebar. We liked hearing the stories to see how he would change it next.
Occasionally he would whistle out tunes to songs that had funny lyrics. He would also sit down and draw pictures for us like a tree with some half circles on each side of the trunk... and ask us what it was. Turns out it was a panda on the tree, which you could only see the arms and legs holding onto the tree, which would get a giggle out of us.
He worked hard every day whether it was at work or at home. The only time he seemed to relax was when we would go camping or to the park. He loved spending time with us when he could. He also loved getting to call or get calls from his kids in Utah. He would get a goofy smile on his face.
He had this cute little chuckle followed with putting his weight on one leg and then changing it to the next when he got really excited about things. He had a sense of humor you really had to get to know him to really get the jest of them. He also taught us that you have to have fun in this life. You have to be able to laugh at yourself when you mess up and when you do mess up make it big. He definitely was a character.
He loved his wife and his kids dearly. He tried his best to make sure they had the basics to be able to go about in this life. How his heart even fit in his chest was amazing because he did care for many people. Sometimes, too much.
He didn't tell me how to live; he lived, and let me watch him do it
~Clarence Budington Kelland
He went peacefully in his sleep. We all wanted him to be pain free from the cancer and you can't ask anything more than that. Dad/Husband/Friend we will miss you greatly and we hope that you can look down on us and know that you were loved just as much as you loved us.
He is survived by his wife Susan. His kids: Anna, Carrie, Shannon, Sharon, Sue, Matt, Shaun, Laura, Sean, Melissa, and Michelle. He is survived by 26 grand-kids and 6 great grand-children.
