To the best dad ever.

DAD! Happy Father's Day! Thank you for always helping me, whether it's helping me by listening to me, giving me advice, fixing my car, or helping me put earrings in (like this morning). You've earned your fair share of backrubs.

Happy Father's Day!

I love you!

Marissa

Dad's a pretty cool guy.

Dad, I can't think of any other kid whose father is cool enough to take him to Europe and Hawaii in the same year. But that's not all you do. You are always there to help me create some amazing contraption. Although the contraptions may break or become obsolete, the time we spend together making them is always special to me. You're the best dad ever! I love you, Dad.
-Ben-

inspired

Dad's my inspiration for alot of things. He's capable of working tirelessly until the job's done and when it's time time to relax he just nestles down in the sunbeam and purrs during a backrub. I can't remember the last time he lost his temper and whenever I did get the wooden paddle I deserved it :) Dad's my source of infinite wisdom on everything from how to get the tractor to work, to fixing boat motors, to how to treat a lady. Dad knows everything! Thanks dad for spending such great time with us (ie. airshows, vacations, working on stuff). I'll try to do the same for my kids someday.
YOU'RE THE BEST!!!
love,
-Chris-

Royal Clown Cola

I always knew growing up that I had the funniest dad. It must have come from all the "Royal Clown Cola" you drank as a child. You were always making us laugh and smile with your whit and humor.

I always knew growing up that I had the smartest dad. You knew how everything worked and you could fix anything from glasses and electronics to cars and homes. I still call with difficult questions because I know you will have an answer.

I always knew growing up that I had the hardest working dad. Projects like installing a bug zapper, rebuilding a backhoe, replacing the leach bed, and building a swing set filled your evenings and weekends. Other than an occasional video or NOVA program, I can't think of any other time you spent watching TV. Your idea of relaxing was carrying around a 30lb. propane tank torching weeds.

I always knew growing up that church was important to you. You were the one to set up and maintain audio and satelite equipment in the building. You stayed after church every Sunday to fulfill your assignment as ward clerk. I remember many trips to the Johnson Farm to prune and pick apples and strawberries. As your home teaching companion I remember visiting Cathy Forsthofer, Mable O'Niel and others.

I always knew growing up that family time was important to you. And it wasn't just the big trips to Palmyra, Niagara Falls, The World's Fair and Smoky Mountains, Washington DC, Myrtle Beach, The Grand Canyon, Texas, The Great Salt Lake, or Slide Rock and Chandler, Arizona. It was also time spent taking pictures in the park after church, Saturday morning Coleman pancakes, the Akron Art Museum, NASA space center, COSI, 4th of July parades and fireworks, Geauga Lake, Hale Farm, Quaker Square, The Brown Derby, and skating at the KSU ice rink.

I always knew growing up that one on one time was important to you. I remember waiting by the road for you to come home from work so I could sit on your lap and "drive" up the driveway. I remember many times going with you to fuel the car at the gas station knowing you would give me a pretzel rod. I remember many Sundays in church bouncing on your knee or getting a back rub. And I will never forget the help you gave me rebuilding the Chevette getting it ready to take to college. The night before I left we stayed up until three in the morning struggling in vain to bleed the brakes. When I woke up the next morning I discovered that you had gotten up around 6am. to go have my brakes bled professionally.

I always knew growing up that you loved mom. You never argued even when you may have disagreed. You always held hands and opened doors and spoke kindly and softly. You always showed the respect she deserved and needed as our mother.

And yet knowing all these things growing up I didn't know how great you really were until I became a father and realized how hard it is to successfully balance work, church, society, and family responsibilities. I hope you have a great father's day! You certainly deserve it!

Love, Erik

Aside from Dad's sweet moves and technological genius...he is also a master chef...
-sprinkle toast
-hot dog + eggs + cheese = omelet
-hot dog + ketchup + pita bread = pizza
-hot dog (cut into slices) = peperoni
Love you Dad!
-david

I think that dad knows erything there is to know about technology... It kind of reminds me of a song from napolean dynomite. Like Kip from napolean dynomite, Dad has lots of sweet moves, and he got a hot momma to fall in love with him! Happy Father's Day Dad!

Smartest Dad Ever

Dad, When I was little I remember asking you questions like "Why is grass green?" or "How does a record player work?" And you always knew the answers. I knew I could go to you with any question and you would know the answer.
That always made me so proud of my Dad. I thought that I must have the smartest Dad in the whole world-- after all, you read an entire encyclopedia, started a rocket club, became an engineer without formal training, invented dozens of gadgets, and could fix necklaces, among other things.
I know that you value eduaction and learning. You took every opportunity to teach us. I remember reading the little, worn book about how engines work before getting my driver's license. Most of our family vacations involved a visit to a factory or museum. I remember driving across the state to see an actual Cinerama film. Sometimes those trips seemed a little long and boring (the aerospace museum in Dayton), but most of the time learning with you was so much fun.
I know that you love learning. Your example and influence has shaped us all. We are learners and doers.
Thank you for your wisdom and example. I love you!
Happy Father's Day!

Karyn

World's Greatest Mom!

World's Greatest Mom!

What do you get when you mix Einstein with MacGyver?

What do you get when you mix Einstein with MacGyver????
That's an easy one... The answer is Dad!
One of the the biggest things I've learned from dad is that anything is possible. A few spare parts and a little knowledge go a long way. For example, remember my $1.oo '78 fiesta? After I wrecked it some creative riveting and a front end alignment using a tape measure and a broom stick got it back on the road. (It even drove straight!) I've also learned from dad to do things a little differently than everyone else. Remember the christmas decorations on liberty street? No one else had a movie of Santa projected on their houses. And the drinking fountain... that was cool. Dad has also been a great example of how to be a father. I think that I could count all the times I've seen dad lose his temper on one hand and still have a few fingers left over. (As I think about it, I believe that Will may actually still be grounded for that one pipe bomb.) The bottom line is that I hope I can be like him. Thanks, Dad.

I Have a Genius for a Dad

As a little girl, I would often go in search of my Dad... I always knew exactly where he'd be. Down in the basement, tucked away behind food storage, was a room full of strange and wonderful stuff: rainbow-colored electrical wires, boxes of mysteriously expired equipment, a lightbox that blinked to Close Encounters of the Third Kind, rows and rows of tiny plastic drawers filled with nuts and bolts, old amplifiers and ancient reel-to-reel machines, a sturdy wooden workbench full of tools, soldering guns, and engravers... It was a genius' playground. I was always welcome there, always invited to pull up a vinyl-cushioned stool and make something of my own.
To this day I can remember that wonderful solder smell that would tell me that Dad was making something hi-tech and magical! Often I'd also catch a whiff of Gojo, too, which would tell me Dad just made some modifications on our big family vehicle to make it the safest car on the road.
We were the first people on the block, maybe in the whole world, who could push a button in our kitchen and watch our garage door in the backyard go up and down. We skated in our backyard on a smooth, ingeniusly well-constructed ice rink. Even though I wasn't much interested in science. Dad would help me find some magical gizmo for the Science Fair that I could get into, like a big fat prism that would make a brilliant rainbow.
Whenever my toys would break, it was just no problem. In fact, as I grew up, it was a bit difficult moving away from home and losing the comfort that everything I own could be repaired by Dad. I remember being a grown college student and being irked at a string of Christmas Lights that were broken. I threw them into my suitcase thinking, Dad can fix those! It wasn't until I was a little more mature and had a home of my own that I truly realized the exquisite, useful talent that my Dad has.
While Dad's mechanical genius left such an impression on me, so did his strong spirituality. Many of his incredible, even supernatural stories and memories shaped my childhood. His alien sighting made me know that there is more that just Me in the Universe, and his being hit by a meteor told me that God touches us and knows us by name. He was once saved from electricution by a spiritual warning, and this made me know that God is real and full of tender mercies if we listen to Him. My testimony was kindled by my parents until I was able to keep my own fire burning, and I will always be grateful!
In short, I have a genius for a Dad. I would say that I'm pretty much the luckiest kid in the world, but I know of 9 others who could say that, too!
Love, Janis

Whiz Kid From Mars

Dad, you have always had the best collection of techno-goodies! When I was young, it seemed like you had an infinite supply of parts for my projects. You pretty much always let us use your tools too (even after we sometimes lost or abused them...). I remember you helped me build that Sinclair ZX81 when I was in the 6th grade. You always let us sit with you in the sound booth at Stake Conference, and tag along on church wiring projects in the Akron Chapel. You have always been an inspiration to me, in so many ways. I appreciate the love you put into being 'the family historian', capturing so many moments on video and film, and dredging the archives to pull a show together whenever there is a wedding or graduation to celebrate.

I love you Dad.
Happy Father's Day.

Will

Us too! - Linda, Anna, Joe, Amaya, Elydia

Happy Father's Day!

Happy Father's Day Dad. Besides doing an incredible job on my sixth-grade science fair project, he makes a mean batch of Coleman pancakes and can really fire up the grill for some roasted red potatoes (still my favorite). Dad is very resourceful. I think he used a No. 10 can for some sort of car part in Dave's Chevette. I'm proud to say that my dad was associated with early Devo recordings. Dad, you're a legend! Hopefully you get the traditional hour-long backrub on Father's Day. We love you! - Emily, Scott, and Bruce