Dad was a proud WWII Vet, stationed at West Point during the War. No matter where in the world we were visiting, we always brought dad back chocolate. We were in Belgium in the Fall of 2019, so needless to say he made out very well in the chocolate department.

He always hid “the good stuff.” My mom is still finding chocolate squirreled away in some of the most unusual places in the house. His West Point hat still sits on the same table, frozen in time since Winter of 2020, and yes there is chocolate under the hat and there it will stay. I can’t walk into the house and see the hat without the memories flooding back.

We consider ourselves fortunate that he got to hold his first great-grandchild, born in January 2020. At least he got to meet her before our world blew apart. It was her photo that he looked at every morning while in the hospital to give him the strength to power through.

Sadly, he was no match for Covid. This little man with the big personality and incredible sense of humor, was a friend, the family anchor and sounding board for anyone who wanted to avail themselves of his wisdom. A visionary, he was part of an effort to bring healthcare to the countries of Liberia and Ghana in the 1980’s. His life was filled with some of the most amazing stories and adventures, all true.

He never officially stopped working. At the age of 92, he had just renewed his professional license so he could continue to volunteer in the local VA Residence providing a sympathetic ear, and sharing stories with the residents. I remember he was so concerned about the Vets when he was in the hospital. He worried about how they would get their glasses to them with him being out of commission for a while; he couldn’t wait to recover and get back to living his life.

That was my dad, always thinking of others. Not a day goes by that we don’t think of him.