My Dad

My dad, where do I start.

He died yesterday after 98 years of life, and what a life he had. I got the news yesterday at 2:45 p.m. and was in my shop when I broke down and cried with my dog at my side. After 20 minutes it was over and I realized how fortunate he was and how lucky I was to have a mentor like him.

This is one of my favorite pictures I had with him when I just signed the papers on the ranch. He loved it so much. He so much loved his country, his family, his wife, the Reds and God. The most important thing to him though was FAMILY and sticking together. He mentioned it every time we talked. He was conservative, depriving himself of spoils to buy his wife a new hat or dress, or to save for a family vacation. Rode the bus for 40 years in order for others to use the car. No one was a stranger to my dad, always wanting to know your name, He always had someone to eat with.

He was proud to have served during WWII. Generous and compassionate to all, he had a firm handshake. And for all of you, you'll never know how much he appreciated our listeners, who also were so generous and supportive of Mark and I through the years. He often said, "Paul, you have the best fans in the world." He was right.

I will miss him dearly. There will be no more harvests, no more advice sessions, no more complaints about the Reds pitching, but he is in a better place now. Every man wants his son to grow up and be a better man than he was. For me that will be impossible. I'll never be half the man my dad was. I hope he knows how much I admired him and his character. Rest in peace dad, until we meet again.