My Father!

Born in April 1933 and passed away inJanuary 2000.
How many children does he really have?
I know of the 7 with my mother and 3 with a common-law; but, am not sure if he has more out there that we do not know about or he did not know about.

I didn't know much about his work.
Only that he worked as an Estimator( a lot of mathmatics involved) in the woodworking business while I was growing up.
He was a handyman around the house and for his friends.
In his last few years he worked a trap-line and rented boats at a lake.

He coached baseball and hockey when I was growing up.
He refereed a few hockey games as well.
He played hockey, curling, baseball and golf.
He loved puzzles, especially Cryptograms.

My father(dad) was a mystery to me most of the time.
He was not a very open person unless he was drinking.
Even when he was drinking he rarely talked about himself, his youth or his family and friends.

Trying to remember a time my dad did not drink but the only memories that come are the trip to Jasper, wiener roasts and Christmas times when I was young.
He was a partier in my early years and an abusive drunk when I was younger and he was with my mother.
When I started having children is about the time he became a 'depressed' drinker.Meaning he often just got melancholy and maybe even cried a few times.
Since I was about 18, I do not remember a time when he was not drinking when I would see him.
So it's safe to say he was an alcoholic. My brother would say "He was not an alcoholic but a drunk because alcoholics go to meetings and dad never did."
Dad often said the only time he would quit drinking is when he died!
He was cremated and I put a couple of his bone chips in a liquor bottle that had a few drops of Rye in it. They absorbed the rye. Guess he was drinking even after he died.LOL

I know he loved playing cards and taught all his kids and most of his grandkids how to play many, many card games.
He also loved the game Risk and would play with his kids or anyone who wanted to.
Dad did not believe in letting someone win and if he ever let his kids win he must have been good at hiding it.
Whenever we got together as a 'family', we would play cards or Risk and alcohol was always present.
These memories of all these card games are very precious to me as they are my main memories of happy times with Dad.

The last time he spent time with all his children was Christmas season of 1999.
He knew he was dying and wasn't sure how much longer he would be around.
I don't think he knew he would not make it to another summer because he told my girls that they could spend time with him in the summer of 2000.
He never made it through that winter:(

My final memory of my dad is bitter sweet.
He came to my place just after New Years of 2000.
Sat and had a coffee or 2 and spent a little time talking with my girls.
He seemed reluctant to leave and I often think I should have asked him to stay and play a few card games; but I was preoccupied with other tasks (something I regret to this day).
When He was leaving, he hugged me and my girls and made sure he gave us all a hug - giving me 2.
He was having some chest pain and I was worried about him.
He promised he was going to see the doctor.
I said to him, as he went to get in his truck , " Don't you go and die on me old man".
He gave a sad smile back and said "I won't!"
These were our last words to each other.
They still make me bawl:(

The last few Christmas times have been a little hard.
We always use to play card games but now it seems no one really gets into them anymore.
They remind us all of my dad.
Though that can be sad, it is also a good way to remember and honor him!
He would not like it if he knew we did not play cards as much anymore.
I think that would make him sad.